Unified Board Discusses Consolidation, Multiple Attendance Centers

Consolidation was brought up as a possibility by a member of the Clearwater School board during the Unified board meeting in Orchard on Monday night.

The Unified board met for their July meeting at Orchard High School on Monday, July 16. Multiple items were discussed during the meeting, including internet speeds, the approval of staff changes & reunification.

The board had left off the previous meeting with discussions about recommending that the advisory boards put reunification on their agendas. Dale Martin, the superintendent of the Unified board, said that he had discussed the topic with Verdigre. Orchard did not have a July meeting, and the topic wasn’t on the agenda for Clearwater.

Martin said the topic under discussion was whether or not there was change being wanted.

“The discussion was, if there’s not a lot of movement for change, it doesn’t take a whole lot of time,” he said. “If there is some movement for change, we do need some more time to discuss what that change is going to look like.”

Amy Thiele, the president of the Clearwater School board, brought up a previous topic that she felt was worthy of talks - consolidation.

“I know you maybe threw out the consolidation talks, but to me, this is a good opportunity to make it be a consolidation vs. reunification discussion in your communities,” Thiele said.

She continued to say that under consolidation, not a lot change would have to take place.

“I don’t know why we wouldn’t be for a consolidation vs. a unification,” Thiele said. “If there was a consolidation, you can still have your three attendance centers. Just because you consolidate doesn’t mean you have to have one attendance center.”

Thiele said that with consolidation, it would eliminate the periodical questions that the unification faces when it comes time for renewal.

“To me, consolidation makes sense,” Thiele said. “You are taking away the ‘If, and or what’ piece of the questions when it comes time for renewal and you are taking away the ‘If you want to make changes.’”

Kristi Schutt, the treasurer for the Orchard School board, questioned the future of the advisory boards if consolidation were to occur.

“When you do consolidate, though,” Schutt said. “You would get rid of your advisory boards...and you would be down to a six-person board, so one town could have all six on the board, correct? Every town would not have a representation as we do in unification.”

Thiele said that if the schools were trusting enough to consolidate, it shouldn’t be a concern where the representatives are from.

“It shouldn’t matter at that point, though,” Thiele said. “If everyone has made that commitment, that’s a piece to discuss, and it’s a concern for some people. But, at that point, if you are willing to make the commitment, you have to put your faith in a lot of people, and you have to get your people out to vote.”

Unified board member Marty Kerkman brought up the possibility of having borders set for voting representatives in order for representation to stay equal. The superintendent said that possibility has been discussed in the past.

“We talked about this several years back, about precincts as a possibility, that you would vote in your precinct for your representative,” Martin said.

During the meeting, the Unified board also approved bills, the membership of Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, the hire of Wanda Henning as custodian at the Orchard site and the resignation of Orchard bus driver Cherylyn Hurtig.