West Fork board weighs effects of annexation
Posted on Friday, June 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/66359/
WEST FORK — Whether the school district will take in Greenland schools if it is forced to dissolve remains an unknown, but Board of Education members gathered Thursday night to become more educated about the matter just in case.
“ I just got back in the office today, ” West Fork Superintendent Diane Barrett said as she handed board members copies of the Arkansas Department of Education letter stating its plans to consider the Greenland School District for annexation.
Copies of that letter have also been sent to Fayetteville, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Elkins and Mountainburg school districts because the State Department of Education wants a geographically contiguous district to annex Greenland.
Barrett noted that Greenland has an opportunity to appeal the Department of Education’s recommendation to the Arkansas State Board of Education at its July 14 meeting.
In the meantime, neighboring districts such as West Fork have been notified and told they may submit written reasons why they should or should not take in the Greenland district.
“ I don’t think anyone at this point knows the direction the state board is going to go, ” Barrett said.
The West Fork school board has scheduled a special meeting for 6 p. m. June 27 to consider any recommendation Barrett might make, along with supporting materials, to send to the state by June 30 for the July 14 state Board of Education meeting.
Barrett said she has met with other superintendents in the area who might be affected by this issue.
“ It was just kind of an informal meeting, ” she told board members.
She said the Fayetteville district has come up with a map of the districts showing where Greenland students live with 85 percent accuracy.
Board members viewed the map but had no comment about it.
Winslow resident Velma Duncan asked about the fiscal effects on the West Fork district if it took in Greenland students, as well as the effect on Winslow students.
The Winslow School District was annexed into Greenland in 2004 after a state law demanded districts with fewer than 350 students dissolve. Both of Winslow’s schools were closed within three years of the district’s annexation.
The school district that would annex Greenland would have to inherit debt as well as other financial issues.
Barrett said she is gathering some financial information related to West Fork and Greenland. Based on a rough estimate, she said, bringing the salary schedule in Greenland up to West Fork’s schedule for certified staff would be in the neighborhood of $ 500, 000.
Raised at the board meeting was the idea that Greenland can overcome the consolidation proposal.
“ We do have empathy for what’s going on in Greenland, ” board President Tim Helder said. “ The best thing that could happen is that they could continue with their district. ”
Barrett, however, emphasized the need to be prepared in case Greenland does not succeed at the July 14 state board meeting.
“ If they are not successful, then it’s going to come down to the districts that might be affected, ” she said.
Duncan asked how many students had transferred from Greenland to West Fork schools.
Barrett said she was not sure she had that information.
Duncan predicted there are going to be more transfers from Greenland schools because of the current situation.
“ It’s turning into a real mess, ” she said, adding that people are doing what they consider to be best for their children.