Three county school districts to share services
WAYNESBURG — Board members of three school districts in Greene County have been voting since earlier this month to form committees that will prioritize results of an 18-month feasibility study.
Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan and Southeastern Greene School Districts participated in the study conducted by Hayes Design. This study documented the needs of each school district as well as options available to combine their efforts.
The board of education at each school district will have a planning committee to read through the study. They will review and prioritize their needs before meeting with the other school districts on sharing proposals.
“The next step is an implementation committee for each school district,” said Donna Furnier, superintendent of Jefferson-Morgan School District. “The implementation committee will find commonalities between the school districts. They prioritize the needs of each school district.”
Once priorities get sorted out in each school district, the districts will meet and compare their needs and services available.
“Superintendents will meet once a month,” said William Henderson, superintendent of Southeastern Greene School District.
The superintendents will talk about the priorities that were yielded at each school district, Henderson said.
Southeastern Greene School District had been collaborating with other school districts in the past.
Programs for students such as ski club and marching band have had involvement from students outside of Southeastern Greene, Henderson said.
The feasibility study looked at all systems of a school district. Some examples include facilities, transportation, cafeteria and finances, Furnier said.
“They [Hayes Design] conducted an analysis and gave a report showing the needs of each school district, and also the benefits of sharing certain services,” she said.
This idea of shared services is not one to lead to a premature notion of a merger between the school districts.
“No one will want to do anything unless it benefits everyone,” Furnier said. “The decisions made will benefit all parties. No one will make changes just to make changes.”
The next step for the school districts is to meet with the other districts.
They will discuss how the presented needs could be met by sharing resources. This step will show a fair amount of work for the three districts.
“Schedules, times and programs of the districts all have to work together,” Henderson said. “A lot will have to come together to make this successful.”