North Knoxville schools pose problems for new arrivals
by Jesse Fox Mayshark
In the student services office at Fulton High School on a Friday morning, students wander in and out on assorted errands. Some need to use the phone, others are delivering paperwork for teachers, and still others are here for disciplinary reasons. Their attire varies, but baggy hip-hop wear seems to hold sway.
The mood is cheerful, with the women behind the front counter greeting each student as "sweetie" or "honey"—even the ones in trouble. Assistant Principal Kitty Hatcher, whose office is just down the hall, shares the exuberance.
"There's a lot of loyalty in this community to the school, and to the community businesses, and to each other," she says.
Hatcher knows what she's talking about; she's a Fulton alum herself, and her own daughter is a student here. But her passion for North Knoxville's schools isn't shared by all of its residents, particularly the newer ones. From Old North to Emoriland and North Hills, recent arrivals are dubious about local education options.
"It's the biggest issue down here, in my opinion," says Bob Whetsel, who lives in Fourth and Gill and used to sell real estate there. "I know from selling [houses]...It's huge. People are concerned about their children's education."
"That's one of the things the neighborhood is looking at," agrees David Palmer in Old North. "How do you change the perception of that?"
If you look at statistics in the North Knoxville schools—which also include Christenberry Elementary in Oakwood, Belle Morris Elementary next to North Hills, and Whittle Springs Middle School—the problems become clear. The schools have medium-to-poor marks on their state report cards, and they have high percentages of low-income students. At Fulton, 55 percent of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price meals; at Christenberry, that number is 86 percent. Schools with low-income students tend to have higher numbers of special education students and suspensions, and lower test scores.
None of the newer residents of North Knoxville would like to think of themselves as elitists—but when it comes to schools, they tend to send their children elsewhere. Whetsel sent his own son, Jack, to Sacred Heart Catholic school for grades 5-8. But for high school, Jack insisted on going to Fulton, with the friends he'd known since elementary school. An affable, articulate 17-year-old with an athletic bent (he plays on Fulton's football and basketball teams), Jack Whetsel convinced his reluctant parents.
"I've enrolled in the harder courses," Jack says. "I'm in a couple of AP courses and honors courses, so I feel it's challenging me."
"I think we're glad we stayed," Bob Whetsel says. "It's working out fine. He's in the running for valedictorian." But he can't think of any other children in Fourth and Gill who stay in the local zone.
On the other hand, longer-term residents see the schools as a valuable asset. Connie Loy, president of the Oakwood/Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, has lived in the area all her life. "We're getting more younger people," she says. "We're getting more excitement about the schools." Census data bears her out; Lincoln Park has the youngest median age in North Knoxville, and the highest number of children. And unlike people in Fourth and Gill who lament the loss of their old school (Brownlow, which closed when Christenberry opened), Loy says, "It gave us a much bigger school. We were very excited about getting our new building."
Still, new arrivals such as Kim Trent in North Hills will be hard to convince. She looked into Belle Morris before deciding to send her son to St. Joseph School in Fountain City. Trent says she just doesn't want to take a chance.
"The schools are one of the biggest problems we have as far as recruiting and retaining residents," she says.
April 18, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 16
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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