NELSON COUNTY, Ky. (WDRB) -- The gym at Old Kentucky Middle School was packed Tuesday evening with opinions about whether to merge two Nelson County high schools.
After hearing hours of opposition to the merger, the Nelson County Schools' Board of Education is back to its original plan.
The board voted to continue moving forward with its Community Campus Plan after approving construction bids to expand Thomas Nelson High School, which opened in 2012.
The gym was filled with applause, but only after some — including teachers from Thomas Nelson — spoke against merging the district's two high schools: Thomas Nelson and Nelson County High School.
So far a bulk of speakers have been from teachers at Thomas Nelson High School saying they’re against closing the high school (opened in 2012) and asking the board to not vote on it. pic.twitter.com/LjFxzrZ14M
— Katrina Nickell WDRB (@knickelltv) January 17, 2023
"I think it will create more missed opportunities because you're going to be cutting down the number of kids that participate in extra curricular activities," one woman said during public comment.
Community members said the merger was an idea being considered and the topic took up all of the public comment period, but it was not discussed by the board.
The board was expected to evaluate and identify next steps for its Facilities Plan, including Thomas Nelson Community Campus construction bids and organization of high schools and middle schools.
Either way, people rallied together against the idea of a merger.
"I truly think it's not a good idea," one speaker said. "The more kids you have in a setting, the more kids that get lost in the setting."
One person who spoke in favor of the merger said both high schools are under-utilized and don't have enough course offerings, and that the district can better align its resources if the schools merge. Both principals at Nelson County and Thomas Nelson high schools spoke against a merger.
The Community Campus plan would consolidate Nelson County middle schools and create a 7-year learning experience for students, merging middle schools and high schools.
It's a plan already approved by the Kentucky Department of Education.
The plan was also subject of a legal challenge by community member Donald Thrasher. Thrasher got a temporary restraining order to prevent the school board from moving forward with construction contracts related to the board's "District Facility Plan" (DFP). Thrasher said he felt the newly elected school board members, who were sworn in this month, should have a voice in what happens with future plans.
New board members Amanda Deaton and David Norman were sworn in Jan. 10.
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