“If the vote passes, the results will be sent to the Department of Education by Feb. 22, and the Secretary of Education will issue a reorganization order for the Highmore-Harrold School District to be operational by July 1, 2008,” Elsie Baye, Highmore superintendent and elementary principal, said.
The new district will begin working on certain issues right away.
 Capital Journal File Photo Voters in the Highmore and Harrold (above) school districts will go to the polls Feb. 19, to vote for a consolidation plan which, if approved, will unite their districts into one. Advertisement |
“If the vote passes, we will immediately set about the process of electing a new board for the consolidated district,” said Harrold School Board member Sue Sommer.
Sommer said the feeling in Harrold is positive and she is expecting the measure to pass there.
Baye said feelings in Highmore are mixed because of the long struggle the districts went through to get to the point they are now.
“Some patrons can see the benefit to the future as far as increased land and tax base is concerned,” Baye said, adding others have trouble seeing these positives.
Initially, the districts were to vote on a consolidation plan last month, but the Department of Education canceled the vote.
“The original election was canceled because the Department of Education changed their interpretation and required us to involve ABO in the consolidation in order for us to have islands created in our district,” Sommer said.
When first writing a consolidation plan last fall, the districts were told that land owners could have islands of land that were part of other districts if these changes were written into the consolidation plan. The districts gave landowners this option, and a few landowners in Harrold’s district took it. Some of this designated land was to be given to the Agar-Blunt-Onida District.
After this was written into the plan and the vote was set, the Department of Education told Highmore and Harrold that ABO would also have to vote on the plan since the islands of land were designated for ABO, something Highmore and Harrold weren’t told initially.
“We eliminated the islands, so they wouldn’t need to be a part of the vote on this issue,” Sommer said.
The mix-up is one of the reasons some voters in the Highmore district are wary.
“They thought more land was being given away in the revised plan when, in fact, less land occurred to make the plan agreeable to ABO,” Baye noted. Despite these feelings, Baye is confident the plan will pass in her district as well.
“We will keep working to educate the voters on the benefits of the plan to the future of our students.”
Not only will the Highmore district receive more students and land, but the district also receives thousands of dollars in incentive money.
If the plan doesn’t pass, Sommer said because of time, the only option left for the Harrold district will be to dissolve. If this happens, there will be no incentive money for any district even though neighboring districts will inherit land and students.
The Harrold School Board and administration have been actively seeking consolidation with other districts because of steadily declining enrollment and revenue. Late in 2006, Stanley County residents voted down the consolidation with Harrold, despite the financial gains it would have brought the Fort Pierre district.
Comments
1 comment(s)Shari Schadler wrote on Mar 31, 2008 8:24 AM:
Thanks to whomever answers this.
Mrs. J. Schadler "