CORBIN — By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

Read Holliday's full decision here

Students in Knox County currently attending Corbin schools will be grandfathered in and allowed to continue their schooling at Corbin for the 2010-11 year, under a decision made Tuesday by Education Commissioner Terry Holliday.

Holliday’s decision only affects the upcoming school year, and requires the districts enter into mediation before Sept. 1, 2010 over the 2011-2012 non-resident agreement.

Corbin had appealed to Holliday over Knox County’s January decision to end the reciprocal agreement, which allowed students to attend either district.

Either Corbin or Knox County can further appeal the decision to the Kentucky Board of Education.

Holliday’s decision states Corbin and Knox schools should continue their nonresident student agreements in the 2010-2011 school term as they exist currently — with no additional nonresident students to be enrolled under either contract.

That means each district can count its current non-resident students toward its average daily attendance (ADA), a figure used to determine how much in state SEEK (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky) funds a district will receive.

Under current policy, students who attend from out-of-district can only be counted as part of ADA if the two districts involved have a reciprocal agreement. Districts receive a base amount of $3,800 in SEEK funding per child, though that number varies slightly from district to district based on funding formulas. Corbin receives $4,153 per student and Knox County receives $4,913 per student.

Thus, at issue is roughly $1.6 million in SEEK funding tied to the 406 students who currently live in the Knox County district but attend Corbin schools.

In explaining his decision, Holliday noted that for more than 30 years the two districts have entered into the nonresident agreements, and about 400 students were added to Corbin’s student body.

“A further result of this long-standing practice is that each district has made staffing, facility and transportation system decisions based upon the enrollment patterns that have developed,” he wrote.

“The lack of a nonresident student agreement between the districts for the upcoming school year would create many unknowns that could negatively affect all aspects of both districts’ programs and operations and most importantly could adversely impact affected students,” he added.

The result of the instant decision to eliminate the nonresident agreements would be “disruptive to the academic and social environment for those affected students,” he wrote.

He noted the conscious decisions of parents to put their children in a nonresident district. Each district allowed such decisions with their nonresident agreements to become, a “mechanism that recognized this choice and placed no limitations upon the number of parents entitled to make that choice.”

“An immediate end to a series of agreements is not in the best interest of the affected students and most likely would create an adverse impact upon one or both districts in the area of academic programs, school facilities, transportation and staffing,” he wrote.

Knox County Superintendent Walter T. Hulett called Holliday’s decision “thoughtful.”

But he, his staff and the school board hadn’t had time to look at the decision and discuss it Tuesday.

“I think sometime next week we’ll have a board meeting just to look at it and discuss it,” he said, adding, “We’ll take it from there and make some decisions on what we think would be the next best steps and go from there.”

He added, “In looking at it the first time, though, it’s not horrible.”

Corbin Superintendent Ed McNeel commented, “I think the commissioner has looked at the variables and values and we’ll go from there.”

He said Corbin board members will discuss the decision at the next board meeting.

“This is (Holliday’s) decision, and it would be up to the Corbin and Knox boards of education either to accept it or appeal it on to the Kentucky Board of Education,” he said.

Lisa Cleary, Corbin school board chair, commented, “It appears to be positive for the school district for the 2010-2011 school year.”

The students who come from Knox County and their parents “will have peace about it for another year,” she added.