Still waiting on contract, Fulton County School Board makes intention clear

Meeting for regular session Nov. 15, the Fulton County Board of Education took no official action on one agenda item, however board members did address it.

An announcement was made that the Non-Resident contract given approval by the Fulton Independent Board of Education Nov. 8, has not been received for the 2019-2020 school year, relating to students who reside in the Fulton Independent Schools' district, who attend Fulton County Schools. The general consensus of the board was to go on record to say they will accept "any and all" students who wish to come to Fulton County.

Assistant Superintendent PaTrice Chambers stated, "Thank you Superintendent Aaron Collins and Board members for allowing me to go to the Fulton Independent Board meeting to represent the District last week, for the Non-Resident contract. I want the Board to know the parents really spoke highly of our schools and teachers. I had parents calling me on Friday to say please let us come to your District. You don't know what this teacher has done for my child. I told them as of now the Board is going to let them come again next year to Fulton County. Don't worry. They just spoke really well of our District. I sat there with a big smile on my face, and wish the Principals could have been there to hear that sometimes we don't know how much we impact the kids on a daily basis. Those parents really spoke highly of us and I appreciate them."

Fulton County Schools Superintendent Aaron Collins stated he believes it is a positive move that more students are coming to Fulton County and less are leaving the District.

Non-Resident Contracts are due Feb. 1, but will be presented at the December Board meeting.

School Board member Perry Turner said, "We have also had positive feedback on the administration and the job you have been doing. I received calls last week, 'please don't make me go'. Parents living in the county also called to voice they would like the students to stay at Fulton County."

Rob Garrigan, Board member, also stated he had received calls asking the District to continue to allow students to come to Fulton County.

Fulton County Principal Ellen Murphy stated, "We have good kids and lots of good things happening everyday."

Collins said, "The positive is more people are coming to Fulton County and less are leaving Fulton County."

"When numbers were sent to Fulton Independent, Fulton County had 52 students and seven staff. Fulton County has 13 students going to Fulton Independent. Hickman County to Fulton County is three, and two staff. Fulton County students to Hickman County is 14, and three staff. There is one Graves County student to Fulton County, and two Fulton County students to Graves. One Carlisle County student comes to Fulton County, one Fulton County student to Carlisle County, one Calloway County student comes to Fulton County. There are no students in Fulton County who go to Mayfield or Paducah, and none from Mayfield or Paducah come to Fulton County. When our students are sent for behavior Paducah serves them for $23," stated Chambers.

"I requested Fulton Independent's, non-resident contract, but I haven't received it in the mail yet. I have received one for Carlisle County," Chambers said.

Garrigan asked, "Do we send the contract the way we want to have it and they send one the way that want it? How does it work?"

Collins answered, "For our students to go to them we submit what we want and they send what they want from us. The actual term is non-resident. We offer for you to consider this offer. Our offer is pretty easy because we always do 'any and all'. When a District sends what they offer, we can reject and then send 'Please accept this offer. Which I believe the Board has said 'any and all.'"

"This is not something we look at or deal with because we have done 'any and all' contracts for many years," stated Collins.

Collins prepared paperwork to show the KRS regulations and KAR through LRC about these non-resident contracts and agreements.
"There has been a shift as to where students live and go to school. Used to there was a two-mile radius for county residents, but attended city school, but that has changed over the last few years. They are now attending county school. This has helped with the county enrollment.", he said.

"We do not have a contract yet from Fulton Independent, but through email is the contract they will vote on and it is 10 students, then 1-to-1 after that. I asked if any of the students currently at Fulton County Schools would they be grandfathered in, in any way, and they said 'No', it is numbers. I did ask those questions and I'm very appreciative of our administrators, staff, and community in the support they are showing our schools. I think this is a good time to hear from the Board," said Collins.

Garrigan stated, "My opinion is those students also live in the county. Those parents pay county taxes, and like Ms. PaTrice said we're in business and we will take any kid that wants to come. Regardless of where they come from."

Board member Perry Turner said, "It's not about the money, it is about the student. We don't care about the money. We want to educate the children. The feedback from the community gives me goosebumps. A gentleman came up to me and said he had two students at Fulton County with different addresses and asked are you going to make me separate them? That is not our intention. That is when I said thank you all for what you do. It is because of you all they want to come here and learn. They state they have better chance to learn more and do more at Fulton County. This is what was spoken to me. I don't want to turn any of them back."

Board member Barry Patrick stated, "We work every day, every week, every month, every year to make this school to be the very best school that we can come up with and work for. A child gets one chance to grow up. One chance to graduate on time anywhere. We want them to be in the best school available and if we happen to be that school why would we ever turn away any child. My decision will always be any and all. There are a host of reasons why any child would go to any school. People talk and know their children. The teams do things, the coaches do things, certain teachers have specialties. It is not our place to tell them where to go."

Garrigan asked "We didn't try to block it, when it was reversed?"

"Any decision you make that benefits a child, is always a good thing. But by the same token, any thing you do that does not have the child's interest, that's why we're here and why we signed up for this. You can't let any sideline motive get in the way of making the best decision wherever that happens to be," Patrick said.

"If the money is going to be able to follow the child to a charter school, that is a prerequisite for any of these decisions in my opinion," continued Patrick.

"I agree with everything that is being said. When I first got on the board we wanted to always ensure we are educating the whole child and we want parents of the children to know, it is not about the money. It is about our children, the child and we want our parents to know that. We will give them a Fulton County experience. They want it, we will give it to them. We will not force one child out the door and any child is welcome. We want our staff, our administrators and our parents to know we want you," School Board Chairman Kimberly Hagler said.

Fulton County Elementary School Principal Sondra Gibbs said, "It is super fruitful for me. I bring two children, so I'm very appreciative. Both of my boys are very extremely happy. They were concerned about this. They had heard bits and pieces and I had to reassure them they would be able to stay with their friends they had established, not just in school, but also in sports and activities."

Board member Jacob Goodman said, "Well I'm a man of few words. You can never be wrong by doing right, and anything besides any and all is not right. That is the plain simple fact. If it is not the best interest of the student, not the best interest of the county, and any decision that would send money back East is just foolish."

High School Principal Ellen Murphy stated, "We have opportunities. Lots of opportunities at Fulton County schools. We are adding more every day. Not too long ago a student from a different District did not know about the opportunities in her District. Our kids know about opportunities and what is best for them is what we will continue to do everyday."

Murphy continued, "It was about the Career Academy, the student said 'I wish I knew about this when I was a freshman.' She is now a senior. Fulton County students know and I want any that want to come."

Gibbs stated, "As a Principal, I walk the halls and get hugs, go in the classrooms and I just see our babies. I just see Pilots."

Turner said, "A young lady I was speaking with asked where I was from and I told her I graduated from Union City. Rob (Garrigan) graduated from Obion County Central, and she said, well I'm glad you woke up and came over to Kentucky."

Murphy said, "I want to thank you all for putting your name on the ballot and running again. I know you probably have a million other things to do, but your time to means the world to me."

For the complete story regarding the Nov. 15 meeting of the Fulton County Board of Education, see the Nov. 21 edition of The Current.