tiger_tail 10 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Tazewell County East Tazewell County West Buchanan County High School Russell County High School Dickenson County High School Abingdon Would be a great district..... (The Appalachian District) Just think of the competition...Each team having 50-70 football players, and J.V. teams...Something has to change. Kids are sorry these days, at small schools kids know they are going to play. They do not have no one to push them in practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTHOKIE_CEE01 10 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 It's actually the best maintained school in Tazewell County, earning along with this the tag of highest cost to maintain school in Tazewell County as well, probably due to the $/student that gets spent on the school compared to the other schools in the county. The four high schools were basically built about the same time in the 50s. Once the new road connecting Abbs Valley/Boissevain to Falls Mills/Bluefield,VA is constrcuted, the school is more than likely closed. This road will eliminate any excuse caused by travel time issues because the road would cut travel time from Abbs Valley down to approx. 15 minutes instead of the 30-40 minutes it takes now. It's sad to see the school go from 500-600 students in the 50s/60s to barely having 200 now in grades 7-12. The new prison being built in Pocahontas won't keep the school open, contrary to some misinformed beliefs. Combined with the new road, people will just live in Bluefield, VA and drive in to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I don't know about the other counties, but I don't think Buchanan could go to only one high school. It just takes too long to get to and from certain parts of that county. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTHOKIE_CEE01 10 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 and just to note my post is not a knock on anyone from Pocahontas or Abbs Valley or the school. It just comes down to financial responsibility with people's tax money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghs73 157 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 my opinion is that you divide the county in two and the ones on the west side go to west the ones on the east to east side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I find this post quite interesting, especially the "idea", "plan" for only two high schools in Tazewell Co.. The part I find most interesting is there doesn't seem to be any arguement against having only two schools in Tazewell Co. Its like the posters from the three "major" towns in Tazewell Co. are all OK with this idea. Is that true??? To tell you the truth, I'm VERY suprised by that. Let's put it to the test here... Other than the people from Pocahontas who don't ever want their school closed... As a resident of Tazewell County, would you be for/against a proposed two high school system in Tazewell County (TC West/TC East)??? Are you willing to give up the "history" and "identity" of Graham, Tazewell, and Richlands High Schools in favor of this proposal??? Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments...I have mine and will post them later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I think the idea is the school buildings are aging and will need to be refurbished or replaced at some point. I'm not sure when Graham was built, but RHS and THS are 50 years old, and from what I understand, Pocahonatas is falling down around the students. I would like to see four brand new buildings, or extensive repair/updating of the current ones, but with declining enrollment it isn't going to happen. Replacing four old ones with two new ones makes more financial sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlue02 11 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I for one am not for giving up the identity of Richlands High School, or giving up the memory of the glory years of RIchlands football with Ernie Hicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Are you willing to give up the "history" and "identity" of Graham, Tazewell, and Richlands High Schools in favor of this proposal??? Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments...I have mine and will post them later... [/ QUOTE ] In terms of radical ideas, I'll go further than that. How much longer can/will Cedar Bluff function as a separate town? They ought to merge with Richlands and just be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman 13 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I for one am not for giving up the identity of Richlands High School, or giving up the memory of the glory years of RIchlands football with Ernie Hicks. [/ QUOTE ] When the school board begins talking publicly about consolidation, the steady drumbeat of the money men and bean counters will influence the taxpayers in such a way that football will not matter. The arguement will be, "So are the people of this county are willing to get soaked in taxation for three football games?" It will be a steady flow of stats and figures that will drown out any other concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghs73 157 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 i think graham was built in the early 50's after the old graham high burned down. in someways i would hate to give up the identy of graham tazewell richlands and pocahontas but in reality if the population of the county and the towns does not increase and continues to decline then at some point one has to look at what is best for all the students in the entire county.consolidation is never a easy subject but one that one day will more than likely have to happen and i for one would support it because of the kids. and their future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 "Are you willing to give up the "history" and "identity" of Graham, Tazewell, and Richlands High Schools in favor of this proposal??? " In my opinion you wouldn't have to change graham, with just consolidating a smaller area school into a bigger 1, you could maintain graham as a high school, not so with tazewell or richlands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 484 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 well when then they do or if they do, they want use any of the schools that there are now there will be 2 new ones built imo halfway between graham and tazewell and halway in between tazewell and richlands!!!! but no they want use anyof the old schools that are there now!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 my mom attended the old and newer grahamhigh school, she said they moved into the newer school in '56, around the years they opened the present bluefield school as well. In my honest opinion newer schools are like newer stores, they go up quickly and aren't built as well. If they do build different schools, it would seem that they would build stadiums with them likely. Not to start the mitchell stadium topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 484 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 and i know there is more too this than the sports. But damn can you only imange the football teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I wouldn't see any reason to build an eastern school in between bluefield and tazewell though, that's expecting the majority of students to go further. My guess is it would be somewhere around the industrial park area, but that's just a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Tazewell richlands much bigger and stronger, no disrespect towards pocahuntas but I'm not certain that would make graham that much bigger or stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 484 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 IMO i say half of tazewell go to a school with graham, pocy. the other half of tazewell will be with richlands!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTHOKIE_CEE01 10 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 All 4 schools were built between 1954 and 1958 (from Tazewell County Schools webpage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTHOKIE_CEE01 10 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Why not have the majority of the Tazewell students go to the "East" school that would be built somewhere between Bluefield and Tazewell. If you combined the current Graham, Tazewell, and Pocahontas enrollments that gives you about 1000 students. Richlands alone has about 850 students. Now if you take out the students from Tazewell that live in the Baptist Valley and areas towards Pounding Mill(not sure where the cutoff now is) and send them to a new "West" school, that would essentially even out the enrollment in each school by current numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 484 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 thats what i posted about 3 post up!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Yes, I would expect the "East" school to absorb the majority of Tazewell Students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 484 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 but the number of kids are decreasing in richlands just as much as other schools. Richlands stands at 800 some kids. That is a decrease in 200 some kids from last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichlandsAlum 678 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 [ QUOTE ] but the number of kids are decreasing in richlands just as much as other schools. Richlands stands at 800 some kids. That is a decrease in 200 some kids from last year. [/ QUOTE ] Enrollment at Richlands is declining, but I think there's a typo in your post. For purposes of benchmarking, RHS had about 1300 students in all four grades when my sister graduated in 1983. When I graduated (1989) we were down to about 1100. Enrollment has been fairly constant in the 800's for the last half dozen years or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old_school_blue 247 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 I for one am totally against any consolidation of the Tazewell Co. Schools except Graham/Pocohantas. What surprises me is that nothing has been mentioned about how poorly the county seems to be managed at times (i.e...the whole court house deal) The population of the Pocahontas/Tazewell/Bluefield area is bound to rise when the prison opens creating 400+ jobs. Look at Appalachia High with around 200 students! Richlands, Tazewell, and Graham are all currently AA schools with enrollments of 400-800 (approximation). I speak as a former Richlands football player, there is too much tradition in the three larger county schools to even speak of consolidation. Look at increased travel distances for all sporting events if all county and neighboring county schools decided to enact this cruel fate. I don't call for consolidation, I'm calling for less political B.S. and better management of our tax money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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