Hamilton County Department of Education officials, including Superintendent Bryan Johnson, and members of the Signal Mountain Town Council meet this afternoon in the next step of the Signal Mountain school breakaway saga.
The meeting, which has been in the works since mid-December, is meant to discuss the concerns that drove the Signal Mountain Town Council to form a committee in 2017 to investigate the viability of a breakaway from Hamilton County Schools.
"This is the next step," said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson. "Now we're at a point where we need to say 'Let's deal with this issue.'"
Speculation surrounds what will be discussed at the meeting, which members of the public may attend, although public comment will not be allowed. Last month, the Signal town council held a tense public forum in which community members mainly spoke against a breakaway.
In October, the committee formed to investigate the issue - the School System Viability Committee - released a report declaring that it was possible to separate from the county school district as long as Signal could overcome three key obstacles - gaining control of the three school buildings; including Walden and other nearby unincorporated Hamilton County populations; and figuring out how the town of Signal Mountain itself will be required to contribute to the school district.
New Hamilton County schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson speaks during a meeting with the Times Free Press editorial board at the Hamilton County Department of Education on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.In ongoing discussions with community members, District 2 school board member Kathy Lennon has learned that some of Signal's major concerns include arts and STEM programs, school start times and athletics.
The town council and the viability committee have been criticized by some, including the organization Stay With HCDE [the Hamilton County Department of Education], and accused of ignoring what the community wants. December's public forum was filled with those who were outspoken against a breakaway, calling it a distraction and noting concerns about special education services and the inequity a split would cause in the county.
Lennon believes some of Signal's concerns are not actually specific to Signal Mountain and can be addressed district-wide by the school system, though one of the reasons originally cited by proponents for a breakaway was the benefit of localized control.
"Signal Mountain's concerns aren't necessarily specific to Signal Mountain," she said. "Whatever happens on Signal affects everyone and can benefit children at all of Hamilton County's schools."
Johnson and Lennon agree that today's meeting will allow officials to talk openly about concerns and propose solutions for how the groups could work together.
In his first five months in the superintendent seat, Johnson has addressed other issues in the district such as the formation of the Opportunity Zone, the district's capital plan and allotment of $100 million, and reorganizing the central office.
Figuring out the Signal Mountain piece is next.
"It's a distraction," Johnson said, "And it's going to be resolved."
Johnson also said today's meeting is an opportunity for the school system to receive feedback and be more accessible to individual communities - something he and his administration have found the communities want.
"As a district, we are coming into this situation looking at how we can come together and do what's best for the kids," Johnson said.
Before releasing its report in October, the School System Viability Committee and other Signal Mountain officials traveled to municipalities in Shelby County near Memphis that have their own independent school districts, as well as conducted a public survey to gather Signal residents' opinions on the issue. The committee also sponsored a public forum on Dec. 4 that invited officials from those municipalities to speak and provide feedback on a Signal breakaway.
The school district has not taken a hard-line stance on the issue of a split. A separate Signal Mountain district would include three of the county's top-performing schools - Signal Mountain Middle/High, Thrasher Elementary and Nolan Elementary, as well as a less diverse student body than what is reflected in other parts of Hamilton County.
In November, the school board pledged not to sell or transfer ownership of Signal Mountain's school buildings if a split did occur. The 7-1 vote approved a resolution that also encouraged Signal Mountain to remain a part of the district.
Johnson has since emphasized that point.
"We want everyone who is a part of Hamilton County [Schools] to stay a part of Hamilton County," Johnson said.
When asked to speculate on whether or not Signal residents would still be a part of Hamilton County Schools next year, Johnson said he thinks the split won't happen.
At this point, a breakaway would need to come to a head in a referendum voted on by Signal Mountain residents. One obstacle that would need to be resolved before the vote is whether any new school system will include Walden and other areas of unincorporated Hamilton County.
School district officials believe that some of the issues concerning Signal residents can be resolved collaboratively or are even on their way to being resolved.
Lennon and Johnson used the naming of Claire Stockman as a district-wide related arts lead teacher as an example. Consideration of different start time pilot programs, which Lennon has championed since her campaign, has also been brought up.
Lennon, however, emphasized that she does not believe Signal should get more funding or different programs and services than any other school in the district.
"This is going to be good for the entire community," she said. "We can't just do things for one school and not another."
Tonight's meeting is also part of the district's overall plan for community engagement meetings. In August and September, the district held listening sessions in different communities, and as Johnson's administration moves to address issues such as next year's budget, the launch of the Future Ready Institutes and the creation of a strategic plan, more public meetings similar to today's meeting on Signal are to come.
Today's meeting is at 4:30 p.m. at Nolan Elementary, 4435 Shackleford Ridge Road, in the school's gymnasium. It will be streamed live on the district's Facebook page and uploaded to Hamilton County Schools' YouTube channel. Parking is available in front of the school and on both sides of the building.
Contact Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.