Meeting Notes 23 Jan 2010, 9:00AM-10:15
Bellevue Library
Charlie Tygard presiding
56 Meeting Attendees signed the sign-in sheet. The meeting room was standing room only, and many attendees didn't fit into the room and had to stand outside
Opening points:
Don Klein, the Executive Director of GNAR (Greater Nashville Area Realtors) and a 30 year Bellevue resident, presented the following data:
According to the 2008 National Assoc of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 27% of home buyers listed school quality and 21% listed school proximity as deciding factors in their home purchase. A report of Household Type, Housing Choice and Commuting Behavior by Paul Emrath and Natalia Siniavskaia, Ph.D's, emphasized that families with children put a greater emphasis on good schools. In addition, married couples with children under 18 value being close to good schools as often as they value being close to a job.
Proximity is one of the major issues for Bellevue: the high school is currently located where the majority of students don't live.
Many Citizens in attendance believed that these statistics would be even higher for Bellevue residents.
Three issues highlighting the value of a High School in Bellevue:
1.Proximity: Bellevue residents want a high school centrally located within the boundaries of the community.
2.Opportunity: create a premier magnet school for Metro, benefiting all Davidson.
3.Creativity: Develop the concept of a "green high school" focusing on environmental issues: Natural world, Cultivation, Science and Technology.
For more insights into the potential Bellevue Middle School tie-in to a Bellevue High School curriculum, see Bellevuegarden.org, or google "Edible Schoolyard".
General comments:
With a local high school, Bellevue's property value would rise and result in more revenue for the city.
There is a current perception among meeting attendees that many potential students are lost through families moving to neighboring Williamson county or going to private schools.
The culture of "private school is the superior choice" needs to be challenged with a quality public option.
Some general questions from attendees, with paraphrased responses:
How soon could the high school be realized?
Optimistically, and with community involvement and momentum, possibly 3-5 years.
What are the steps in the process?
1.Let's reach out to Mayor Karl Dean and Superintendent Jesse Register as a next step, and ask them.
2.Develop, distribute and analyze results from a survey that would get to the bottom of what the people in Bellevue want for their community. Why do they live in Bellevue? What are people's shopping habits? What are the reasons for sending their children to public or private school? Why do people leave Bellevue? What do Realtors say
What would happen to Hillwood High?
The fate of Hillwood, and the potential Bellevue High, is tied to the land that was given to the community for the use of a school by the H.G. Hill family. They would need to release the stipulations on the use of the land to make it feasible to move the high school to a more central location for the student population.
Where could the high school be built?
There is no specific targeted location. The desire of meeting attendees is that it be centrally located in the Bellevue community. Many attendees see the mall area as a natural site, although that land is currently tied up with a financial company. Other sites were touched upon: attendees were encouraged to keep their eyes open for sites that had potential.
What can individuals do to build momentum and see the high school for the community realized?
Talk to other parents, friends, and neighbors. Encourage them to attend meetings, write letters or other involvement that matches their skills. Watch for info on this blog (highschool37221.blogspot.com) or others likely to crop up: an attendee at the meeting was going to set up a facebook page.
When is the next meeting?
Mayor Karl Dean will be attending an Bellevue Exchange Club meeting on Tues., March 9, 7:00AM . The meeting location is to be determined to accommodate a larger group. While this is NOT a meeting intended to include a major discussion on creating a high school, it will be an opportunity to simply show the Mayor that there is momentum and passion for a high school in Bellevue.
