Raiders to join County schools?

Strolling thru the minutes from the latest meeting on the site, I ran across a suggestion(for JIB) to join the County school system Minutes page 3 , anyone from JIB have an opinion on this?

as an old Raider I wouldn't like it very much. I would love to see Norton stay as a city school. But looking at it from other points if it gives the school kids "MORE" then that would be ok. From what I've heard though Norton has many kids that come to Notron that could go to the county school system. They come to Norton because they feel Norton gives them a better education experience. More teacher interaction.
from their statements they want to do away with Norton as a shcool and convert the high shcool to a Governer's School. Walter Crouse just suggested this and I don't believe it will happen. and I Hope it doesn't happen. I can't see that benefitiing the kids at all. I can see in they wanted to combine Norton and Appalachia into a new school though.

Walter Crouse, from district 4, said 2007-08 budget planning needed to begin as soon
as the 2006-2007 budget was finalized and approved by the Board of Supervisors. He
suggested that utilization of budget committees should continue, Norton must be
brought into the Wise County system within 3-5 years, J. I. Burton High School should
be converted to a Governor=s School, regional school districts should be considered,
and that SOLs should be eliminated.

It doesn't shock me that now it has been suggested Norton join the county schools. Norton like any other small school would probably like for things to stay the way they are. I couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to combine. But IF it really will benefit the kids education to combine then I see some good for the students. I just don't want to hear all these suggestions and make everyone believe it then come time once it has been combined and really the opportunity's for a better education are not true. I don't have the answers for combining or what really the advantage will be for the students. I do think anything and everything will be promised for our kids in school to combine but after all is said and done we (the parents) are stuck with paying more out of pocket for a idea of those elected and no real big difference is offered to our kids.

Norton has no need to join the county schools, our finances are in better shape than the county. Why would we want to deal with the mess that the county has got itself into?

^^^^

what monkeyhead says, it doesnt make any sense whatsover. Its not like norton is broke. The city itself is probably the most wealthy in wise county. What would joining the county bring to the table other than a f'n mess. Id rather have norton people caring about norton city schools than somebody from wise that doesnt give a crap about appalachia wanting to tear the joint down. Things are fine the way they are.

From what i am hearing it's all about student enrollment and income.
The enrollment is not where it needs to be, at the highschool, one reason the board was looking, to move the 6th and 7th grade to the highschool.
The City can no longer afford, to keep all the schools up, as they need to be.
And is looking to have to do something in the next few years.

[ QUOTE ]
Walter Crouse, from district 4, said 2007-08 budget planning needed to begin as soon
as the 2006-2007 budget was finalized and approved by the Board of Supervisors. He
suggested that utilization of budget committees should continue, Norton must be
brought into the Wise County system within 3-5 years, J. I. Burton High School should
be converted to a Governor=s School, regional school districts should be considered,
and that SOLs should be eliminated.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats not true at all, or only partially true at best. NES is beyond overcrowded to the point that they wanted to move 6th and 7th grade to the HS which is another mistake in itself. Can you see 6th graders exposed to real life situations like sex, drugs, and violence. NES enrollment must be through the roof because there isnt enough room there. That bodes well for the future if there are that many kids. Also, I call BS on the whole Norton cant afford to upkeep the schools etc crap when we just built wal-mart and are getting millions of dollars in taxes that we werent getting before. Hell the tax laws in norton are so ridiculous that Pal Barger didnt want to come to norton not only because a small slab of land was going to cost over a million dollars but because Pals was going to get taxed out the arse in the process. From the horses mouth, I have heard that in all likelyhood, any southwest virginia pals expansion for wise county will be for BSG.

Norton City government is loaded to the point that they are tightwads, saying they cant afford to keep the school going is assinine. They wont even spend the money to fix a frickin pothole.

Futhermore, joining the county for declining school enrollment(if that was the case which I dont believe at all) would be even more dumb because the school would be consolidated as quick if not quicker than appalachia. Joining the county just leads to consolidation plans. Im not hardcore anti consolidation like the appy folks are but I just dont see the neccessity of such a drastic plan from such a well mantained, well funded school system.

Some very good points, mega. I have always admired the Norton School System for maintaining an excellent system.

Read the quote.
If you can't read that and see there is some kind of problem. Then you just acting like spudsmac, LPDFTBL and others about Appy.
Evidently something is going on. Read it for yourself, a direct quote from a board member, concerning what, financial matters.