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Major Changes at Humboldt City Schools
the WPA and was destroyed by
fire in the late 1950s.
A 2-hour meeting and a 3-1 decision by
the Humboldt Board of Education in
December made official the discontinuing
of the Humboldt Middle School building
on Ferrell Street, effective with the close
of school this May.
Built in 1957 as the city’s high school, the
building served in that capacity until 1975
when a new high school was built in its
current location on Viking Drive. With the
move to the new location 40 years ago,
the old high school became the junior high
and has functioned as a junior high or
middle school since.
The Ferrell Street campus has actually
been home to our city schools since 1917,
when the first high school was built there.
That building stood until the 1980s when it
was torn down. A junior high building was
erected on the east side of the campus by
Humboldt While enrollment in the city
Middle
school system is currently
School
stable at about 1,200 students,
the district is still operating
four campuses with capacity
for well over 2,000. Closing a
school with so much history is always
difficult, but the sentiment all over town
was to “right-size” the facilities to better
match the current enrollment while still
having room for growth.
The savings in operational costs for that
campus will be re-directed to offering
more programs and opportunities for
students. (See list at the end of this
article.)
While we don’t know the fate of the old
building, this move will better position the
city of Humboldt in terms of education
and economic development.
Site
selection for new job-creators and
retention of business and industry is
closely tied to the quality of the education
system. An old, underutilized building in
dire need of renovation not only takes
limited funds away from programs and
opportunities for students, but sends a
message that we don’t invest in education.
Prospects really do look at schools and
make judgments about the community
based on the feeling they get.
As the community decides the next chapter
for the Ferrell Street campus, this is an
opportunity to have a conversation about
what the people of Humboldt want to see
happen to the assets there. While one literal
door may be closing, another figurative door
will open to a brighter future for this city.
Proposed programs to be added or
expanded in the 2014-15 school year:
Dual Enrollment Courses at HHS
Advanced Placement Course at HHS
Career Technical Education Programs
at HHS
Computer Coding Program at HHS
Honors Program, Grades 7-12
Expand Foreign Language Program,
Grades 7-12
STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, & Mathematics), Grades 7
-12
Gifted Program, district-wide
Montessori Program at Stigall Primary
Welcome New Chamber Members! (since October)
DR Computer LLC
Russell Cellular
Ginny Estes, Crye-Leike
1406 Main Street
Humboldt, TN 38343
Contact: Doyne (Don) Ratliff, Owner
(731) 784-1117
drcomputerllc.com
2718 Central Avenue
Humboldt, TN 38343
Contact: Brandi Dickson, Sales Manager
(731) 784-7840
russellcellular.com
3021 Highway 45 Bypass
Jackson, TN 38305
Contact: Ginny Estes, Agent
(731) 984-6539
crye-leike.com
Revelation of Hope Counseling
City Gift Company
Me’ Me’s Yum Yums
386-B Carriage House Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
Contact: Alvin G. Bonds, II, CEO
(731) 487-3595
rohcs.org
1321 Main Street
Humboldt, TN 38343
Contact: Debbie Goodrum, Co-Owner
(731) 784-2724
1619 Main Street
Humboldt, TN 38343
Contact: Peggy Creasy, Owner/CEO
(731) 824-1414
memesyumyums.com
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