Changes coming to White County schools

CLEVELAND - The White County Board of Education has voted to take a big step to make more uniform the education structure in the county school system.  

 

Thursday night, the board gave unanimous approval to change the grade structure for the current Jack P. Nix Primary and White County Intermediate schools, for both to be K-5 schools. Currently Jack P. Nix houses K-2, while WCIS is for grades 3-5.

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wilson said it has never made sense to have one school different from the others. He also said this system will knock out the multiple transitions from one school to the other.  

The plan is to implement the change in school year 2017. Wilson said that will give system officials time to assign districts and inform the parents and receive input.   

"We’re looking at now trying to do kind of informational meeting - we needed the board’s approval - either November or early December just at each of the schools and let the parents come out and ask any questions, just kinda tell them what we’re planning," Wilson said. "We would do that at each school and then after. probably February, we will come back out and by then have the lines drawn and let the folks come out and see where they are at."

Wilson admitted that as system officials work on the districting they won’t make everyone happy, but they will work with parents when they can.  

Some of the staff from the primary school will shift to the Intermediate and likewise for the  intermediate.   

Two other schools, Mossy Creek and Mount Yonah, are currently K-5 schools.