Parents in Sullivan County are banding together to fight yet another possible school closing.
Cedar Grove Elementary School, near Kingsport, was one of three schools originally named by the Sullivan County Board of Education to close next year as a cost-saving measure. At the Board's meeting on Jan. 15 the proposal to move schools in the north school zone, north of Kingsport, would save the school system $455,638. The moves include:
* Close Cedar Grove Elementary School and send students to Brookside or Kingsley Elementary School.
* Make Brookside and Kingsley only for pre-k to third-grade students and send their fourth- and fifth-graders to Ketron Intermediate.
* Send Ketron’s seventh-graders to North High School, where they will merge with North’s eighth-grade class in a segregated school environment.
“I don’t think my 12-year-old is ready to go to high school with [17-18] year olds,” said parent Aaron Estep. “Our eighth graders are already at North because they shut down Gravely a year ago. I don’t think seventh graders should be in a high school.”
This area suffered a similar blow five years ago when the board closed Bloomingdale Pike’s Gravely Elementary School.
There will be a community meeting at Cedar Grove to talk about the possible closure. The meeting will be held at the school, 100 Coley St, Kingsport, on Friday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in the gym.
Parents are asking for everyone to attend the community meeting.
Valley Pike and Akard Elementary were also named as schools that could possibly be closed. Mary Hughes School could also face partial closure as their middle school students face moving to Holston. Parents at Valley Pike will meet Wednesday night at 5 p.m. to discuss closure.
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