Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday is affirming a decision to allow 750 Warren County students to attend Bowling Green city schools this academic year, according to a posting on the city schools' website.
Earlier this year, the Warren County school board lowered the cap on the number of county-zoned students allowed to attend city schools. The city appealed the county’s decision to the state education commissioner.
Following a three-day hearing last month, the hearing officer recommended to Holliday that the student cap be increased to 750 in the 2013-14 school year and the 2014-15 school years.
Holliday’s order received Friday by the city school system only addresses this year.
“We appreciate the Commissioner agreeing with our exceptions relative to the hearing officer considering matters that were not appealed by BG. We argued, and the Commissioner agreed, that the hearing officer erred in recommending any relief to BG past this current school year,” said Bart Darrell, General Counsel to the WCBE.
The order states the city and county are to negotiate a new agreement for next school year, and if a deal can’t be reached by next April, the districts will participate in formal mediation.
Either side can appeal Holliday’s decision to a circuit court.
