KEEPING SPORTS SEPARATE IS KEY ISSUE
A large group of concerned citizens met face to face with the East Greene Community School District board of directors at a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the high school gym in Grand Junction.
The meeting was scheduled after a group of 15 concerned parents and patrons showed up at the school board meeting two weeks before (Nov. 16) to voice their concerns about the pending whole grade sharing agreement (WGS) with Jefferson-Scranton. The sharing agreement is due to take effect on July 1, 2012, for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years.
The agreement stipulates that all East Greene 7th through 12 graders (middle school and high school students) will attend classes in Jefferson for the two school years, but it was agreed upon signing the arrangement that the two districts would maintains separate middle school and high school sports programs.
However, a snafu has occurred in that plan as state high school athletic officials say only high schools can offer sports, and as of July 1 this summer, East Greene will not exist as a high school, due to the fact its high school and middle schools students will be attending all classes in the Jefferson-Scranton middle and high schools.
Superintendent Mike Harter told the board at its October regular meeting that he had just been appraised of this interpretation by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IAHSAA), which oversees boys high school athletics, and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Association (IGHSAU), which sets policy and administers girls sports, but he assured them that this was just a minor setback and he had communicated with various individuals within both associations who told him East Greene could continue to offer sports next year even though its academic programs would be folded into Jefferson-Scranton.
Apparently, as word of “no sports at EG next year issue” percolated throughout the school district, along with concerns on why the school board had stopped publishing the proceedings of its regular and special meetings since summer, a group of concerned parents and taxpayers showed up in force at the meeting on Nov. 16, which usually draws about three visitors and offers visitors’ seating for about five. At issue, besides sports, was lack of communication from the board to the district, said some parents, and to others, a concern over the amount of miscommunication.
Harter appraised the situation at the Nov. 16 meeting for the concerned patrons, which included former board member Kevin Fouch, who completed a term on the board in September, having chosen not to run for re-election. Because of the number of questions and concerns, and an already full agenda, it was agreed by the board to schedule the special meeting two weeks later in the gym.
A crowd of about 75 interested parents and district patrons were at the Nov. 30 public meeting, where Harter again outlined the situation. Many of those present at the meeting are parents of students in middle and high school. Much of the discussion focused on the pros and cons of maintaining sports here while all the students in grades 7-12 will be attending classes in Jefferson.
Bruce Wessling of Grand Junction, who has a daughter in high school and one in middle school, pointed out that his seventh-grade daughter “is the only seventh grade girl out for basketball.” She is one of just six members of the EG junior high basketball team, which additionally consists of just five eighth graders. “What is the situation for next year when the 6th graders come up to play in junior high?” he asked the board. He indicated the sensible thing to do would be for East Greene students to participate with Jefferson-Scranton students, noting the low numbers for East Greene.
However, one issue with the East Greene enrollment is a disproportionate number of boys to girls in high school and middle school. While there just six girls on the junior high girls basketball team, there are more than 20 on the boys team—enough to divide into separate seventh and eighth grade teams with reserves to spare. The girls are at bare bones with just one reserve available at any game.
A similar situation exists at the high school level—there are enough boys to field varsity and junior varsity teams with reserves but only 10 girls available to play varsity and JV. The girls varsity is more along the lines of a JV team as there on no seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. A similar situation occurred with girls softball during the summer, with just 10 girls total on a team with and nine positions to fill.
The parents of boys have a different outlook on the situation, and many expressed concern about not keeping our teams here and the diminished chances of their sons to play sports in a combined Jefferson-Scranton and East Greene athletic program. Others repeated a phrase often heard in the East Greene area “that they won’t play my kid in Jefferson because they will only play their kids.”
East Greene does have enough boys to continue with a separate program, but that opens up some difficult issues—several parents noted—of needing to combine girls sports with Jefferson, but then keeping boys only a as separate program which would result in a lack of cohesiveness in what is purported as a program about “sharing.” (This is a two-way sharing arrangement as Jefferson-Scranton will send all its 5th and 6th grade students to attend classes in the Grand Junction building the next two school years).
Dean Lansman, Jefferson-Scranton football coach and a familiar figure here as he grew up in Rippey and is an East Greene graduate, spoke on behalf of participation levels and said there is room for everyone in a combined program. Tim Christensen, Jefferson-Scranton, superintendent, was also in attendance and supported Lansman’s statements.
Also at issue is why this problem surfaced after the whole grade sharing agreement with Jefferson-Scranton was signed, but not before.
Harter told the crowd that he was given information from the State Department of Education last year that East Greene could continue to offers sports while in a whole grade sharing arrangement. “It’s the Department of Education who said we could do this,” he said, noting that the state athletic associations take the lead of the state DOE. When asked who specifically he got the information for sports approval from at the state DOE, Harter said it was Carol Greta, who is an attorney in the office of Jason Glass, DOE executive director.
Harter has said since the October school board meeting that East Greene will fill the requirements of being a high school “if we offer one class a day in the Grand Junction building taught by an East Greene teacher.” He and Christensen have been working to create such a class and work it into the daily schedule of East Greene high school students. “We will offer a class, which could be a reading class, either at the beginning of the school day or at the end.” The scheduling will be worked out with the overall daily schedule of high school classes in the Jefferson building, to accommodate the new East Greene-specific class at the Grand Junction building.”
The administration will most likely need to identify a teacher in the Grand Junction building who is certified to teach high school in addition to fifth and sixth grades.
Space and time would need to be created in the Grand Junction building for the approximately 80 East Greene high school students who will travel to Jefferson each day next to attend this special class. Harter did not indicate if the class needs to be offered a full class period like the other high school curriculum courses or if it could be an abbreviated period.
Showing posts with label whole grade sharing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole grade sharing. Show all posts
Friday, December 9, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
EG School Board Plays Pre-WGS ‘Name Game’
WHAT TO CALL EAST GREENE/JEFFERSON-SCRANTON??
East Greene School Board President Marc Hoffman opened the door to some much needed discussion about a new name for the conjoined East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton High School and Middle School at the Oct. 19 board meeting.
The two school districts are entering into a whole grade sharing arrangement next year, 2012-13, in which all 5th and 6th grade students from both districts will attend classes in the East Greene high school/middle school building in Grand Junction. All the EG and JS middle school students will attend classes in the Jefferson-Scranton Middle School and all EG and JS high school students will attend classes in the Jefferson-Scranton High School. Both buildings are in Jefferson and each was the middle school and high school serving Jefferson before it merged with Scranton in the early 1990s.
This year, however, the two school districts are already sharing high school instrumental and vocal music and speech, in addition to an ongoing arrangement of sharing teachers and certain academic classes, such as science, vocational agriculture and advanced college placement.
The issue came home to Hoffman as a band parent. Both of his children are in the J-S Marching Band which also includes East Greene students, but the band’s signage says Jefferson-Scranton only. “One of my kids was not happy about the band being introduced at a recent event as just the Jefferson-Scranton band, but the other one was OK with it,” Hoffman shared with other board members at the meeting held in the ICN room of the high school in Grand Junction.
No action was taken at the meeting, but the topic has been listed a discussion item at recent joint board meetings between the two districts’ school boards and will be an ongoing topic as the two districts move toward the start date for WGS next July. Board members did note that moving forward any changes would involve new signage, school colors, and uniforms for activities like band and sports. Mention was also made of the new “Home of the Rams” sign that was just put up at the main entrance to the Jefferson-Scranton Middle School gymnasium (used by JS high school athletics).
EYE ON GJ SAYS: Hats off to Hoffman for getting the ball rolling on this. It’s one of a number of important topics that will need to be discussed moving forward. Better to start now rather than wait until the June 2012 meeting just before the agreement officially goes into effect and creates a last-minute, “11th hour” situation.
I posted something on this site a few weeks ago on this very topic: “I suggest something that truly unites us across the board and helps this area stand out from the crowd: Lincolnway Community School District. Yes, the Lincoln (highway and president), with the statue of honest Abe on the courthouse square—on the county-owned side!—as our rallying point for all of Greene County, or at least all the towns and townships that would be inclusive of a reorg of the current J-S and EG districts.
“Lincolnway cleanly ties together the three largest towns of the [proposed] district which are also the three largest towns of the county—Scranton, Jefferson and Grand Junction. The school district and the Lincoln served by the three towns also embrace these townships: Scranton and Kendrick Townships and the city of Scranton; Bristol, Jackson, Hardin and Grant Townships surrounding the city of Jefferson; and the super-size Junction Township and the city of Grand Junction, the second largest town in Greene County with Scranton being third, both trailing Jefferson, the county seat and proposed site of the high school.”
Of course, the aspect of a “community school district” is still an option down the road, but in the duration as EG and JS move forward in whole grade sharing, it would be smart to “rebrand” a shared high school and middle school with new names. Lincolnway High School and Lincolnway Middle School truly fit the bill.
East Greene School Board President Marc Hoffman opened the door to some much needed discussion about a new name for the conjoined East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton High School and Middle School at the Oct. 19 board meeting.
The two school districts are entering into a whole grade sharing arrangement next year, 2012-13, in which all 5th and 6th grade students from both districts will attend classes in the East Greene high school/middle school building in Grand Junction. All the EG and JS middle school students will attend classes in the Jefferson-Scranton Middle School and all EG and JS high school students will attend classes in the Jefferson-Scranton High School. Both buildings are in Jefferson and each was the middle school and high school serving Jefferson before it merged with Scranton in the early 1990s.
This year, however, the two school districts are already sharing high school instrumental and vocal music and speech, in addition to an ongoing arrangement of sharing teachers and certain academic classes, such as science, vocational agriculture and advanced college placement.
The issue came home to Hoffman as a band parent. Both of his children are in the J-S Marching Band which also includes East Greene students, but the band’s signage says Jefferson-Scranton only. “One of my kids was not happy about the band being introduced at a recent event as just the Jefferson-Scranton band, but the other one was OK with it,” Hoffman shared with other board members at the meeting held in the ICN room of the high school in Grand Junction.
No action was taken at the meeting, but the topic has been listed a discussion item at recent joint board meetings between the two districts’ school boards and will be an ongoing topic as the two districts move toward the start date for WGS next July. Board members did note that moving forward any changes would involve new signage, school colors, and uniforms for activities like band and sports. Mention was also made of the new “Home of the Rams” sign that was just put up at the main entrance to the Jefferson-Scranton Middle School gymnasium (used by JS high school athletics).
EYE ON GJ SAYS: Hats off to Hoffman for getting the ball rolling on this. It’s one of a number of important topics that will need to be discussed moving forward. Better to start now rather than wait until the June 2012 meeting just before the agreement officially goes into effect and creates a last-minute, “11th hour” situation.
I posted something on this site a few weeks ago on this very topic: “I suggest something that truly unites us across the board and helps this area stand out from the crowd: Lincolnway Community School District. Yes, the Lincoln (highway and president), with the statue of honest Abe on the courthouse square—on the county-owned side!—as our rallying point for all of Greene County, or at least all the towns and townships that would be inclusive of a reorg of the current J-S and EG districts.
“Lincolnway cleanly ties together the three largest towns of the [proposed] district which are also the three largest towns of the county—Scranton, Jefferson and Grand Junction. The school district and the Lincoln served by the three towns also embrace these townships: Scranton and Kendrick Townships and the city of Scranton; Bristol, Jackson, Hardin and Grant Townships surrounding the city of Jefferson; and the super-size Junction Township and the city of Grand Junction, the second largest town in Greene County with Scranton being third, both trailing Jefferson, the county seat and proposed site of the high school.”
Of course, the aspect of a “community school district” is still an option down the road, but in the duration as EG and JS move forward in whole grade sharing, it would be smart to “rebrand” a shared high school and middle school with new names. Lincolnway High School and Lincolnway Middle School truly fit the bill.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
EG Patrons Comment on Whole Grade Sharing
ACADEMICS, MUSIC SHARED; SEPARATE EG, J-S SPORTS
Parents, teachers and district residents got a first-hand look at the proposed whole grade sharing arrangement between East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton school districts at a public hearing held at the East Greene school board meeting Wednesday, June 8, in the high school band room in Grand Junction.
The public hearing is part of process of moving toward a whole grade sharing (WGS) arrangement between the two districts. The WGS plan calls for East Greene to send its 7th through 12th grade students to Jefferson-Scranton and for Jefferson-Scranton to send its 5th and 6th grade students to East Greene. Each district will maintain its own kindergarten through 4th grade school.
The WGS agreement would take effect for the 2012-13 school year and be effective for two years. Each district is eligible for additional state funding by participating in the sharing arrangement. No further additional funds are available past the two years, but additional funding would be available should the two districts agree to reorganize into one school district.
WGS approval needs only the approval of each school board, while reorganization would require an election within each district, and both districts must approve.
East Greene Superintendent Mike Harter outlined the sharing proposal at the start of the hearing to 35 people assembled in the band room. The hearing would normally have been held in the gym but it was being used for a district-wide “garage sale” planned for the following three days.
Essentially, East Greene junior and senior high students will attend classes in Jefferson-Scranton but remain “East Greene students.” Seventh and eighth graders from EG will attend classes at the J-S Middle School at 203 West Harrison Street in Jefferson and EG high school students (9-12) will attend classes at J-S High School on the south edge of Jefferson. EG high school students are already attending some classes at J-S and have been shuttling back and forth between the two high school buildings for several years.
As part of the proposed two-way sharing, J-S will send all its 5th and 6th grade students to the Grand Junction building.
This past school year, EG and J-S shared two extracurricular activities—vocal music and wrestling. Next year, that will be expanded to include instrumental music. That will continue when WGS goes into effect the following year (2012-13), but the two districts will continue to operate separate athletic programs.
That component sparked some comments at the hearing, with several questioning why the WGS agreement does not include high school and middle school sports.
Other activities at the high school level will be shared however, such as the yearbook, prom and graduation ceremonies. Homecoming—which traditionally is centered around football in the fall—will be held separately by each district.
The two students will be presented diplomas at the same commencement but each graduating class will maintain its own class rankings.
Several teachers in attendance questioned how evaluations are to be handled as the language in the overview shared at the hearing indicates they will be evaluated “by the building principal of the building in which the teacher spends most of their day” but the “ultimate responsibility for the evaluation of the employees shall remain with the employing district.”
Harter noted that “each district will maintain its own master contract and negotiation” with its respective teachers’ association. Beyond that, if there is reorganization, “the master contract of the larger district is in effect.”
There were questions and comments on transportation between and within the two districts, and some grumbling about how decisions regarding weather and roads in one district might not impact the other and how starting would times each day be aligned between the two districts. Harter pointed out that the two districts have been coordinating weather-related school closures for several years.
Tim Bardole, EG board member and former board president, noted that high school students from EG have been traveling back and forth to Jefferson every period of the day for the last few years—some at two different times of the day—so this would actually streamline the travel with all the students headed to Jefferson at the same time, and subsequently returning at the same time.
Not addressed at the meeting was the use of the Rippey building, which is currently the K-5 building for East Greene, as the 6-12 students attend classes in Grand Junction. A consultant hired by both districts presented his recommendation in April that showed how combining the high school students from both districts in the Jefferson buildings at putting all 5th and 6th graders in Grand Junction would leave the district with an abundance of available classroom space in five attendance centers for the needs of 1,300 students.
He recommended the Grand Junction building handle EG’s kindergarten through fourth grades along with the two districts fifth and sixth grades, and the Rippey building be “phased out.”
But it was not clear from his “on paper” calculation if the Grand Junction building could handle all the 5th and 6th graders from both districts (212) plus the students at the elementary in grades K-4 (approximately 90 students).
That would put about more than 300 students in a building that presently is housing 152.
EYE ON GJ SAYS: It was good input from a cross-section of school district residents at the public hearing. The WGS plan itself looks solid. And the decision to keep sports separate from WGS will serve as a good transition. It will also help sort out the future needs of the school buildings and the infrastructure. This might be a good compromise as far as use of the two school buildings. Keeping sports at East Greene like volleyball and basketball for at least two more years and baseball at the Rippey diamond gives support to fully using the Rippey building—the gym for high school athletics and the classrooms for elementary grades. Essentially, the same format in use this school year and next.
Then, as WGS gets underway, the two districts can bet a better handle on how to use facilities together in the years ahead if it looks like reorganization is on the horizon.
Plus, putting 300+ students in one building seems like a tight fit. Perhaps the consultant was thinking more down the line that if enrollment continued to decline, then perhaps the use of the Rippey building would be phased out.
Parents, teachers and district residents got a first-hand look at the proposed whole grade sharing arrangement between East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton school districts at a public hearing held at the East Greene school board meeting Wednesday, June 8, in the high school band room in Grand Junction.
The public hearing is part of process of moving toward a whole grade sharing (WGS) arrangement between the two districts. The WGS plan calls for East Greene to send its 7th through 12th grade students to Jefferson-Scranton and for Jefferson-Scranton to send its 5th and 6th grade students to East Greene. Each district will maintain its own kindergarten through 4th grade school.
The WGS agreement would take effect for the 2012-13 school year and be effective for two years. Each district is eligible for additional state funding by participating in the sharing arrangement. No further additional funds are available past the two years, but additional funding would be available should the two districts agree to reorganize into one school district.
WGS approval needs only the approval of each school board, while reorganization would require an election within each district, and both districts must approve.
East Greene Superintendent Mike Harter outlined the sharing proposal at the start of the hearing to 35 people assembled in the band room. The hearing would normally have been held in the gym but it was being used for a district-wide “garage sale” planned for the following three days.
Essentially, East Greene junior and senior high students will attend classes in Jefferson-Scranton but remain “East Greene students.” Seventh and eighth graders from EG will attend classes at the J-S Middle School at 203 West Harrison Street in Jefferson and EG high school students (9-12) will attend classes at J-S High School on the south edge of Jefferson. EG high school students are already attending some classes at J-S and have been shuttling back and forth between the two high school buildings for several years.
As part of the proposed two-way sharing, J-S will send all its 5th and 6th grade students to the Grand Junction building.
This past school year, EG and J-S shared two extracurricular activities—vocal music and wrestling. Next year, that will be expanded to include instrumental music. That will continue when WGS goes into effect the following year (2012-13), but the two districts will continue to operate separate athletic programs.
That component sparked some comments at the hearing, with several questioning why the WGS agreement does not include high school and middle school sports.
Other activities at the high school level will be shared however, such as the yearbook, prom and graduation ceremonies. Homecoming—which traditionally is centered around football in the fall—will be held separately by each district.
The two students will be presented diplomas at the same commencement but each graduating class will maintain its own class rankings.
Several teachers in attendance questioned how evaluations are to be handled as the language in the overview shared at the hearing indicates they will be evaluated “by the building principal of the building in which the teacher spends most of their day” but the “ultimate responsibility for the evaluation of the employees shall remain with the employing district.”
Harter noted that “each district will maintain its own master contract and negotiation” with its respective teachers’ association. Beyond that, if there is reorganization, “the master contract of the larger district is in effect.”
There were questions and comments on transportation between and within the two districts, and some grumbling about how decisions regarding weather and roads in one district might not impact the other and how starting would times each day be aligned between the two districts. Harter pointed out that the two districts have been coordinating weather-related school closures for several years.
Tim Bardole, EG board member and former board president, noted that high school students from EG have been traveling back and forth to Jefferson every period of the day for the last few years—some at two different times of the day—so this would actually streamline the travel with all the students headed to Jefferson at the same time, and subsequently returning at the same time.
Not addressed at the meeting was the use of the Rippey building, which is currently the K-5 building for East Greene, as the 6-12 students attend classes in Grand Junction. A consultant hired by both districts presented his recommendation in April that showed how combining the high school students from both districts in the Jefferson buildings at putting all 5th and 6th graders in Grand Junction would leave the district with an abundance of available classroom space in five attendance centers for the needs of 1,300 students.
He recommended the Grand Junction building handle EG’s kindergarten through fourth grades along with the two districts fifth and sixth grades, and the Rippey building be “phased out.”
But it was not clear from his “on paper” calculation if the Grand Junction building could handle all the 5th and 6th graders from both districts (212) plus the students at the elementary in grades K-4 (approximately 90 students).
That would put about more than 300 students in a building that presently is housing 152.
EYE ON GJ SAYS: It was good input from a cross-section of school district residents at the public hearing. The WGS plan itself looks solid. And the decision to keep sports separate from WGS will serve as a good transition. It will also help sort out the future needs of the school buildings and the infrastructure. This might be a good compromise as far as use of the two school buildings. Keeping sports at East Greene like volleyball and basketball for at least two more years and baseball at the Rippey diamond gives support to fully using the Rippey building—the gym for high school athletics and the classrooms for elementary grades. Essentially, the same format in use this school year and next.
Then, as WGS gets underway, the two districts can bet a better handle on how to use facilities together in the years ahead if it looks like reorganization is on the horizon.
Plus, putting 300+ students in one building seems like a tight fit. Perhaps the consultant was thinking more down the line that if enrollment continued to decline, then perhaps the use of the Rippey building would be phased out.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
EG Board Sets WGS Hearing Date
WILL PRESENT PLAN TO PUBLIC JUNE 8
A public hearing for residents of the East Greene school district to discuss the proposed whole grade sharing arrangement between East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton will be Wednesday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the band room at the high school building in Grand Junction.
The first step in setting a hearing date was to pass a “declaration to negotiate” a whole grade sharing arrangement with Jefferson-Scranton which passed by a 5-0 vote of board members Tim Bardole, Kevin Fouch, Richard Gordon, Marc Hoffman and John Lint at the East Greene board meeting on Wednesday, May 18, at the ICN room at the high school.
Scheduling a date for the hearing was a little trickier as Bardole, a longtime board member and former president, will be on vacation during the week of the regular June board meeting, June 15, so the board was trying to reschedule a combined hearing and June board meeting but finding conflicts with the softball and baseball games on the school calendar.
The consensus among board members was they did not want to force patrons to choose between an East Greene sports activity and the public hearing. A possible Sunday night or late afternoon meeting was discussed as Bardole would be available then, but the closest Sunday to the regularly scheduled meeting date was Fathers’ Day. Overall, the preference was for a weeknight.
Tony Beger, high school activities director, joined the meeting and he was able to confirm dates for scheduled softball and baseball games.
It was agreed that Wednesday, June 8, would work as no activities are scheduled on that date. A district-wide “garage sale” is scheduled to be set up in the gym on June 8, so it was agreed to move the public hearing to the band room, which is air conditioned. Supt. Mike Harter advised Beger to not reschedule any rained out softball or baseball games for that evening.
Harter said June 8 would fit within the 10- to 20-day time frame required for getting notice of the hearing published—after voting to approved the date that night (May 18). The official legal publication could run in the Jefferson Herald, the district’s designated newspaper, on May 26 and meet the 10-day advance requirement.
Harter told the board that he and Tim Christensen, superintendent of Jefferson-Scranton, are still working on details of the sharing agreement. Both boards met jointly on April 20 in the commons area of the Jefferson-Scranton elementary school in Jefferson to review a report from Jerry McCall of Education Consulting Services on a sharing plan that would have East Greene maintain a pre-kindergarten through fourth grade building in Grand Junction and Jefferson-Scranton maintain its pre-kindergarten through fourth grades in the elementary building in Jefferson. All fifth and sixth graders of both districts would attend classes in the Grand Junction building and all seventh through 12th graders would attend classes in Jefferson.
This two-way sharing agreement then would have Jefferson sending 158 fifth and sixth grader students to East Greene, and East Greene sending sending 125 students in grades 7-12 to Jefferson-Scranton (based on 2010-11 enrollment figures).
In proceeding with the “declaration to negotiate” the board’s action included language that “due to declining enrollment and due to declining budgets” the district was proceeding with the whole grade sharing process.
The state funds most of the school districts’ budget and has included financial incentives for small districts to whole grade share. East Greene will save $72,713 in the arrangement with Jefferson-Scranton sharing $94,247.
Next school year, 2011-12, the two districts will expand a vocal music sharing to include vocal and instrumental sharing. So this was the last year for an East Greene jazz band, an activity that has brought the school many honors including a state championship and successive state jazz band contest appearances, including this year where the EG group placed 7th of the 15 finalists in Class 1A.
This is an extension of some of the academic sharing that currently exists between the two districts where high schools students from East Greene take vocational, upper level and college placement courses at Jefferson-Scranton.
Still on the table, however, is McCall’s recommendation to close the Rippey school building, which is the current East Greene elementary building that serves grades pre-kindergarten through fifth with grades 6-12 in the high school building in Grand Junction.
An earlier proposal had the elementary continuing in Rippey, the fifth and sixth graders from both districts attending classes in Grand Junction, and all the middle and high school students in Jefferson.
The public will get their opportunity to comment and ask questions of the board at the June 8 hearing, but the final decision to enter a whole grade sharing arrangement rests with the board. A district-wide vote is called for only for an overall reorganization of a school district with another school district. East participating district votes separately on such an arrangement, but both must pass the referendum for a reorganization to be approved.
A public hearing for residents of the East Greene school district to discuss the proposed whole grade sharing arrangement between East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton will be Wednesday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the band room at the high school building in Grand Junction.
The first step in setting a hearing date was to pass a “declaration to negotiate” a whole grade sharing arrangement with Jefferson-Scranton which passed by a 5-0 vote of board members Tim Bardole, Kevin Fouch, Richard Gordon, Marc Hoffman and John Lint at the East Greene board meeting on Wednesday, May 18, at the ICN room at the high school.
Scheduling a date for the hearing was a little trickier as Bardole, a longtime board member and former president, will be on vacation during the week of the regular June board meeting, June 15, so the board was trying to reschedule a combined hearing and June board meeting but finding conflicts with the softball and baseball games on the school calendar.
The consensus among board members was they did not want to force patrons to choose between an East Greene sports activity and the public hearing. A possible Sunday night or late afternoon meeting was discussed as Bardole would be available then, but the closest Sunday to the regularly scheduled meeting date was Fathers’ Day. Overall, the preference was for a weeknight.
Tony Beger, high school activities director, joined the meeting and he was able to confirm dates for scheduled softball and baseball games.
It was agreed that Wednesday, June 8, would work as no activities are scheduled on that date. A district-wide “garage sale” is scheduled to be set up in the gym on June 8, so it was agreed to move the public hearing to the band room, which is air conditioned. Supt. Mike Harter advised Beger to not reschedule any rained out softball or baseball games for that evening.
Harter said June 8 would fit within the 10- to 20-day time frame required for getting notice of the hearing published—after voting to approved the date that night (May 18). The official legal publication could run in the Jefferson Herald, the district’s designated newspaper, on May 26 and meet the 10-day advance requirement.
Harter told the board that he and Tim Christensen, superintendent of Jefferson-Scranton, are still working on details of the sharing agreement. Both boards met jointly on April 20 in the commons area of the Jefferson-Scranton elementary school in Jefferson to review a report from Jerry McCall of Education Consulting Services on a sharing plan that would have East Greene maintain a pre-kindergarten through fourth grade building in Grand Junction and Jefferson-Scranton maintain its pre-kindergarten through fourth grades in the elementary building in Jefferson. All fifth and sixth graders of both districts would attend classes in the Grand Junction building and all seventh through 12th graders would attend classes in Jefferson.
This two-way sharing agreement then would have Jefferson sending 158 fifth and sixth grader students to East Greene, and East Greene sending sending 125 students in grades 7-12 to Jefferson-Scranton (based on 2010-11 enrollment figures).
In proceeding with the “declaration to negotiate” the board’s action included language that “due to declining enrollment and due to declining budgets” the district was proceeding with the whole grade sharing process.
The state funds most of the school districts’ budget and has included financial incentives for small districts to whole grade share. East Greene will save $72,713 in the arrangement with Jefferson-Scranton sharing $94,247.
Next school year, 2011-12, the two districts will expand a vocal music sharing to include vocal and instrumental sharing. So this was the last year for an East Greene jazz band, an activity that has brought the school many honors including a state championship and successive state jazz band contest appearances, including this year where the EG group placed 7th of the 15 finalists in Class 1A.
This is an extension of some of the academic sharing that currently exists between the two districts where high schools students from East Greene take vocational, upper level and college placement courses at Jefferson-Scranton.
Still on the table, however, is McCall’s recommendation to close the Rippey school building, which is the current East Greene elementary building that serves grades pre-kindergarten through fifth with grades 6-12 in the high school building in Grand Junction.
An earlier proposal had the elementary continuing in Rippey, the fifth and sixth graders from both districts attending classes in Grand Junction, and all the middle and high school students in Jefferson.
The public will get their opportunity to comment and ask questions of the board at the June 8 hearing, but the final decision to enter a whole grade sharing arrangement rests with the board. A district-wide vote is called for only for an overall reorganization of a school district with another school district. East participating district votes separately on such an arrangement, but both must pass the referendum for a reorganization to be approved.
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