Hamilton County Commissioners warn against out-of-county students

Hamilton County commissioners urged school officials on Wednesday to keep a closer eye on the number of students who live outside the district but attend local schools.

Signal Mountain and East Hamilton middle-high schools, located near the borders of Sequatchie County and North Georgia, respectively, should be of particular concern, said Commissioner Richard Casavant, who represents Signal Mountain’s district.

“I have no interest in helping build up Sequatchie County or North Georgia with our fine schools,” he said. “The expectations of the principals should be that there are no out-of-district students. If you crack open the door, the floodgates will open.”

Tax rates are lower in neighboring counties, Dr. Casavant said, so people may be tempted to buy a house in a county cheaper to live in but send their children to school in Hamilton County, where a greater percentage of tax money is allocated for schools.

Because of the low number of out-of-district students paying tuition last year — 29 in 2008 — Dr. Casavant said he wondered if there weren’t more under the radar.

There are more students who come from out-of-district because their parents are employees of the school system, said school spokeswoman Danielle Clark, but she didn’t have an exact figure. She also said the system has disenrolled out-of-district students for failing to pay tuition, but again, didn’t have an exact number.

With regard to Signal Mountain Middle-High, school officials have said they cracked down this year on allowing students from outside the school’s zone to attend.

Messages left for Deputy Superintendent Rick Smith and Superintendent Jim Scales were not returned Wednesday.

Out-of-county students can attend a Hamilton County school for about $3,000 per year, and out-of-state students can do the same for nearly $7,000 a year.

But if out-of-zone students fill up schools that are near capacity, Dr. Casavant said, he worries officials may have to draw tighter school zones, excluding some local students from their nearby new schools.

Commissioner Larry Henry said East Hamilton officials already have fielded applications from North Georgia and Bradley County students.

There are plenty of ways for parents to avoid detection if they live outside the county, said Commissioner Curtis Adams, so it can be difficult to make sure all students are legitimate Hamilton County citizens.

“You’d have to have the FBI working for us to check this out,” he said.

Staff writer Matt Wilson contributed to this story.