Parents Indicate Opposition to Merging East Ridge Schools
Posted on: Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 09:00 CDT
By Adam Crisp, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.
May 21--A number of parents indicated their displeasure with a plan to merge East Ridge and McBrien elementary schools at a public hearing Tuesday night.
About 400 people attended the meeting in McBrien's gymnasium. This was the second such discussion this week, and most attendees seemed to be against the merger idea.
"Our PTA has done a lot of research, and nothing they have said tonight convinces me that a bigger school would be better financially," said Celeste Caroland, who has one child attending McBrien.
If combined, the merged school would have an enrollment around 800, said Dr. Jim Scales, Hamilton County Schools superintendent. Hamilton County Schools plans to build the $16 million East Ridge Elementary regardless, but officials estimate they could close the 60-year-old McBrien and merge it with East Ridge for another $6 million.
"This is an opportunity," Dr. Scales said. "If the schools were merged, it would cut down on utility costs, maintenance and fuel expenses."
He said those cost savings would come with improved facilities, more administrative staff and better technology. State law mandates that grades first through third keep a ratio of 20 students to one teacher. Grades fourth through sixth must have a ratio of 25 to one, so that won't change in the event of a merger, Dr. Scales said.
Officials took questions from a moderator for about two hours. Most of the questions seemed aimed at why the schools shouldn't be merged, but when the moderator opened the microphone to the audience, two men spoke in favor of the proposal to a mix of small applause and some boos.
Daniel App said he favors a new school because he has to send his two children to school at McBrien Elementary with jackets even when it's warm because the building's air conditioning doesn't always function properly. He noted that a boy's bathroom lacked doors in many stalls and not all the sinks work.
"Bigger doesn't always equal bad," said Martha Prince, whose two grandchildren attended that school. "I think if the parents just let the schools be merged, they'd be glad they did later."
Still, many parents said, they are firmly against the idea.
"If you look at the test grades ... we've made amazing progress over the last four years," said Cindy Black, the mother of two McBrien students and a PTA member. "The thought of my children getting lost, there is a huge possibility that could happen."
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Source: Chattanooga Times/Free Press
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