Unification Put On Hold Until Bond Vote

The deadline to commit to unification has come and gone for Orchard, Clearwater and Verdigre with no decision.

The district’s reunification deadline of March being widely known and discussed, members of the Nebraska Unified #1 District board discussed the possibility at length at last week’s meeting.

Superintendent Dale Martin read statements from both Clearwater’s and Orchard’s original boards regarding the reunification, both of which wouldn’t commit nor decline the possibility of continuing unification. The issue, both said, was the uncertainty of their upcoming vote on a bond to build a new facility for a three-school merger with Ewing.

“As a result of the recent three school consolidation motion, both Clearwater and Orchard are pursuing other options. At this time, the Clearwater Original Board cannot commit to the unification process for the established deadline of March 18. Pending the outcome of the future bond result, we would not rule out the possibility of unification as an option for Clearwater in the future,” Clearwater’s statement read.

Orchard’s statement was similar. “The Orchard Original Board cannot commit to renewing the current seven year unification agreement at this time. In considering a contingency plan, the Orchard Board would consider unification in the future.”

The board held a phone conference with legal counsel John Recknor concerning the reunification process in light of the recent vote for Clearwater and Orchard to consolidate with Ewing.

“If you don’t think you don’t want to be in business for three years, I would say don’t do a unification,” Recknor said. “Just do a garden variety interlocal coop act because that can be dissolved at any time.”

Recknor explained that the only way to dissolve the unification before the three years are up is to go to court.

“You’d have to go through a legal process, and if one of the parties said, ‘Well, I don’t want to dissolve it,’ then you’d have a problem,” he said.

After discussion, the consensus among the board members was to delay the vote on the unification until after the proposed bond issue regarding the consolidation has been voted on.

The board members also discussed making up the days the schools missed due to the recent flooding. Clearwater and Orchard have both missed nine days total and are allowed seven days according to state requirements.

The administration decided that they would extend the school days by ten minutes each day and have school the Monday after Easter to make up for two days, as well as possibly extending the school year if needed.
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“I know it’s not going to be really popular with everybody, but I think, to me, it’s the best course of action right now,” Martin said. ​