Murphy- Hiwassee Dam-Andrews consolidation

[mbdfan]

Learning Center is just the start. Like a crack in a dam. If the right entity comes along it's gonna be a severe siphoning over time. So severe possibly, that per pupil funding due to enrollment won't match the price tag. But the PTB don't want to discuss that plausible reality. As the old saying goes, the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions

Ehh... I feel the early college will eventually merge with the consolidated high school in the future. They will be sharing the same campus and offering the same things essentially, biggest difference being that the early college method of instruction is project based learning. Also feel like with what's being offered at the consolidated school (the vocational opportunities and the relationship with the college) it's just going to be too good of an opportunity for there to be any sort of mass public education exodus in the county. But I could be wrong.

 

[mbdfan]

I suppose time will tell.

I will say that I think in the early going you will have some Hiwassee Dam people sending their kids to Basin, some Andrews/Topton people sending their kids to Nantahala and Robbinsville and maybe some Culberson people sending their kids to Fannin but the vast majority of that won't last beyond a generation once the bad blood and hurt feelings wash away.

 

[Squirrel Gravy]

If we keep adding charters across the state, I don't see any of the Mountain 6 or 7 going down to 2A for a while, especially with the new formula. However, I think the NCHSAA gets their wish eventually and goes to 5 plus classes in that time.

I figured with the new formula, and 5 classes, you'd probably have Cherokee County and Swain at 2A and the remaining SMC schools at 1A. 5 classes would also definitely keep the M6 or 7 schools 3A.

 

[ObserveAndReport]

If we keep adding charters across the state, I don't see any of the Mountain 6 or 7 going down to 2A for a while, especially with the new formula. However, I think the NCHSAA gets their wish eventually and goes to 5 plus classes in that time.

I figured with the new formula, and 5 classes, you'd probably have Cherokee County and Swain at 2A and the remaining SMC schools at 1A. 5 classes would also definitely keep the M6 or 7 schools 3A.

It's really overdue. In the 90s, NC and GA each had 4 classes--GA has added three more since then while NC has added none. And it isn't like NC isn't growing. Looking at the 1992 realignment, there were around 80 schools per class. Now there are 105-110 in each class. For comparison's sake, SC's classes all have 45-50 schools and all of GA's classes except one (A public) have 60 or fewer schools.

GA also introduced a multiplier on students that come from outside of an "attendance zone" this realignment. I think NC could take some notes.

But I'm not so sure the new school wouldn't be in the Mountain 6 under the current system, at least for its first realignment. If you currently take the realignment scores of Murphy (444), HD (148), and AHS (180) and combine them, you get 772, which is higher than Smoky Mountain (746) and would probably put them 3A under the current system. A lot could happen in four years, but not a foregone conclusion they would be 2A.

If there was a 5th class added, I'd imagine the consolidated school would probably fall in with Swain, Brevard, Hendersonville, and some of the current WHC schools after the charter school has established itself and some folks on the edges of the county have sent their kids to Robbinsville/Nantahala/Copper Basin/Fannin.

 

[BlueVols]

I think NC could take some notes.

Like the fact that Tenn, Ga, and SC all played football last fall then basketball with no major issues and no masks on the players? The next time the NCHSAA takes notes will be the first time.

 

[PrepFanNC]

Reckon they'll consolidate sports before the building is completed? I know that's what avery, madison, mitchell, Mountain Heritage, Washington county and Montgomery Central did...

Its possible. It can't really happen until the process is a little further along though (assuming the petition to participate that way is approved). Its really difficult. I'm of the opinion that it creates no competitive advantage in the short term. I don't think it did anything to help Montgomery Central.

 

[ObserveAndReport]

Its possible. It can't really happen until the process is a little further along though (assuming the petition to participate that way is approved). Its really difficult. I'm of the opinion that it creates no competitive advantage in the short term. I don't think it did anything to help Montgomery Central.

I can see it both ways. I don't like the idea of stripping down the school experience for the last few years the schools are open. I also don't like the idea of taking away the experience of representing their school from kids who will never actually go to the new high school, especially where there may not be room for them on consolidated teams. And for many sports, there's a benefit to having a higher number of kids getting reps/experience at their local school that could counterbalance whatever advantage might come from getting the programs blended/established a year or two earlier. On the other hand, all of the schools are also having issues fielding JV in some sports, and so the ability to field consolidated JV teams could allow some of the younger players who will actually end up attending the new high school to develop at that level instead of sitting the bench on varsity teams. And there are sports that the new school will offer that aren't offered at some of the current schools (no soccer at HD or Andrews is one I can think of off the top of my head), and I think the earlier those kids get the opportunity to get into the program the better.

 

[pawsnstripes4ever]

There is no way Brevard willingly goes into a split 1A/2A SMC. Travel is the whole reason Rosman isn't there anymore. The Rosman folks made those trips for almost 20 years while listening to the Brevard people complain about having to drive "all the way" to Sylva or Franklin.... no way they go to R'ville or Cherokee Co. LOL

 

[ObserveAndReport]

There is no way Brevard willingly goes into a split 1A/2A SMC. Travel is the whole reason Rosman isn't there anymore. The Rosman folks made those trips for almost 20 years while listening to the Brevard people complain about having to drive "all the way" to Sylva or Franklin.... no way they go to R'ville or Cherokee Co. LOL

They're about to have to go to Morganton the next 4 years, so I don't know that it's that big of a difference. Other than Hendersonville and Polk, their entire new conference is 1.5-2 hours away, so get ready for even more complaining the next few years. It would really just be a difference of going west instead of east, and Polk and Hendersonville have been in the SMC before and they're east of Brevard. Somebody is going to have to play the new school in Murphy, and nobody is going to be particularly happy about it, I'd imagine--whether that's bigger schools not wanting the long trip or smaller schools not wanting to be in a split.