Annexation causes County Homeowners to lose services
Interviews with parents of school age children in the Rock Springs area indicate that they are very concerned about the City of Kingsport,TN busing policy
The Kingsport, TN City School Policy Manual states:
“Students whose place of residence is one and one-half (1 ½) miles or more from their assigned school shall be eligible for transportation services”
The less than 1 ½ miles will have a major impact on parents whose children will be attending the new John Adams School in the Rock Springs Road area.
Currently, Sullivan County provides school bus transportation for students, but after being annexed into the city means that children will either have to walk to the John Adams school or parents will need to drive them there if they are less than 1 ½ miles from the school.
I see a problem with the children walking to school. First, there are no sidewalks and no parent in their right mind would ever let their child walk to school via Rock Springs Rd.
Also, the Rock Springs Road in it’s present state will not be able to handle the influx of parents driving their children to the school.
The city is asking for homeowners to voluntarily request to be annexed into the City of Kingsport, TN.
Without a change in bus policy it is clear that the Sullivan County homeowners will have to give up something that the city does not offer.
The City of Kingsport needs to understand that this new school is not your typical city school. This new school is located in a rural area where there are cow pastures and hay fields. In fact, the school that is being built will be on a former cow pasture.
Below are the improvements that the city states that will be done. The road work stops at Rock Spring Drive. What are the plans to improve the entire Rock Springs Road to the school and beyond?
“Rock Springs Road Improvements – This project involves upgrading Rock Springs Road from the southwesterly City Limits to Rock Springs Drive (SR 347) to an improved two-lane section. It will provide wider travel lanes, shoulder and some realignments at key locations to improve safety.”
To this writer, it appears that the City of Kingsport is more concerned about MeadowView Convention Center Expansion, Aquatic Center, V.O.Dobbins Center, etc than the safely of school children. See post Rock Springs Rd – Still dangerous to travel
The City of Kingsport has been talking for years about doing improvements. Mayor Phillips who is running for re-election must address this safety now because the new school will be open in the fall of 2009.