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| B-PC and Avon School Boards to Further Discuss Feasibility Study |
The boards of education of two of the three school districts that are contemplating a recommendation to consolidate are holding special meetings to talk more about the issue with the public.
A feasibility study put together by three University of Illinois - Springfield professors recommends that the Bushnell-Prairie City, Avon and Abingdon school districts consolidate. Dr. Bill Phillips headed up the study, and he's scheduled to discuss it with residents in the Bushnell-Prairie City School District during a public meeting Thursday night at 7:00 in the B-PC High School auditorium.
Another meeting, hosted by the Avon School District, is scheduled for next Thursday night at 7:30 in the Avon High School Gymnasium. District 176 officials say the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the feasibility study and how members of the school board feel about it.
The Abingdon School Board has hosted one public meeting and a board meeting since Phillips and his colleagues released the results of the study in January. Abingdon board members last month voted 6-0 to continue talks with the two other school boards about a possible consolidation. Superintendent Dr. Tami Roskamp said during February's board meeting that the next step for District 217 is to help form focus groups and develop a survey to gather input from the public.
The feasibility study projects declining enrollment in all three school districts, while enrollment in a new, consolidated district would be around 1,700 students. It also notes that each of the districts is in good financial shape, their buildings are well maintained and their tax rates aren't that far off.
The study says each school district would maintain an elementary school, middle school students would attend the current Abingdon Middle-High School and high school students would go to Bushnell-Prairie City High School.
The earliest the consolidation question could appear on the ballot for the voters to decide would be November if the recommendation makes it that far. |
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| 03 03 10 by Newsroom |
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