Committee recommends merger

BARTLEY -- One Twin Valley patron admonished committee members, "Shame on you! Go home, do your homework! Give us some other options!" Another thanked committee members for their commitment to the schools and urged others "to support the people who have done hours and hours of research" into a possible merger of Twin Valley and Republican Valley public schools.

Committee members ap-pointed by the two boards of education presented the findings of their studies into the future of the school districts during a three-hour meeting in Bartley Tuesday evening.

A second meeting is scheduled Thursday in Danbury, at 8 p.m., at the school.

Both committees are recommending the two districts merge, with elementary students in the existing building in Indianola, and middle school and senior high students in a new building in Bartley.

Joyce Remington wanted more: "Is this the only option the patrons of Twin Valley are given? Is this a cut-and-dry deal?" She wondered about including Cambridge in a merger ... sharing programs with McCook ... doing nothing.

Superintendent Mark Norvell told patrons the next two years are critical. "We have a fine school, great staff," Norvell said. "I don't want to see the school reduce programs, but I'm not sure -- over the next two years with the current financial situation -- I can do that." He said Twin Valley won't exist two years from now, if patrons decide "to do nothing."

Both Twin Valley and Republican Valley are faced with aging multi-level buildings that are not handicap accessible, dwindling state aid and uncertain and unsettling Legislative actions, declining student enrollment, budgets that are limited by state law, difficulties in hiring and retaining staff members and area-wide population instability.

Twin Valley committee member Steve McConville agreed with Norvell. "If the financial projections are true, we'll be done in two years. This district will split six ways to sundown."

Committee chairman Joe Weyeneth defended his committee. "We can't be accused of not talking about every issue," Weyeneth said, but admitted, "We can be accused of not putting every issue up for a vote by the public."

Norvell said the two schools don't have time to vote on every option, to survey every single person personally. "Our time is limited here at Twin Valley," he said. "Twin Valley cannot continue to operate as we are now past the next two years."

Weyeneth said the committee's final recommendation is not necessarily what committee members wants. "This is a middle road, a compromise," Weyeneth said.

Committee member Larry Durner said committee members have been told, and survey results agree, patrons want to keep their small schools, "if at all possible."

"Our first responsibility," Durner said, "is to try to keep a school here. We don't want to lose schools in the Bartley and Twin Valley system."

Durner said he didn't want his tax money paying for a new building in McCook -- if the districts were to merge with McCook -- "if we can build here."

Former Twin Valley School Board President Don Remington asked for more specific numbers on the cost of running a combine Twin Valley/Republican Valley district.

Norvell told Remington that consultant Gerald Ehlers' projection of a $4.5 million general fund budget -- and a $1.39 tax levy -- "are too high. They're not accurate."

Remington disagreed, saying his figures, which include retaining a school at Danbury, show the tax levy would be at least $1.30. "Meeting a $1 levy limit is almost impossible without cutting educational quality," Remington said. Staffing would have to be cut from 42 to 27, he said, to meet the state-mandated levy limit of $1 per $100 of valuation. "The stumbling block is 42 employees," Remington said. "That's a bunch of money, people." He continued, "My question is, can we afford it? Frankly, I don't know how we can get it down to $1."

Norvell said the two districts' chances of meeting the $1 levy limit are better together that apart. "I have a gut feeling we can do this for less than $1," he said.

Remington told committee members it is crucial to develop a budget proposal for the new district now, "rather than build a new building and then realize you're 30 cents short."

Dick Remington asked about the feasibility of reverting to a Class I -- K-8 only -- and allowing parents to decide where to send their high school students

Weyeneth said the committee discussed that possibility.

"Speaking as a parent now, if we can't afford a new school, that's what I would like to do -- a Class I elementary only," Weyeneth said.

Dick Remington also asked, "If it takes 20 years to pay for this new school, will we still have a high school in 20 years?"

Weyeneth admitted he and committee members don't know. "There are no certainties," he said. "The Legislature might even mandate one county-wide school district. The Lincoln and Omaha senators have the votes. It's not imminent, but it's possible."

Carol Kelley told Remington she doesn't think the Legislature would close down a new building. "A new facility here would be utilized," she said.

Eldon Moore of rural Bartley said, "I'd just as soon pay another $5,000 in taxes to see if this will work."

"This may be the only and last chance to have a high school in Red Willow County outside of McCook," Moore said.

Moore said the issue "needs to be hurried along." He continued, "If nothing is done soon, Republican Valley will pass an override. If nothing is done at Twin Valley soon, enough students will option out, there won't be a high school in Bartley in three years."

Moore said, "The majority of Twin Valley and Republican Valley students will be best served by a high school somewhere outside of McCook." Moore said even if the combined districts lose 100 students, "350 is a nice-sized school."

Moore said if the issue isn't on the ballot in November, it's too late. "Another year is too late," Moore said. "Nothing will be here."