[RunItUpTheGut]

North and South fans, what are the chance there will ever be another high school built in Laurel County?
I know its been talked about several times before, but I just always assumed it was rumor and gossip, but it is interesting.

North Laurel is the second largest school in 5A football, and South isn't far behind. Both schools have a lot of room, but the population in Laurel County only continues to grow. I honestly think by the next time a realignment comes around after this one in 2015, which would be 2019, SEKY could very well have its first 6A team.

I think North has around 1400 kids while South has around 1300, which gives us 2700. Another school to even it out would give each school around 900 kids making them all 4A schools or maybe 2 4A and 1 3A, but I think its eventually inevitable.

So my question to you all is, is it possible another school could emerge? If so, where? and what kind of timetable are we looking at?

[TriCountySports]

I think it's going to happen, but as to when, I'm not sure. There are some other schools around the county that need renovating and I think that is the priority.

[Paul Crewe]

Two more cycles before it could happen. 2020 may start. They will try to realign boundaries before going to 6A.

[panther nation]

I know that they are already looking in to building another high school. They have been looking at some tracts of land in the southern part of the county already. Keavy area being one of them. But as of now they haven't been able to find a suitable tract yet. It is going to happen it's just a matter of time.

[TriCountySports]

Yep. It's going to happen. I teach in Laurel Co and it was mentioned in one of our staff meetings, but there were several things on the list ahead of it. May still be a while.

[panther nation]

I can remember back when I went to school at Laurel Co. That's when there was only 10th-12th at the high school. It was the biggest school outside of Louisville school system in the state. When the built north it was a much needed school for the county but it was built in the wrong place. Never could understand why they would built another school less than 10 miles from the one that was already there. That school should have been built in the southern part of the county then. It's just crazy busing kids from bald rock, and keavy that far to school everyday. I grew up in keavy school got out at 2:50 and I got home everyday around 4:10 and I know that there was other kids that didn't get home till 5 or later. That's just nuts to bus kids that far when they had the chance to build a school much closer.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I really think the smartest place to put a school right now would be in North Corbin.
While Corbin may not like it, a lot of kids that live in Southern Laurel County have to drive a crappy, and by crappy I mean either up the interstate and threw 20 red lights with horrible traffic up 25 with slow horribly slow traffic to get to South.

I like the idea of Keavy. Ive noticed over the years it seems Lynn Camp has gotten quite a few kids from those areas and so has Corbin. If there were a Laurel County school down here, I think it could take a bite out of those two.

I agree North was put in a bad spot.
Personally, I think its a good spot for traffic flow, but maybe out on W 80 a little bit would have been a little more sufficient.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I can remember back when I went to school at Laurel Co. That's when there was only 10th-12th at the high school. It was the biggest school outside of Louisville school system in the state. When the built north it was a much needed school for the county but it was built in the wrong place. Never could understand why they would built another school less than 10 miles from the one that was already there. That school should have been built in the southern part of the county then. It's just crazy busing kids from bald rock, and keavy that far to school everyday. I grew up in keavy school got out at 2:50 and I got home everyday around 4:10 and I know that there was other kids that didn't get home till 5 or later. That's just nuts to bus kids that far when they had the chance to build a school much closer.

I think the reason they decided to go with north there was because there were more kids on that end at the time, and had they built the school in keavy, they would have had several of Souths kids going there while kids on the north end of the county and out on 80 would of had to drive all the way through town to south.

Now that the numbers keep going up, it would make sense to put one down here and have 3 spread out throughout the county.

Im still surprised there was never a London Ind. There may have been a long time ago, but you would think a lot of the kids that live in city limits could have went there, while a South was built down here and north built where it was.

[panther nation]

There was a high school at London at one time as well as high schools at Bush, Hazel Green, and Lily. They Consolidated all four of those schools in I think 1970 or 71 to form what was known as Laurel County high school.

[panther nation]

I have heard rumors that Laurel Co would actually like to build 2 more high schools in the long run. But for now one at a time.

[panther nation]

^

[Strikeout King]

If this happens, do both North Laurel and South Laurel close and combine both schools into one? What would they call it, Laurel County High? London High?

[panther nation]

^
That would defeat the purpose of building another high school.

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
I don't think SK is aware of what were talking about.

SK, these two schools were already Laurel County High School until they got overpopulated and split into two high school in the early 90's.
Now, even with both schools, there getting overpopulated and were discussing what could happen if they have to open another one.

[panther nation]

^
I believe your right gut.

[Strikeout King]

^
I don't think SK is aware of what were talking about.

SK, these two schools were already Laurel County High School until they got overpopulated and split into two high school in the early 90's.
Now, even with both schools, there getting overpopulated and were discussing what could happen if they have to open another one.

I didn't know that there was an Laurel County High....What would the third school be called? London High?

[panther nation]

That's what we are discussing where would they build a new school at! I'm almost 100% positive that it won't be in London.

Laurel county high school is what it south laurel was called before they built north laurel... That why you have north and south now.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I didn't know that there was an Laurel County High....What would the third school be called? London High?

When they decided to split the schools Laurel County High School became what is known as South Laurel today. They built North Laurel due to a growing population.

To be honest, if they build a new one, it would almost certainly have to be close to Corbin, and that would mean it would be the farthest South out of the 3 but it could be named that.
I wouldn't be surprised to see something like a West Laurel

[panther nation]

^
How about southwestern laurel county!!! (Gosh I hope not!!)

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
nicker:

They cant be like Pulaski.
They'll have to make it SouthEastern

[panther nation]

That would work!! :Thumbs:

[UKCC]

This is actually something I think about pretty often. London continues to grow and is in an ideal location, being the biggest town before entering Tennessee. At this rate, I seriously believe you will see it grow into a town similar to Richmond in the next 10 years. It is at the top of the mountains of eastern Kentucky with a lot of land to work with unlike Clay, Bell, Knox, etc. I travel through Laurel County frequently to the south central Kentucky area and I was wondering what kind of population western Laurel County had. There are very few "turnoff roads" once you pass Walmart DC as opposed to how many most southeastern Kentucky counties have, although Laurel County doesn't have the hills like most places do. That may sound stupid but what I'm getting at is, is there even that many people that live on that side of the county? If so, why in the world wasn't North built on that side of town and both schools called something else? For years, I've said that North and South were way to close together. Around Keavy sounds pretty legitimate as a possibility to me.

In comparison, Laurel County and Clay County are the same size but just flipped in reverse. Clay is overpopulated and only has half the people Laurel does, but CCHS still serves its purpose and has went down in numbers slightly. Red Bird and OBI maintain their size. For Laurel County not to have a smaller school somewhere on it's outskirts is kind of strange. And one last note, (this isn't coming just because I'm a CC fan) the schools keep growing but neither of the school's sports programs really are. NL made it to state in basketball in 2012 for the first time but CC continues to dominate the district and series. SL basketball has actually dropped. NL had a good year in football this past year but were pretty mediocre at times before that, SL is still the same. NL dominates girls softball and has a good baseball program. Just something I've wondered. Good discussion though guys.

[pjdoug]

When they decided to split the schools Laurel County High School became what is known as South Laurel today. They built North Laurel due to a growing population.

To be honest, if they build a new one, it would almost certainly have to be close to Corbin, and that would mean it would be the farthest South out of the 3 but it could be named that.
I wouldn't be surprised to see something like a West Laurel

or North Corbin lol

[TopCat]

I think Levi Jackson high school works?

Boy laurel co has really struggled to find 2 football coaches in the past imagine 3???

Larkey, duncum, and Irwin where or have been somewhat successful the rest have been bad. Such as Welch and Chappell etc. Those guys wasted a ton of talent.

[E's Army]

It would be fun to see a school in North Corbin line up and play Corbin. A great rivalry could develop.When David Young was superintendent he to;d it was their long term goal to build two new grade schools, a middle school and then a high school. The grade schools have been built.

[Olred]

I heard Keavy for a long time but now I am hearing that close to Hunter Hills elementary is what is being eyed. I hope they place it in a good place for the kids and not political. I'm also hearing that it's on down the list now that they have the new technical school that they are building. Kids from each school will be bused to it every day which will help with over crowding. I don't think a new school is going to hurt corbin more than we as alum have already hurt corbin. Corbin no longer has the same pride it used to.

[redstorm]

New four lane between Corbin and London.
New school close to hunter hills elementary would be called South Laurel and south laurel would go back to Laurel co. H.s. And north would stay north laurel h.s.
IMO

[Van Hagar]

Love that idea. Always thought the biggest mistake made when they went to two schools was taking away the name "Laurel Co. High School." They had established so much athletic tradition, it sorta got muddled with the new names. (You've got some on here that didn't realize there ever was a Laurel Co. High!) Wish they had left it, and called the new one something a little more unique, like Levi Jackson High as suggested earlier. These directional names really wind up confusing the general population from other areas of the state and they just don't have any character.

[panther nation]

Just for those that didn't know Laurel Co won the girls state championship in 1977,78,79 then again 1987 and once more in 1991. While the boys only won the state title in 1982. So during its time as Laurel Co their girls basketball team was a power house to win 5 state titles in 20 years.

[64SUR]

Love that idea. Always thought the biggest mistake made when they went to two schools was taking away the name "Laurel Co. High School." They had established so much athletic tradition, it sorta got muddled with the new names. (You've got some on here that didn't realize there ever was a Laurel Co. High!) Wish they had left it, and called the new one something a little more unique, like Levi Jackson High as suggested earlier. These directional names really wind up confusing the general population from other areas of the state and they just don't have any character.

I agree with Van Hagar inglepar