The public was invited to hear a presentation on possible whole grade sharing between Hamburg and Farragut July 10.
Current sharing arrangements between the two school districts, which include some shared administrators, sports programs and academics, were reviewed, and options for further sharing were discussed, including whole grade sharing for grades 5-12.
Under the proposal, each district would maintain an elementary school for grades 1-4. Grades 5-8 would be located in one district and grades 9-12 in another in order for each district to have the same number of grades.
In a presentation made to those in attendance, Superintendent Jay Lutt outlined past sharing and ideas for future sharing.
Sharing during the last school year included several academic areas with teachers or students traveling between districts. Further sharing for the next school year include the areas of band, choir, science, advanced sciences, computer aided drafting, college prep writing, economics, psychology, Spanish, junior high math, and health.
The school districts have received financial incentives from the state for sharing administrators and would be able to receive further incentives for whole grade sharing.
With continued declines in enrollment expected for both Farragut and Hamburg, as well as decreases in state aid and increases in costs, the districts’ school boards are considering whole grade sharing as an option for keeping both districts solvent.
If the school boards of both districts approve whole grade sharing and sign an agreement by Feb. 1, 2011, the districts could start whole grade sharing for the 2011-12 school year.
Prior to that decision, the boards plan to tour facilities of both districts on Aug. 30 and host a community meting Sept. 23 in Farragut to present a proposal.
A study of possible reorganization would be conducted in 2011-12, according to Lutt’s presentation.
State incentives for whole grade sharing would be about $263,800 over two years for Farragut and about $270,000 for Hamburg over two years.
Whole Grade Sharing would also save the districts money by combining staffs and eliminating five to six teaching positions that are now duplicated. District officials believe attrition would cover most of those positions. The savings would be about $320,000 for both schools.
The school boards will decide which district houses which grades based on an evaluation of facilities. According to the presentation, the boards will look at classroom sizes, equipment, accessibility and other issues.
When asked about transportation, Supervisor Jay Lutt said that it hasn’t turned out to be an issue at all. “We’ve already been paying to have the busses out there. In some ways, this makes us schedule transportation more effectively.”
Some citizens like the idea of consolidating schools, but this does not meet the guidelines of the state incentive program. Building a new school has been mentioned as an option, but the cost is high. According to Lutt, whole grade sharing seems to be the best way to provide a good education for the districts’ children.
Each school district would retain its own school board to make policies for the schools in the district.
A common schedule and graduation requirements will be addressed immediately.
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The public was invited to hear a presentation on possible whole grade sharing between Hamburg and Farragut July 10.
Current sharing arrangements between the two school districts, which include some shared administrators, sports programs and academics, were reviewed, and options for further sharing were discussed, including whole grade sharing for grades 5-12.
Under the proposal, each district would maintain an elementary school for grades 1-4. Grades 5-8 would be located in one district and grades 9-12 in another in order for each district to have the same number of grades.
In a presentation made to those in attendance, Superintendent Jay Lutt outlined past sharing and ideas for future sharing.
Sharing during the last school year included several academic areas with teachers or students traveling between districts. Further sharing for the next school year include the areas of band, choir, science, advanced sciences, computer aided drafting, college prep writing, economics, psychology, Spanish, junior high math, and health.
The school districts have received financial incentives from the state for sharing administrators and would be able to receive further incentives for whole grade sharing.
With continued declines in enrollment expected for both Farragut and Hamburg, as well as decreases in state aid and increases in costs, the districts’ school boards are considering whole grade sharing as an option for keeping both districts solvent.
If the school boards of both districts approve whole grade sharing and sign an agreement by Feb. 1, 2011, the districts could start whole grade sharing for the 2011-12 school year.
Prior to that decision, the boards plan to tour facilities of both districts on Aug. 30 and host a community meting Sept. 23 in Farragut to present a proposal.
A study of possible reorganization would be conducted in 2011-12, according to Lutt’s presentation.
State incentives for whole grade sharing would be about $263,800 over two years for Farragut and about $270,000 for Hamburg over two years.
Whole Grade Sharing would also save the districts money by combining staffs and eliminating five to six teaching positions that are now duplicated. District officials believe attrition would cover most of those positions. The savings would be about $320,000 for both schools.
The school boards will decide which district houses which grades based on an evaluation of facilities. According to the presentation, the boards will look at classroom sizes, equipment, accessibility and other issues.
When asked about transportation, Supervisor Jay Lutt said that it hasn’t turned out to be an issue at all. “We’ve already been paying to have the busses out there. In some ways, this makes us schedule transportation more effectively.”
Some citizens like the idea of consolidating schools, but this does not meet the guidelines of the state incentive program. Building a new school has been mentioned as an option, but the cost is high. According to Lutt, whole grade sharing seems to be the best way to provide a good education for the districts’ children.
Each school district would retain its own school board to make policies for the schools in the district.
A common schedule and graduation requirements will be addressed immediately.
