About 300 concerned parents attended a meeting to organize their opposition to a recent decision by the Knox County Board of Education to end its "non-resident reciprocal agreement" with the Corbin Schools, a move that would affect about 169 students who live in the Knox County School District but instead attend Corbin Schools.
Dr. Paul Cooney, a family practice physician in Barbourville, organized the event, held Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church. He lives in a subdivision off of Hwy. 830 in northwestern Knox County, and said the decision has a direct impact on him. His three children – a high school freshman, seventh grader and second grader – all go to Corbin schools.
"This was just a way to get our heads together and get a plan," Cooney said. "This was just something we can do as parents to try to combat this situation. I’m like a lot of people … I think something the board didn’t take into consideration was the emotional aspect of how it will affect these kids."
The five-member Board of Education voted unanimously last Monday, during a special meeting, not to sign a reciprocal agreement with the Corbin Schools, mirroring a decision the board made in 1996. Two years later, the school district relented. Board members and administrators say the decision was financial, pointing out the school district was losing around $530,000 in state funding because of students attending Corbin.
Without the agreement in place, parents who do not live in the Corbin School District will be forced to either pay tuition to send their child to the city’s schools – a $1,200 a year expense – move into the district, or seek educational guardianships or educational powers of attorney from the courts.
Many of those in attendance swore solemn oaths that their children would never attend Knox County Schools, citing underperformance on standardized tests and failure to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements in many areas.
"The reason I moved here was because of these schools. I could have moved many other places," said Paula Hummell, who said she left the northern Kentucky area and moved south because of the reputation of the Corbin schools. She has two children that attend schools in Corbin. "I have a 14-year-old who is at home crying right now. We kept this from her until right before we came here tonight."
Hummell said she feels as though "parent participation" in the Corbin schools is something that sets it apart from other school districts.
Hummell created a special Facebook page called "Knox Parents for Corbin Schools" through which people who oppose the decision can communicate. As of Tuesday, the page had 148 "friends."
Cooney said everyone should attend the next meeting of the Knox County Board of Education to express their thoughts on the issue.
The next meeting of the Knox County Board of Education is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. According to David Cole, Public Information Officer for the Knox County School District, the meeting is planned to be held at the Board of Education Annex on but will be moved to the old Knox Central Gymnasium if a large number of people attend. A half an hour of discussion has been set aside just to address the reciprocal agreement and opposition to the board’s decision.
On Monday, Cooney suggested that several people be selected to speak on behalf the group regarding different areas of impact of the decision, including: educational differences between the two districts, the emotion impact on students and the effect on property values in western Knox County.
One of the "spokespersons" for the effort, 16-year-old Corbin High School student Jordan Jones, said she plans to give the board a student’s perspective on their decision.
"Corbin is just such a great school. I love it there and I don’t want to leave," Jones said. "That’s where all my friends are and there are just so many opportunities I have there that I don’t have anywhere else … I just love everything about it."
Jordan’s mother, Kim Jones, said she was shocked when she first heard of the decision and is proud of her daughter for volunteering to address the board. She said she would pay tuition if necessary to keep her daughter at Corbin.
The group generally discussed legal options, including a law that appears to allow Corbin Schools to appeal the Knox school board’s decision to the Commissioner of the Board of Education (KRS 157.350).
According to Jeff Coulter, an Education Financial Analyst with the Kentucky Department of Education, KDE only receives copies of reciprocal agreements between school districts for "data" purposes.
"Ultimately, that is a board decision," he said. "We don’t have the power to force them to do it or not do it."
On Tuesday, Corbin School Superintendent Ed McNeel said he was aware of the law and that it was currently being scrutinized by Board Attorney Bob Hammons.
"I’ve asked legal advice about what that means. It’s being researched," McNeel said.
Another issue discussed at the meeting was that of "educational guardianship." Essentially, parents can seek permission from the courts to cede all educational decision-making rights to someone else. The practice is done for a number of reasons. Even if parents live outside the Corbin School District, if the child’s "educational guardian" resides in the district, then that child can attend school there. Also, any state funds attached to that student would go to the district.
Another, even simpler option exists for parents as well – "educational power of attorney." The process requires only that parents fill out a form giving decision-making authority for medical or school purposes to someone else, and filing it with the local district court clerk. The measure does not require a judge’s approval.
Court officials say most area school districts recognize educational powers of attorney as legitimate. The Knox County School District does not.
Since the decision, some concerns have arisen regarding if the Whitley County School’s Board of Education would approve a reciprocal agreement with Corbin for the upcoming school year. Some parents at the meeting voiced that worry as well.
On Tuesday, Delmar Mahan, Chairman of the Whitley County Board of Education, said there has been no discussion of discontinuing an agreement with Corbin. He added that he was fairly sure the current agreement does not run out until after the 2010-2011 school year.
"As far as I know, we have no problems with Corbin. There’s been no discussion about doing that," Mahan said. "I don’t see any problem with keeping that agreement going. We get along good with Corbin schools."
