The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By DAVID GRIMES for The Quill
BIGGSVILLE - Union School Board members gave their official blessing to a ballot referendum regarding the proposed consolidation of Henderson County's only two school districts.
Superintendent Dean Irlbeck said the board's unanimous vote to support a consolidation referendum proposal scheduled for this November's election involving the Southern and Union school districts was offered in response to the Committee of Ten's request for board backing.
Southern's School Board hasn't responded to the committee's request.
By law, if either or both boards decline to support a school reorganization measure, a petition signed by 200 registered voters from the school districts involved must be provided to the Regional Office of Education in order to consider the question for ballot placement.
Had school boards from both districts gone on record in support of the measure, circulating petitions would not have been necessary.
"It isn't required (board support) but it helps the process move smoothly," Irlbeck said.
Southern and Union have mulled a merger since early 2002, at times considering inclusion of other neighboring school districts.
But a feasibility study conducted last year saw the return of the two-district configuration a natural and logical pairing within the county.
Southern also has engaged in merger proposal talks with Roseville, Colchester, Northwest, LaHarpe, Nauvoo-Colusa, Dallas City and Carthage in the past two years.
But mum's the word in the southern half of Henderson County.
In the past two weeks, LaHarpe school officials have said, despite their involvement in studying a four-way convergence with Carthage, Dallas City and Nauvoo-Colusa, that they are still considering options with all districts with whom they have talked merger possibilities - including West Prairie and Southern.
Committee of Ten member Karen Jack, Smithshire, Ill., said Friday that committee members have a selected tax rate of 3.0 for the education fund.
Current education fund tax rates are 2.3 for Southern and 2.0 for Union, Jack said.
"While that's less than the 3.0 (education fund) rate, each of these districts will be facing a tax referendum in two years and the two current rates will be going up regardless," she said.
Committee of Ten representatives will ask the Southern School Board for a response to their request for the board's support at the board's meeting tonight.
Deadline for submitting a petition for ballot placement at the November election with the Regional Office of Education for Mercer, Henderson and Warren counties is later next month.
But the Southern-Union Committee of Ten is targeting April 1 as the date for submitting their petition.
Irlbeck said the mystery of where Southern school officials stand on the issue might have a silver lining.
Committee of Ten members have wanted to get out in the community and present the situation in person to as many county voters as possible before the submission deadline he said.
"They've not received a response from them before now," Irlbeck said of the committee looking for an answer from Southern. "And they might never get one."