©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Study Recommends Avon, B-PC, Abingdon Consolidation |
UPDATED 1:42 p-m 2/1/10 Three area school districts contemplating the possibility of reorganization are now armed with a lot of information and a recommendation that they can act on or throw out.
The Avon, Abingdon and Bushnell-Prairie City school boards last year approved moving forward with a feasibility study to learn more about consolidation. The study was conducted by Springfield-based Midwest School Consultants on behalf of the school boards. Three University of Illinois at Springfield professors who are retired school administrators put the study together and released the results Thursday night at Avon High School.
Dr. Bill Phillips, who headed up the study, says three scenarios were considered and the recommendation is to have all three districts consolidate into one district. The other possibilities were Avon with Abingdon and Avon with Bushnell-Prairie City.
Another professor involved in the study, Dr. Len Bogle, says the buildings in the three districts are in great shape. The only big ticket item is at Avon's grade school, which needs a new roof that will cost an estimated $560,000. Bogle says each district would maintain an elementary school while there would be changes for the older students.
"If you go with a new district, the middle school students would be housed in Abingdon Middle/High School," Bogle said. "The current population is 359 (students), the building capacity is 530...plenty of room for more. The high school students would attend Bushnell-Prairie City. (The) current population (is) 546 (and) the building capacity is 680."
The study projects enrollment in a new, consolidated district would be around 1,700 students. It also notes that each of the three school districts is in good financial shape and the state would kick in some incentive money if the consolidation moved forward - up to $4.5 million.
Dr. Scott Day, the third member of the study team, discussed curriculum and suggested ways of implementing it in a single district. The study is being made available on each of the school districts' websites.
The three school boards are not obligated to follow the study's recommendation. The next step in the process is a petition to the Regional Superintendent of Education.
Hundreds of people turn out at Avon High School's gymnasium Thursday night to hear the results of a feasibility study related to the possible consolidation of the Avon, Bushnell-Prairie City and Abingdon school districts
One of the authors of the feasibility study, Dr. Bill Phillips, discusses the results Thursday night in Avon
(WGIL News Story and Photos by Mike Perry.) |
|
| 01 29 10 by Newsroom |
Click here for the WGIL News Archive
Click here for national news
The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.
