Murphy - Andrews - HD consolidation
- Thread starter mbdfan
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I think that would be a terrible decision when most of the opposition already comes from Andrews and HD. For this to be successful it needs to start fresh so that old rivalries and grudges go away and everybody buys in on the new school. But I also don't like Cherokee County--too confusing especially if still in a conference with Cherokee.
I remember when Haywood county consilidated into two schools .They were a lot of opposition when it happened but in the end it all worked out for the good. Some wanted the name to be Canton and Waynesville but the smaller schools parents objected .
I agree. I couldn’t imagine calling a game between Cherokee County & Cherokee! Talk about confusing! Lol. Finding the right new name is gonna be a HOT topic
I don't believe for a second that they will be dumb enough to call the school in any connection to the existing schools.
But they don't have the option of calling it Cherokee obviously ether luckily when Harris and Bowman consolidated in Mitchell county we didn't have that issue and I assure anyone no two schools hated each other like Bowman & Harris once in the late 60's there was such a bad fight that broke out at a football game that the State ban them from playing each other for two years. While resource officers are common place today they weren't in 1978-79 the first year of Mitchell high but the sheriff's dept kept a presents there for the first year or two just Incase. My middle brother was in that first senior class and wasn't happy refused to get a Mitchell class ring but got a Bowman one.
Thing I wonder is in Mitchell's case once consolidated the sports teams where combined three years before the school was built so will Cherokee county do the same? My oldest brother was co-captain on that first football team '75-'76 season they chose a captain from each school but the coaches were from Harris and showed favoritism to Harris boys which hurt their performance especially with the QB so you have to watch out on that as well.
But they don't have the option of calling it Cherokee obviously ether luckily when Harris and Bowman consolidated in Mitchell county we didn't have that issue and I assure anyone no two schools hated each other like Bowman & Harris once in the late 60's there was such a bad fight that broke out at a football game that the State ban them from playing each other for two years. While resource officers are common place today they weren't in 1978-79 the first year of Mitchell high but the sheriff's dept kept a presents there for the first year or two just Incase. My middle brother was in that first senior class and wasn't happy refused to get a Mitchell class ring but got a Bowman one.
Thing I wonder is in Mitchell's case once consolidated the sports teams where combined three years before the school was built so will Cherokee county do the same? My oldest brother was co-captain on that first football team '75-'76 season they chose a captain from each school but the coaches were from Harris and showed favoritism to Harris boys which hurt their performance especially with the QB so you have to watch out on that as well.
Right now Murphy, Andrews and Hiwassee Dam have a combined enrollment of somewhere between 825 and 850 kids. Between decreasing enrollment trends in the county and some families likely to send their kids out of county due to the consolidation itself you're probably looking at something like 750-775 initial total enrollment by the time this school opens in 5 or so years.
Even if the early college increases their enrollment to some degree it's unlikely in my opinion this will be a 1A school to start with but not impossible. Of course this is all under the assumption that the NCHSAA sticks to 4 classes again next realignment and uses the same criterion, which I doubt.
Even if the early college increases their enrollment to some degree it's unlikely in my opinion this will be a 1A school to start with but not impossible. Of course this is all under the assumption that the NCHSAA sticks to 4 classes again next realignment and uses the same criterion, which I doubt.
I know this is all just for fun, there's no reason to be so sure they'll add classes, plus enrollment numbers change and new schools open, etc.
HOWEVER, based on the ADM numbers at the last realignment, if they stopped doing east and west separately--which I think they will--and went just by ADM with no other factors (which I think they're supposed to under their new agreement, but the wording has a little wiggle room), you'd be looking at approximately:
Six Classes
1A: Under 435
2A: 435-715
3A: 715-900
Five Classes:
1A: Under 515
2A: 515-805
Four Classes:
1A: Under 585
2A: 585-895
With those numbers, I feel pretty confident saying the new school won't be 1A unless a charter high school comes back into the picture.
With six classes by ADM, I think you're probably looking at being 3A. Other WNC schools that would be in that 3A range would be Smoky (864), Hendersonville (745), Owen (748), and Brevard (791). Which would be a small league and would either mean a split with schools like Swain and Polk that would be 2A, or Franklin and the Haywood Co schools from 4A, or bringing in Rutherford Co. schools with a lot of time on the activity bus.
With five classes the current combined ADMs would put the new school just into 3A, but I think it would probably end up in 2A range for reasons mbdfan mentioned. Other WNC schools in that 2A range would be Avery (539), Swain (553), Mountain Heritage (614), Polk (614), Madison (712), Hendo (745), Owen (748), and Brevard (791). I could see the SMC and WHC just staying as split conferences if that happened, maybe with Brevard and Rosman back to the SMC to give it 7 and Hendo back to the WHC.
With four classes, you'd be looking at being 2A with other WNC teams being Mountain Heritage (614), Polk (614), Madison (712), Hendo (745), Owen (748), Brevard (791), and Smoky (864),
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How many football teams in 1a with six classes?
50?
50?
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Interesting food for thought, appreciate the # crunching O&R. It seems no matter how you slice 1A is highly unlikely anytime soon short of huge increase in the early college cap, which I highly doubt.
Under these parameters I would say 2A is a likely long term scenario in either a 4, 5 or 6 class system. I know if it's 6 classes they would start out as 3A but I seriously doubt that would last long, either by continued decrease in enrollment and/or county leadership increasing the early college cap.
The most palatable scenario (without an early college cap increase) is probably 2A in a 5 class system, both in terms of conference fit as well as statewide competition level.
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The only people that really have a problem with schools consolation is adults. I was at Polk the second year that Polk central and Tryon came together and made Polk co. High. Those were 2 schools that HATED each other and we had some problems with fighting..... (we had some good big ol fights 😂) but that was over in a few years and now I can’t imagine not having it the way it is. It sucks for the tradition of Murphy but after seeing what Polk co high is now it’s amazing for the community to have 1 high school. Sure it’s different but for the future generations it will be amazing!!!!!
That's the truth, most of the kids either don't mind the consolidation or they're excited about the opportunity.
Well we look at what consolidation does as far as football and tradition which on a football forum is understandable but if kids are in old unsafe buildings and if you're down in enrollment where keeping the lights on is no longer cost effective for the county budget then it's time consolidate. If you have a small enrollment it's obviously much cheaper to keep one school going than 2 or 3 plus any savings can go to supplies ,tech etc to improve the kids education
That's the problem OM. People look at it from tradition and things that we love but ultimately can't and shouldn't dictate what's best for students and communities. Too many students go to moldy unsafe buildings everyday because adults are too stubborn to do what's right. If I was currently middle school kid or elementary kid, I'd be thrilled to know I would be going into a probably a new state of the art high school eventually.
I think there is a misunderstanding about the new building that will "house" the EC. There will be three separate institutions in the building. The EC is one; and enrollment should stay as is. The Oaks Academy is a second. The third is the "Schools of Innovation". This third will house programs such as firefighting, criminal justice, EMS, construction, drone technology, and maybe a digital arts program. These programs will be the vocational programs which are available to ALL students in the county. If they chose a program, they will go 1/2 day to their home high school, taking care classes. The other 1/2 day will be at the new campus studying their vocational path. At the end of four years, they will come out with certifications helping them toward their career path. All these kids will count at their home high school for average daily enrollment purposes. So the long and short of it is, no additional kids to EC program.
It's still possible that they could increase the cap for the early college but I would imagine if they do so it would be a very minimal increase.
If they consolidate the three schools they need to have a name, mascot, and colors not associated with either of the three schools or they have a combination of those. I think it is best for all new with a fresh start.
Rocky Mount dealt with integration of the Blackbirds and Lions with the Gryphons. Harnett County combined three schools into the new school, Triton. I guess these three could become the Tripod Wild Eagle Dogs
Rocky Mount dealt with integration of the Blackbirds and Lions with the Gryphons. Harnett County combined three schools into the new school, Triton. I guess these three could become the Tripod Wild Eagle Dogs
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That is mainly due to the adults not buying in and really fighting it. West Montgomery was the school with the winning athletic program and great support but was dropping numbers. Seemed they were all against it but as the football team started to lose steam when the coach left they were not as against it. Really changed their attitudes as they started to get rolled.
Great facilities with a strong plan for academics with the community college next door.
The big drawback is where to put the school so that you don't have unreasonably long bus routes. I was against it in the past, but it would be good for everybody if we could get around this issue.
Distance has always been the big issue in Mitchell county two communities in the northern part each had a schools starting in the 70's up to just in recent years that went from 1-12 to 1-8 now no schools whatsoever and the folks there where plenty angry which I don't blame them small kids up very early to get to school but just not enough kids. These communities are closer to Tennessee than Bakersville some even work in TN. Someone I went to school with once told be that it took him 30-40 minutes to drive to Mitchell high but could be at KFC in Erwin TN in 15 minutes, Mitchell is a small county but spread out like a week washing. Now there will be only one middle school it's only been about 12 years give or take there were four. I just hope that the old Bowman school in Bakerville is used as a community center or something like they did in the Beuladean community instead of tearing the building down like the one in the Tipton Hill community.
When Black Mountain and Swannanoa High Schools combined they took the Swannanoa WAR riors and the Black Mountain Dark HORSES to make the WARHORSES!
I vote for the Dam Wild Dogs or Dam Bull Cats.
One of the best nicknames.
Why has the infrastructure of MHS been allowed to get its current state? Seems like the county would have done more to keep it up or even build a new HS at some point back in time.
Because the ones in charge don't actually care about kids and don't want to spend money. This is happening everywhere across the state and nation. God forbid we do something for kids and education without someone screaming that taxes will go up.
I think it should be Valley Town. That is the name the Cherokees gave the area before the settlers came to the area..
Valkyries for the womens teams. Vipers would also be good.
Don’t know where you are getting numbers from but Murphy has roughly 430 kids Andrews and HD about 350. What y’all are not taking into consideration is the new School of Inovation that will offer a technical Ed path for those kids that choose not to go to college If it only pulls 100 students that will put student pop at around 670 and that’s not deducting for the kids that choose to go somewhere else. So I’m all liklyhood it could still brb1A
Six classes would have 71/72 in each class, total. But 1A with 6 classes would probably be closer to 40-45 football schools because there'd be lots of small charters that don't play football. Some other states classify football separately from other sports, NC has never done that before and I think it would have headaches of its own, but that could be an option. Unpopular opinion, but I'd just say to roll with 40something teams, cut a round out of the 1A playoffs, and let the kids get on to winter sports earlier. 1A schools are the ones most likely to be sharing athletes anyway.
Last I heard they would be a student at SOI and would not count in enrollment of new HS but that may have changed That was the info I was told by school officials
Cherokee Co copperheads bring fb team out to Copperhead Rd
I may be misinformed, but I thought that kids would take classes for part of the day and get a vocational certificate, but would still take their core classes at and be a student of the high school they came from? If what I've been told is true, that wouldn't take away students from the enrollment.
I think peoples' numbers are coming from the ADM at last realignment, which was 466 for Murphy, 207 for Andrews, and 167 for HDHS, for 840 total. Even if the EC enrollment goes up to its current cap when they get a new building, that would still leave over 800. So then you'd need over a quarter of those kids to go out of county to get to 1A numbers and I think that's a long shot. I originally thought 1A was possible, too, but that was back when the Learning Center was also going to take about 100 away.
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Why couldn't be called Cherokee County High School? Cherokee County Copperheads sounds pretty cool as well. I understand Cherokee High being right there but it the eastern part of the state you have Washington High School and the newly formed Washington County High School very close.
Well it certainly couldn't be called Cherokee County Central...
Sorry, had to put at least one jab at the location
Sorry, had to put at least one jab at the location
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