It was not easy for members of the Ar-We-Va School board to decide which neighboring school district they will partial-grade share high school classes with during the 2016-2017 school year and beyond, but this past Sunday night at a special board meeting they made their decision with around 50 people in attendance. Members chose to maintain a partnership with the Carroll Community School District by a vote of 4 to 1 over the IKM-Manning School District. Board Member Jeremy Smith, who cast the sole vote for IKM-Manning, says a recent visit to see what the district had to offer did not sway his original choice.
Praising the IKM-Manning school district for their science program and other offerings, Board President Sara Skinner stressed that over 4 years the $70,000 of potential savings offered by IKM-Manning would be swallowed up in other costs like transportation.
Deciding between the two districts was a hard decision for Board Member Denise Ragaller who says either district has its pluses and minuses, but she felt Carroll would be able to provide Ar-We-Va with the most long-term stability.
Board Member Todd Danner focused on the size differences between the two schools saying Ar-We-Va students shouldn’t be afraid of being swallowed up by Carroll, but rather embrace the opportunities.
After considering a total of four neighboring school districts over several months Board Member Gregg Oeser offered praise to each and every district for providing students with an excellent education no matter where they attend.
For the final vote Skinner, Ragaller, Danner, and Oeser voted for CCSD with Smith voting for IKM-Manning. The Ar-We-Va Board will now be in contact with the CCSD Board which will then have to approve the decision. The raw audio of the full discussion from Sunday night’s Ar-We-Va meeting can be found below.
