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Hamilton's statement on consolidation surprises Warsaw
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
WARSAW, Ill. - Warsaw School Board members expressed surprise Thursday night at Hamilton's statement publicized at Hamilton's School Board meeting Wednesday regarding consolidation.
Warsaw, Hamilton and Nauvoo-Colusa hired outside consultants to conduct a feasibility study last year on reorganization among the three neighboring districts. That study was released at a community public meeting March 28 in Hamilton with all three districts' board members and about 200 people attending.
The feasibility study, available to the public from superintendents' offices and online at Nauvoo-Colusa's Web site at www.nauvoo-colusa.com, collected information on enrollment, buildings, curriculum, athletics and extra curricular activities, transportation, financial health of each district and incentives from the state.
The study examined the choices of consolidation, convergence and high school deactivation.
Consolidation is when two or more entire school districts merge to create one new district. Convergence creates one high school district for two or more schools and keeps each elementary district separate in its own community. High school deactivation involves closing a high school and sending the students to other districts and paying tuition.
Hamilton School Board's statement created Saturday at an administrator/board retreat says: “We believe it is in the best interests of the three school districts to enter into a dialogue over the course of the 2006-07 school year to determine if consolidation is a feasible option. We believe that in an environment of declining enrollments for the three districts, that consolidation would provide better program offerings and extra curricular activities for all students.
“We would like to see each district maintain their elementary programs with the consolidated high school located in Hamilton. We feel this way for two reasons. Hamilton is centrally located and can be accessible for all students; Hamilton has a high school facility that could accommodate up to 600 students. We realize that consolidation is a process involving extensive negotiations but also feel an obligation to make our position clear on the matter. We would invite the Nauvoo-Colusa School District and the Warsaw District to assist us in the formulation of a committee that can begin to explore this reorganization in depth with a goal and time line in mind. We would like to see some form of firm commitment by the beginning of the 2007-08 school year in anticipation of November elections.”
Hamilton Superintendent Dr. Jim Jackson said what Hamilton is proposing is one new consolidated district.
“Junior high students (grades 7 and 8) from the three districts would be transported to one campus and the high school students (grades (9-12) would be transported to one campus, both locations yet to be determined,” he said by phone this morning. “Each community would keep elementary (K-6) in their town, but they would all be under one district with one school board and one superintendent overall. Convergence duplicates a lot of administrators.”
Convergence creates a new high school district, which is the way neighboring school districts in Carthage, LaHarpe and Dallas City voted to do, with its own administrators and school board, plus each elementary district would keep its own administrators and school boards.
In the feasibility report and as reported in the Daily Gate City March 29, the consultants said all three school districts have nice facilities.
For a three-school convergence: “The consultants feel that Warsaw High School is the best overall facility. The building and renovation program is of the highest quality.
“However, Hamilton is centrally located among the three districts. The Hamilton High School building has enough space to accommodate the students and would be an acceptable alternative.
“Considering the facilities, location and data provided by the districts, the consultants believe the high school should be located in Warsaw (with 489 students) and grades 6-8 be located in Hamilton (housing 339 students).”
Two Warsaw School Board members and Superintendent Kim Schilson are invited to a three-district meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in Nauvoo, Ill., to further discuss reorganization.
Warsaw board members said they were uncomfortable with just two board members from each district attending and would like a three-district meeting with all board members. There has been no three-district meeting since March 28 when the feasibility study was released.
“We've always been pro-student,” said Jan Gooding, Warsaw School Board member. “We're the ones who pushed for the feasibility study. Everyone needs to have an open mind. I would encourage all districts to have a team approach.
“Our community and facilities speak for themselves,” she added. “The Regional Office of Education gives us high marks.”
Warsaw board president Don Roskamp said he'd like all the districts to keep communications open.
“We've been open in communicating to our community,” he said. “It's important that parents know the pros and cons of all locations and all choices. We need to consider where we can best offer the best curriculum from vo-tech to college dual credit classes.”
Warsaw board member Rod Yuskis said the only way a reorganization will work is to use the buildings already in place and not build new ones at taxpayers' expense.
“Warsaw is going in to this to improve education for all students in all three districts,” he said.
More on Thursday's school board meeting will be published later.
Warsaw, Hamilton and Nauvoo-Colusa hired outside consultants to conduct a feasibility study last year on reorganization among the three neighboring districts. That study was released at a community public meeting March 28 in Hamilton with all three districts' board members and about 200 people attending.
The feasibility study, available to the public from superintendents' offices and online at Nauvoo-Colusa's Web site at www.nauvoo-colusa.com, collected information on enrollment, buildings, curriculum, athletics and extra curricular activities, transportation, financial health of each district and incentives from the state.
The study examined the choices of consolidation, convergence and high school deactivation.
Consolidation is when two or more entire school districts merge to create one new district. Convergence creates one high school district for two or more schools and keeps each elementary district separate in its own community. High school deactivation involves closing a high school and sending the students to other districts and paying tuition.
Hamilton School Board's statement created Saturday at an administrator/board retreat says: “We believe it is in the best interests of the three school districts to enter into a dialogue over the course of the 2006-07 school year to determine if consolidation is a feasible option. We believe that in an environment of declining enrollments for the three districts, that consolidation would provide better program offerings and extra curricular activities for all students.
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Hamilton Superintendent Dr. Jim Jackson said what Hamilton is proposing is one new consolidated district.
“Junior high students (grades 7 and 8) from the three districts would be transported to one campus and the high school students (grades (9-12) would be transported to one campus, both locations yet to be determined,” he said by phone this morning. “Each community would keep elementary (K-6) in their town, but they would all be under one district with one school board and one superintendent overall. Convergence duplicates a lot of administrators.”
Convergence creates a new high school district, which is the way neighboring school districts in Carthage, LaHarpe and Dallas City voted to do, with its own administrators and school board, plus each elementary district would keep its own administrators and school boards.
In the feasibility report and as reported in the Daily Gate City March 29, the consultants said all three school districts have nice facilities.
For a three-school convergence: “The consultants feel that Warsaw High School is the best overall facility. The building and renovation program is of the highest quality.
“However, Hamilton is centrally located among the three districts. The Hamilton High School building has enough space to accommodate the students and would be an acceptable alternative.
“Considering the facilities, location and data provided by the districts, the consultants believe the high school should be located in Warsaw (with 489 students) and grades 6-8 be located in Hamilton (housing 339 students).”
Two Warsaw School Board members and Superintendent Kim Schilson are invited to a three-district meeting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in Nauvoo, Ill., to further discuss reorganization.
Warsaw board members said they were uncomfortable with just two board members from each district attending and would like a three-district meeting with all board members. There has been no three-district meeting since March 28 when the feasibility study was released.
“We've always been pro-student,” said Jan Gooding, Warsaw School Board member. “We're the ones who pushed for the feasibility study. Everyone needs to have an open mind. I would encourage all districts to have a team approach.
“Our community and facilities speak for themselves,” she added. “The Regional Office of Education gives us high marks.”
Warsaw board president Don Roskamp said he'd like all the districts to keep communications open.
“We've been open in communicating to our community,” he said. “It's important that parents know the pros and cons of all locations and all choices. We need to consider where we can best offer the best curriculum from vo-tech to college dual credit classes.”
Warsaw board member Rod Yuskis said the only way a reorganization will work is to use the buildings already in place and not build new ones at taxpayers' expense.
“Warsaw is going in to this to improve education for all students in all three districts,” he said.
More on Thursday's school board meeting will be published later.
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| Area artists will exhibit Saturday on Mississippi observation deck | Hamilton School District's $5 million budget is on public review |
