Melissa Mathis, Walker County superintendent of schools

Walker County students will attend the 145th Battle of Chickamauga re-enactment, which will take place Sept 19-21, with Vice President Dick Cheney scheduled to help kick off the event.

The decision was reached by the Walker County Board of Education as many parents voiced concerns over whether county schools would be able to participate in the event.

Parent’s had been told by some school personnel that it was unlikely students would attend the event because school fieldtrips had been suspended by school officials until after January.

Walker County Superintendent of Schools Melissa Mathis explained the reason for cutting field trips. “Due to increased ridership, the addition of several routes to serve regular school attendance, and the increased cost of transportation, enrichment field trips have been held until second semester except for those required by school-based competitions (debate, CTAE, clubs, etc.), athletic competition, band, those trips that IEP’s determine, etc.”

Mathis said, however, it would be impossible for all of Walker County’s students to attend the Battle of Chickamauga event.

“It is logistically impossible for all students in Walker County Schools to attend this event and service the routes which run almost all day throughout the county with drivers,” Mathis said.

Mathis said fifth- and eighth-grade students would attend the re-enactment, which will be held at Davis Crossroads just outside Chickamauga on Ga. 193.

“The grades that have the Civil War in the curriculum, 5th and 8th, will be attending the event,” Mathis said.

Event organizers have said that thousands school student from across the region will be in attendance at the event.

“We have 4,400 students registered at this time,” organizer John Culpepper said. “We have really focused on getting the Hamilton, Catoosa, Chickamauga City, Walker, and Dade County schools here, but I know that we are having one school from as far away as Knoxville attending.”

Culpepper said he has scheduled Walker students, along with Chickamauga City students, to be at the event during Cheney’s speak.

“This is truly historic for our county,” Culpepper said.

Mathis said other enrichment fields trips for the Walker school system are slated to begin again sometime during the second semester of the school year.