The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by: Shirley Linder, Quill Editor
With a small number of people in attendance, the results of a 122 page consolidation feasibility study between the Southern and Union school districts was made public Monday evening.
Howard Davis and Norman Durflinger, educational professionals from Normal, did the study and made the presentation.
Davis said the boundary between the two districts meets the requirement of being contiguous. Should the districts join, the area would total 298.7 square miles, with a current combined enrollment of 1,143 Pre-K-12 students.
Enrollment in both districts is showing a gradual decline and will continue over the the next ten years.
According to the study new construction would not be required if the two districts were to join. The study recommends junior and senior high schools be located at the Union facility. Elementary schools would remain in their respective home districts. Continued use of portable classrooms would provide the school district greater flexibility as enrollments continue to change in the years to come.
The Union District maintains their own fleet of buses while the Southern District contracts their bus routes. At some point in time a new board would need to decide which method would continue.
The curriculum of the two districts varies with Southern using a traditional daily schedule course and Union a block schedule. The block schedule means students meet five times in two weeks for longer class periods. Davis also stated it is important each district or a merged district work cooperatively with local colleges and universities to supplement courses.
Durflinger said an enrollment of 500 to 1,000 students would be ideal. More than 1,000 and you don't know all the students.
If consolidation for Southern and Union were approved, they would be eligible for all four current financial incentives being offered by the state. $1.68 million dollars would be available over the first four years.
Durflinger said, " whether you consolidate or not, you're on a collision course and you've got to start decreasing your expenditures."
It was recommended that the consolidation question not be put on the ballot until November of 2004. During that time Durflinger urged the committee of ten to begin educating community members about what consolidation can hold for the county's two school districts.
Consolidation Study On Line
On Southern Web Page
The Southern Schools have made available online the consolidation study for the proposed merger of the Southern and Union school systems. The document can be accessed through the Southern School District's web site at http://www.shs.henderson.k12.il.us which is the home page for the Southern Schools. Click your browser on the Consolidation graphic to access the major parts of the document.