A ceremonial groundbreaking for the consolidated high school is tentatively planned at 9 a.m. Sept. 15, but while construction gets going district officials won’t be in a rush to merge athletics or instructional programs at Hopkinsville and Christian County high schools before students move to the new campus.
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Superintendent Chris Bentzel said he is “slowing down” to ensure good decisions are made for students. Bentzel also delivered that message in a letter posted on the district’s Facebook page.
The district had hinted at making 2023-24 a “farewell year” so the district could consolidate the high schools ahead of the move into the new facility on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
“But I’m slowing down,” Bentzel said. “We’re all slowing down. We want to get things right. We are going to make sure we are intentional.”
The superintendent said he wants time to hear from parents, staff members and students before making a decision on when to merge certain aspects of the two public high schools.
“My message now to everybody is, ‘Get this right.’ The hurdle of building a new school has been accomplished within budget,” he said.
Plans call for the consolidated high school to open in August 2026. It will be named Christian County High School, and it will take its mascot, the Tigers, from Hopkinsville High School.
The school board approved the name and mascot during an Aug. 24 meeting where construction bids of approximately $106 million were approved. The total cost, including architectural fees, furnishings and other expenses, will be roughly $131 million. Baird, a financial services firm, will conduct a bond sale for the project on Thursday in Louisville. Bentzel said he and other district officials plan to be in Louisville for the sale.
If district officials decide to merge athletics under the label of one school prior to completion of the new campus, the school board would have to approve that measure, said Bentzel. A decision to do that would have the biggest impact on this year’s sophomores and juniors, he said.
Opponents file complaints
Bentzel also spoke about opposition to consolidation and misinformation about the project, some of which appears on social media.
The district has received numerous open records requests and been the subject of complaints to state education officials, the Kentucky attorney general and the Office of Education Accountability, said Bentzel. The district has been accused of not properly advertising bid opening. Bentzel denied allegations the bid process was illegal and said school board attorney Jack Lackey has filed a legal brief to address that complaint.
Bentzel said he won’t argue with opponents on social media.
On the topic of transparency, Hoptown Chronicle asked Bentzel to reinstate live streaming of school board meetings, which officials recently halted because of ongoing criticism about decision-making by administrators and board members — especially regarding consolidation.
Many public boards and commissions started live streaming public meeting during the coronavirus pandemic and have continued the practice. Hopkinsville City Council and Christian Fiscal Court routinely live stream their meetings, Hoptown Chronicle noted.
Bentzel said the district would consider the request at some point, but added, “It’s difficult to navigate some of the misinformation” that circulates after meetings.
“I just think shutting down is the not the right way to deal with misinformation, said Hoptown Chronicle editor Jennifer P. Brown. “… to be clear about my request, I think it would be a great thing to start it back immediately.”
Tax challenge
On another issue, Bentzel spoke about a petition filed Friday in the Christian County Clerk’s Office by local resident Mark Graham to challenge a tax rate the school board adopted on Aug. 17. Graham helped to lead the successful recall of the school district’s nickel tax in 2019.
The petition is the first step in a potential recall by voters. The petitioner is responsible for securing the signatures of at least 10% of the number of voters who cast a ballot in the last general election. If the petition is successful, the tax rate is put on a ballot for voters to consider.
At the Aug. 17 meeting, the school board adopted the same tax rates it did last year — 42.2 cents on $100 of real property and 42.8 cents on $100 of personal property. While the rates remain the same, the revenue will increase because of higher assessed values on property.
County Clerk Melinda Humphries published a legal notice in the Aug. 24 edition of the Kentucky New Era that states 0.7 cents of the 42.8 cents on personal property is “subject to a recall.”
Bentzel said the 0.7 cents will generate approximately $44,000 in additional revenue.The superintendent said he did not know if the school board would chose to reduce the rate to avoid the recall.
