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Sumner Students to get own school
in White House
by John Gerome
The News Examiner
March 22, 2001
GALLATIN- A 48-year agreement between Robertson and Sumner Counties will
come to an end in 2002, when Sumner County opens its own elementary school
in White House.
On the recommendation of Schools Director Merrol Hyde, the Sumner County
School board voted Tuesday to educate its own students in grades K-5.
The decision ends the sharing of educational responsibilities for children
living in White House, a city of 7,220 that straddles the Robertson-Sumner
county line. Since 1954, Robertson County has been responsible for K-5
students living in White House, while Sumner County has handled those in
grades 6-12.
With work under way on a new White House elementary school, Hyde suggested
that beginning with the 2002-2003 school year, the two counties educate their
own K-8 students.
Robertson County students in grades 9 to 12 will be allowed to continue
attending White House High School but under contract.
The agreement still has to be worked out, but Robertson County would have
to pay the difference between state per-pupil funding and actual per-pupil
spending.
Hyde said the amount varies from year to year in Sumner County but that it is
between $1,000 and $2,000 per student.
Hyde, school board Chairman Ken Becker and board member Harold Williams
will meet with Robertson County officials to discuss the issue in detail.
Hyde and others have said it is important to the community to keep the city's
high school students together rather than send some to Sumner County and
some to Springfield or another Robertson County school.
About 350 students from Robertson County attend White House High School.
Hyde suggested the board limit which Robertson County students can attend
White House High School by restricting enrollment to inside the city's growth
boundary.
But Williams and the board wanted more time to study the issue.
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