School board works

on tuition policy
By Cara Kelly

The Watauga County Board of Education met Monday in a work session to re-open the discussion on out of county tuition.

Since the last proposition of tuition policy options at the July board meeting by Marshall Gasperson, director of career and technical education, safe schools and student services, Superintendent Marty Hemric compiled the total number of students who live outside of Watauga County but are attending Watauga County schools and the number of students living in Watauga County but attending schools outside of the county.

Watauga County has received 46 students from Ashe County, with 12 Watauga County resident students attending Ashe County schools. Twenty-eight students from Avery County attend Watauga County schools, while 22 Watauga County students attend Avery County schools. For Wilkes County, the ratio is 6-1, and the ratio for Caldwell County is 8-1.

The total number of students attending Watauga County schools who live outside the county is 88, with the number of Watauga County students attending other county schools totaling 36, resulting in 52 more students entering Watauga County schools than leaving.

Board members Lee Warren and Deborah Miller noted the figures were slightly inflated, identifying several children of teachers in Watauga County schools who were included in the list, although by policy, they are allowed to attend the school in which their parent works.

The board unanimously concluded a decision needed to be reached in a timely manner; yet, with adequate time to discuss compromises on tuition exchanges with adjacent counties and a grandfather clause for current students.

“I want us as we discuss the out of county tuition, to realize,” Chairman Lowell Younce said. "We need to go back to those counties for a definite decision, but we need to move along and really decide what we are going to do.”

“If we are going to do anything we need to soon do it but I don’t want us to move so quickly that we don’t cover our bases with other counties,” he added.

Hemric and Younce agreed to discuss possible exceptions for specific geographical locations that border county lines, specifically communities in neighboring counties that have traditionally attended Watauga County schools.

Board members referenced several areas of both Watauga and surrounding counties where it would be more economical to have an adjacent county pick up children who live close to existing bus routes due to the unique road infrastructure in the mountains.

Deborah Miller asked board attorney Paul Miller if exempting specific counties from the proposed tuition was a legal option.

“You’d need to have a reason for it, but for those in Caldwell, it is not always economical for [their buses] to travel up here to pick them up, but then Caldwell County should be paying the tuition,” Paul Miller said.

The board also agreed that if they reached a consensus that tuition would be charged, a grandfather clause for students currently attending Watauga County schools would be included in the policy. “When we accepted these children, or the board that did, we didn’t have the concept at that time that we would be charging tuition. We didn’t have the fiscal responsibility to the amounts that we do now. I think there are times when rules and regulations change,” Deborah Miller said.

“I think our main responsibility lies with the children in Watauga County. If we do (adopt) a grandfather clause and a graduated scale, that gives them time to adjust.”

Board member Ron Henries, however, said he had not changed the opinion he defended in the last meeting, standing by his belief that a contract had been made with parents who had applied to attend Watauga County schools from an outside district.

“I believe by taking these students into our school system, we didn’t tell them that there would be a tuition, for as long as their kids wanted to go here,” Henries said.

“I don’t agree with changing the rules on a contract we are in with them.”

Many parents in areas such as Blackberry Road in Blowing Rock said they were never informed they were out of the Watauga school district.

"My first child started Blowing Rock Elementary in 1992. I was never told that I did not live in the district, as they had been accepting students in my area for more years than I can count," Yvonne Myers, resident of Blackberry Road, said.

"My children have even ridden the school bus to my house. From 1992 until now, I have had a child at Blowing Rock Elementary or Watauga High School, and until last year, no one ever told me we weren’t supposed to be there. They enrolled in both schools with no problem. I have listed my address, which is Lenoir."

Other parents who had applied to attend Watauga County schools from out of district were granted permission due to geographic location, and were informed they would not have to reapply on an annual basis.

Other concerns from parents include the rate of possible tuition.

The first two options presented by Gasperson in July totaled $2,509.70 and $1,152.58, respectively.