West Point schools to shut down, merge with Hardin County school district

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- Hardin County Schools will merge with West Point Independent School District after the small district faced serious financial problems.

The Hardin County School Board voted unanimously Thursday night to accept the merger.

Eddie Moore, chairman of the West Point Independent School Board, said the district's financial straits left few options.

"There's mixed emotions of course," he said. "You don't want to lose your school, but you have to put kids first."

The district had asked Hardin County to help after mounting financial issues and threats of a state takeover.

"There are lots of opportunities for (West Point) children to excel (at HCS)," said Moore. "Things that we may not have had the opportunity to give them."

The two districts are now working on a transition plan, with activities that include open houses for new families.

Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan said the great education that students received at West Point will continue at Hardin County Schools.

"We will work very hard to make them feel welcomed and valued," she said.

Starting next school year, Hardin County will take in about 140 West Point students. Morgan said those students will attend schools around 20 minutes from their current one.

Morgan said about 20 kindergarten students will attend North Park Elementary, 70 students in first through fifth grade will attend Vine Grove Elementary, up to 40 students will attend J.T. Alton Middle School, and 15 incoming freshmen will go to North Hardin High School.

Current West Point students at Elizabethtown High School may finish their education there, Morgan said.

"The hallways might be a little more crowded, but the classrooms, we will not see a difference," said Morgan.

The Hardin County district plans to hire all tenured teachers from West Point, and Moore said untenured teachers also can apply for jobs at HCS.

With the merger, all West Point homeowners will see lower taxes, as Hardin County Schools' property tax rate is about 40 cents lower per $100 assessed valuation.

"It'll be a big savings for a lot of people," Moore said, "and that's a bit of a silver lining."

After the West Point School shuts down at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the city hopes to transform it into a community center.

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