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Hargis: Hamilton County needs more money or fewer schools

Staff file photo / David Sharpe, District 6 commissioner for Hamilton County, said the county’s schools “are falling apart, and it’s going to cost money to fix it.” The lack of funding is noticeable in outdated athletic facilities at multiple schools.
Staff file photo / David Sharpe, District 6 commissioner for Hamilton County, said the county’s schools “are falling apart, and it’s going to cost money to fix it.” The lack of funding is noticeable in outdated athletic facilities at multiple schools. Staff file photo / David Sharpe, District 6 commissioner for Hamilton County, said the county’s schools “are falling apart, and it’s going to cost money to fix it.” The lack of funding is noticeable in outdated athletic facilities at multiple schools.

By Stephen Hargis 5 min read


The first step in solving any problem is to acknowledge one actually exists.

If the Hamilton County public schools landscape — academics and extracurricular activities, including athletics — is ever going to improve, it’s time to start being honest: The county simply has too many schools.

Add up the cost of everything lacking — facilities are outdated, coaching staffs are shorthanded and academics also lag behind by comparison — and it’s clear that for a county the size of Hamilton, there isn’t enough revenue generated to meet the needs.

In short, having too many schools has caused the money for upkeep to be spread too thin for far too long, and the result is a $1.36 billion deficit in deferred maintenance, plus athletic facilities that are severely outdated.