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Hamilton County: Mackey, Beck warn against ‘shotgun approach’ to cutting school costs

By: Matt Wilson
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Hamilton County Commission Regular session -- Nov. 19, 2008

Hamilton County commissioners Greg Beck and Warren Mackey warned schools officials Wednesday to be cautious in the steps they take to cut back on costs, especially if they include school consolidations or closings.

“We want to make sure that these closings are going to be equitable across the board and are going to be very beneficial to the final end,” Mr. Beck said at Wednesday’s commission meeting. “Let’s take a look at all of this before we just do this shotgun approach.”

Hamilton County Schools Chief Financial Officer Tommy Kranz announced this week that the school system is facing a budget shortfall of about $20.2 million. Among the solutions he suggested for stemming that gap was closing as many as 11 schools.

Dr. Mackey said it seemed that most of the schools suggested for closure are in urban areas.

“Those schools are doing a good job,” he said. “I think we’re going in the wrong direction talking of closing the schools in the urban part of the city.”

On Tuesday, school board member Chester Bankston said Birchwood, Harrison, Hillcrest, Woodmore, Lakeside and Lookout Mountain elementary schools could potentially be closed. Also, Orchard Knob Middle School could be on the chopping block, he said.

School board Chairman Kenny Smith, who attended the meeting, said the school board will be careful.

“We won’t go at it with a shotgun approach at all,” he said.

Mr. Smith said he had received more than 100 phone calls about rumors of school closings and consolidations. He said officials would have to look at combining schools in the future but in a deliberate way.

“It is going to be tough,” he said.

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