While the topic of merging Hopkinsville High and Christian County High into a single school has generated a lot of discussion in the community, school officials say nothing is in concrete just yet.
Schools Superintendent Chris Bentzel said they are in the initial stages of a merger plan.
click to download audioRepresentatives from the school district have visited five or six schools in the state, including McCracken County High and Frederick Douglass High in Lexington, to get to see in person how a large high school is designed both outside and in.
Bentzel said despite what is being said by some in the community, there are no detailed plans on paper for a school name, location, or mascot.
click to download audioBentzel said they are wanting to get their ideas out to the public and be transparent about a merger and its benefits.
click to download audioBoth Hopkinsville High and Christian County High are listed as capital construction priorities on the school district’s most recent facilities plan that was completed in June 2017. The cost of renovating and adding classroom space was listed at $37 million at Hopkinsville High and $26 million at Christian County High.
The same report showed six of the district’s eight elementary schools were operating above student capacity.
The school board voted in 2019 to raise the local property tax above the state minimum which triggered a petition to put the issue on the ballot. The November 2019 ballot issue was voted down by a two-to-one margin.
Now, school officials said they have enough bonding potential to build a new facility. McCracken County High School, which also included new athletic facilities on campus, was built for just over $60 million in 2013.
Once a new facilities plan is approved by the school board this month, Bentzel said they can begin to move forward with a design phase.
While construction of a new school campus will be costly, Bentzel said it will also save money.
click to download audioA merger of Christian County, Hopkinsville, and the Gateway Academy would make the high school one of the three largest in the state in student enrollment.
