Tharptown school could get Mt. Hope students

By Staff
Melissa Cason
THARPTOWN – The consolidation in the Lawrence County school system could have a position affect on the Franklin County school system as some Mt. Hope students plan to transfer next fall.
Tharptown High School Principal Darrit Riddle said his has received numerous calls from parents from Mt. Hope students inquiring about transferring to Tharptown once the Lawrence County consolidation is completed and Mt. Hope is not longer a K through 12 school.
"We've received a lot of phone calls asking us question about our policy about Mt. Hope students coming here," Riddle said. "Of course, we can accept students from Mt. Hope."
Riddle said there are two draw backs for the Mt. Hope students.
"We don't have bus routes that go to Mt. Hope so the parents would have to get their children to the county line where our bus can pick them up or they will have to drive them to school," Riddle said. "The other concern is that those students who play sports will have to sit out for one year."
Riddle said Tharptown is already a full school, and more students will require more resources.
"Even if we get 20 to 30 students, we'll be busting at the seams," Riddle said. "We are already considering adding more classrooms."
Riddle said the extra students would be beneficial to the county system.
"The state allows us so much money per enrolled student," Riddle said. "We'd actually end up with more teaching units, which means more teachers."
Riddle said there is no way to know how many students Tharptown could gain until the consolidation is complete and the students begin to move.
Agatha Garcia is one Mt. Hope parent who is preparing to transfer her son to Tharptown once the consolidation is complete.
"This is home," Garcia said. "But, I will send my son to Tharptown instead of Hatton. My two younger daughters will stay at Mt. Hope through the eighth grade."
Garcia's son, Chase Robledo, will be a ninth grader next year. He will likely begin his freshman year at Tharptown.
"I feel like he will get a better quality education at Tharptown because of the class size," Garcia said.
While his mother is predominately worried about being accepted wherever he attends next year.
"I've always went to school here, and I want to continue to go to school here, but if they consolidate our school with Hatton, I will go to Tharptown instead," Robledo said. "I feel like we'll be accepted better at Tharptown than Hatton."
Robledo said everybody in his class is saying the same thing: They will attend Tharptown instead of Hatton. If the parents follow through with what is being said, Tharptown will grow tremendously over the next year or so.