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01/24/2007: "Wynot, Crofton school boards discuss consolidation ideas"

“We certainly are interested in talking about consolidating schools,” Crofton board of education president Kieth Zimmerman told the Wynot board of education at an informational meeting last Wednesday, Jan. 17 between the two boards.
“And we have a lot of students who want to become Warriors,” said Wynot board member Karen Boeckman.
The two boards came together last week in Crofton to discuss a possible consolidation. They talked about being in the same Educational Service Unit, staff numbers, student numbers, special education students and special needs students – even school lunches were discussed.
But in spite of the many things both boards cited as reasons a consolidation move could work, no agreement could be forged. Both boards admitted there were too many questions without answers to make a decision.

Wynot has one major priority: it wants to keep their site open – grades K-12. Of course priority number two is quality education, but maintaining their district as is, is first.
Kevin Klug, Wynot board president, told the Crofton board members Wynot is also discussing options with Laurel, Newcastle and Coleridge. An interlocal agreement between the four schools, to share teachers and long distance learning classes, would keep their expenses down and allow each of the schools to keep their site open.
So Klug asked the Crofton board if they would allow Wynot to keep their site open.
“We would take the junior high and high school students,” said Crofton supt. Randy Anderson. “But our elementary is full so (Wynot) would be able to keep the elementary building and classes open.”
That is a reality check for Wynot. Although many students from Crofton and Wynot are acquainted through sports and working together at jobs, the town of Wynot wants to keep the school open as is. Community support for the students is high.
Zimmerman asked the Wynot board if they were not worried about the future of interlocal agreements. The legislature has decided to take a look at the agreement format, to find out if it has problem areas. Contracts between smaller schools to share staff may be falling by the wayside after this year’s unicameral session.
Klug countered with a shrug of his shoulders and said the board felt it had to look at every opportunity available.
Keeping the Wynot school where it is at may be a hard chore. The district is certified at the state level with a tax valuation of $62 million for the 2007-2008 school year whereas this year the valuation was $80 million.
Land transfers of Wynot patrons, trying to escape unusually high tax levies, took $17 million from the Wynot coffers this year. The actual transfer has not been completed as an appeal by a group of Wynot district patrons is pending in District Court in Hartington.
There is no turning back now. Wynot is in the last year of their levy override and come fall, they will operate with a levy of $1.05 or else. The board hopes by keeping their tax levy at that level, one comparable to the Hartington school district, it will stop the flow of land transfers that district. Most of the land transfers so far are of owners who send their children to Cedar Catholic School in Hartington. Consequently, there has not been a loss of students.
The subject of teachers was on everyone’s mind. Crofton would possibly be interested in hiring anywhere from 4-5 of Wynot’s dozen secondary staff, especially in the areas of core curriculum. What happens to the remaining staff, whose contracts are not completed, is a mystery the two boards would have to be solveed with the help of the State Department of Education. The question of a contract buyout and who would be responsible for it is still unanswered.
The magic number for K-12 schools in Nebraska now is 390 students. Crofton presently has about 230 junior high and senior high students. Comfortably, the Crofton secondary building could hold 350 students. They would welcome and could accomodate Wynot’s possible 65 students and be willing to work out the differences. But the interlocal agreement between Wynot, Laurel, Newcastle and Coleridge would fulfill the number requirements also.
In a survey of parents, Klug said the main concern was keeping the site open. Next, parents indicated Crofton as the top choice for a school destination if Wynot chooses not to stay open or is forced to close.
“I see a certain stability for a system of Crofton and Wynot,” said Anderson. He said he does not see any other area schools considering merging with Crofton or Wynot. It could be a positive relationship for the two communities. School rivalry between the two communities over the years has been almost non-existent.
Anderson closed the meeting noting the soonest possible notification of Wynot’s decision to consolidate with them would be appreciated. There will be additional texts to order and class schedules to arrange with an increase of students. The hiring of additional teachers and busing strategies would also have to be worked out.
Klug agreed and said the board felt by the end of February, they would be somewhat aware of the state aid Wynot would receive, how much of a budget shortfall Wynot would have to deal with and if that interlocal agreement with the other three northeast Nebraska schools helps them keep their costs down to an affordable level.