Orchard Counters Formula With Inclusion Of Land Valuations

​Land valuation would play a factor into determining site location, according to a formula presented Monday by the Orchard Advisory Board. 

A week after receiving a formula from the Clearwater Advisory Board on how to calculate site location, Orchard members countered with a similar formula that now includes valuation consideration.

At last week’s meeting, Clearwater board members called their formula a starting point. Orchard site principal Cathy Cooper was asked by her board members to incorporate a valuation inclusion within the formula. 

Cooper presented a potential formula to the board during Monday’s 12-minute special meeting, which Orchard members then asked Cooper to send the new formula to Clearwater. Cooper said she sent it to Principal Mike Sanne in hopes that Clearwater members use the same sense of urgency to evaluate it and respond soon in order to keep negotiations moving forward. 

In the proposal,Orchard kept the same language in determining student enrollment percentages, but the biggest difference is making land valuations a factor.

According to the proposal, if one original district has 50.1% or greater of the land valuation and the other original has 50.1% or greater of the student population, then the high school (9-12) will be located in the district with 50.1% of the land valuation for the first 3-year cycle and in the district with 50.1% of the student population for the second 3-year cycle. 

In the 3rd year of the second 3-year cycle, land valuation and the student population would be recalculated to determine the site of the high school (9-12) for the next 3 years. If these calculations determine that the same original district continues to have 50.1% or greater of the land valuation and the other same original district continues to have 50.1% or greater of the student population, then process would be repeated. 

If one original district has 50.1% or greater of the land valuation and the other original district has 50.1% or greater of the student population, then the high school will again be located in the district with 50.1% of the land valuation for the first 3-year cycle and in the district with 50.1% of the student population again for the second 3-year cycle. 

In determining land valuation, the total land valuation for the reorganized district would be calculated on the 3rd Monday in September. At this same time, the land valuation for each original district would be calculated. 
The total amount of land valuation will then be divided into the land valuation for each original district to come up with the percentage of land valuation each original district is contributing to the reorganized district.
If the same original district has both 50.1% or greater of the students and 50.1% or greater of the valuation, then the high school (9-12)  would be located in that original district’s site for a period of 3 years. 

On the 3rd Monday in September and the 3rd Monday in January of the 3rd year of the cycle, the land valuation and the number of students would be recalculated according to the formulas. If the current site still retains 50.1% or greater of the reorganized valuation and 50.1% or greater of the student population in two of the three groups, it will stay there for the next 3-year cycle. 

Once again, in the 3rd year of the 2nd cycle, the land valuation and the student population would be determined by original district and based on having 50.1% or greater of valuation and 50.1% or greater of student population. 

If the percentage of valuation and the percentage of students falls between 50% and 50.1%, then the high school (9-12) would stay in the current location for a period of 1 year until the next September and January at which time the percentages would be recalculated and a determination as to the high school site location for the next 3 years would be determined.

The boards agreed that an original district would need to pass 2 out of 3 of the following groups of students: 8-11, 7-10, 6-9. If an original district has 50.1% or greater (based on the formula below) of the student population in 2 of the 3 groups named above, the high school (9-12) would be located in that original district’s site building for a period of 3 years. 

On the 3rd Monday in January of the last year of the stated years above, the percentage of student population in grades 8-11, 7-10, and 6-9 would be recalculated. If the current site still retains 50.1% or greater of the reorganized district in 2 of the 3 groups, it would stay there for the next 3-year cycle. Once again, in the 3rd year of that second cycle, the student population would be determined by original district and based on the 50.1% in 2 of the 3 groups.

They also agreed in much of the formula for determining student population. On the 3rd Monday in January, the number of students from each original district in grades 8-11, 7-10, and 6-9 would be counted. These students must be currently enrolled in the reorganized district. (Students that are home schooled shall not be counted.)

The district would divide the total number of students in grades 8-11 into the number of students from each original district in grades 8-11 to come up with each original district’s percentage for that group. And the same would be done for each of the other two groups.

​Per action taken in February, the boards set a deadline of May to reach an agreement. If there is no consensus, the decision could move to the Nebraska Unified #1 Board.