Mixed Reaction on decision to combine Ozark Mountain School District Junior and High School Classes

The reactions have been mixed to a decision by the Ozark Mountain School District Board to combine some of their schools.

The complete story below from KTLO:

It’s been less than a month since the Ozark Mountain School Board voted to combine its three high schools into one, and during that time period, the district has received mixed reactions from members of the communities it serves. The board’s vote of 4-3 to close the classes for seventh through 12th graders at the Bruno-Pyatt campus in Eros and the St. Joe campus came during the board’s December session. Ozark Mountain Superintendent Jeff Lewis says the decision to move the junior high and high school students to the Western Grove campus has received support from some, but others have been more vocal in their opposition.

The Ozark Mountain School District has been in existence since 2004. The former Bruno-Pyatt, St. Joe and Western Grove school districts combined after the state of Arkansas passed a law stating public school districts with a student population of less than 350 students in kindergarten through 12th grade must consolidate their administrations with another district. All three campuses have kept their elementary and high schools open since then with the administration office located at St. Joe.

While Lewis can’t speak directly to the reason for the board’s vote, he says they were presented information showing the district has been losing students. Student enrollment is the biggest revenue source for schools, and Lewis says having a full staff at each campus to meet state standards has become costly.

The Ozark Mountain superintendent says he believes the move would create more opportunities for their students. He says with the current situation, students do not have as many electives, clubs and other activities that are vital to the their overall education, and that may contribute to the trend of Ozark Mountain losing kids.

One concern many residents in the district may have is transportation. Ozark Mountain is already running buses throughout the district for athletics, the school band and the Alternative Learning Environment program, and Lewis says he doesn’t see costs being affected by the move. He adds the district will be working to make the amount of time on a bus as little as possible.

Lewis also says the Western Grove campus has the space to add more students in seventh through 12th grades. They don’t have enough space to move the entire district, and kindergarten through sixth grade will continue to operate at all three campuses. Lewis tells KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot News the district is planning to apply for partnership funding with the state of Arkansas next year. If the funding is approved, voters in the district would then be asked to decide on a millage increase for the construction of a new K-12 campus in a location that best fits the district.

The school board’s decision will be presented for approval to the Arkansas State Board of Education if they choose to add it to the agenda during their meeting on Feb. 9. Lewis says the state board can issue a ruling during the meeting or at a later date.