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Chetek-Weyerhaeuser consolidation referendum passes
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The first official joint meeting of boards from the School District of Chetek and the Weyerhaeuser School District will be Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Chetek HS/MS IMC. This gathering depended upon whether or not Tuesday's referendum for consolidation of the two districts passed or failed.
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The referendum, which required more than 50 percent of the vote in each district for the consolidation, passed in the Chetek district 863-341 and in the Weyerhaeuser district 536-92.
The vote was a result of 19 months of community discussions, committee meetings, joint board meetings and conversations with community groups and individual citizens.
The merger between the two districts will take place July 1, 2010. It is estimated that 130 Weyerhaeuser students will transfer to Chetek through the consolidation. Chetek currently has about 900 K-12 students.
The two school boards voted to consolidate without going to referendum in July, but a petition to go to referendum was filed in August by Weyerhaeuser residents. There were 128 verified signatures, nearly three times more than required to force the referendum.
Chetek spent nearly $10,000 to hold the referendum, and Weyerhaeuser around $7,500.
The new district will be approximately 290 square miles (the average Heart of the North Conference district is 309 square miles). Currently, Chetek is 165 square miles and Weyerhaeuser 125 square miles.
A committee comprised of members from both the Chetek and Weyerhaeuser communities will be formed to determine options for the Weyerhaeuser school building. Options include anything from redesigning it as a community center to selling are possibilities. Other options include using it for civic activities, educational outreach or community education programs.
In addition, community members from each school district will form a committee to develop a proposal for a mascot, school colors, district logo and other sport-related topics.
The principals from all four schools (Weyerhaeuser, Chetek High School and Middle School, and Roselawn Elementary) will meet throughout the rest of the year to design further activities to bring the students and communities together. Activities will include combined field trips, student shadowing, student tours and parents' nights.
A transportation study from a third party will be done to find cost-effective means to make sure no student is on the bus for more than 60 minutes. At this time, the cost of such a study is unknown.
Staffing positions for the 2010-11 school year will be filled based on seniority and program needs. Administrative positions are based on individual contracts and will be reorganized as contracts expire.
Annie Huiras, of Weyerhaeuser, one of the initiators of the petition to go to referendum, commented Tuesday afternoon that, "I'm glad the people got to vote. I'm a 'no' vote, but whatever the majority wants to do, I'm totally fine with that."
Comments from other individuals closest to the referendum were:
Al Brown, Chetek superintendent: "The study of reorganizing the two school districts has been overwhelmingly positive. This consolidation comes as a result of the work of many people. I would like to thank all of those who attended countless meetings and participated in the endless debates.
"We can finally get to the work of reorganizing the Chetek and Weyerhaeuser School Districts. We have been in limbo for the past two months not knowing if the consolidation is going to take place or not. It is good to have a final decision can get to the business of working with parents and students. We are planning to have a number of student/parent meetings and open houses, activities and events. We will be working closely with Weyerhaeuser staff and student body to make this transition smooth and comfortable. This is an exciting opportunity and we will be working very hard to make it an extremely positive experience.
"I am personally looking forward to the challenges of reorganizing the two school districts. The communities of Chetek and Weyerhaeuser can share in the opportunity of taking two good schools and making one great one!"
Dennis Richards, Weyerhaeuser superintendent: "The school board greatly appreciates the support of the school district residents who went to the polls to make the consolidation with Chetek possible. The "yes" vote was a culmination of months of study and preparation including multiple meetings between the two school boards, the formation of a joint study committee, and ongoing efforts to engage the public to communicate the factors that made this consolidation vote necessary.
"While everyone recognizes this was an emotional and difficult decision, efforts must now turn to planning for the July 1, 2010, merger. Every effort will be made to ensure this new endeavor is positive and educationally beneficial to the students of the Weyerhaeuser Area School District. I hope parents and citizens will come forward to assist the planning committees as the important work of forming a new and dynamic Chetek-Weyerhaeuser School District takes shape over the next several months."
David Peters, Chetek School Board president: "The result is the culmination of a long process that engaged the talent of citizens from both communities along with experts in the field to put forth the best solution to the situation that faced Weyerhaeuser and Chetek-and I think the result is the right one.
"Some of the most commonly expressed concerns were addressed by this solution-namely that kids were going to be on the bus too long and that the Weyerhaeuser district did not pursue a potential combination with Bruce or Cameron. The joint boards committed to keeping bus rides to an hour or less, which was considered as reasonable by the experts that worked on the project and are, in some cases, less than some current routes.
"On the second point, the Weyerhaeuser board held discussions with both Bruce and Cameron. The Bruce option was not considered feasible by the consultant and Cameron was not interested.
"More important than the concerns cited are the many benefits of consolidation. From the beginning, the two communities have worked together constructively and effectively, which will now carry us through the planning and implementation phases. Educational opportunities for students will be enhanced. The pressure of budget cuts due to decreasing enrollment will be lessened, which will preserve the breadth of offerings in academics, athletics and community involvement.
"On behalf of the Chetek Board of Education, we appreciate the efforts of everyone involved and remain committed to educational excellence and the preservation of the legacy of both districts, now one."
Dave Wierzba, treasurer, YES for Weyerhaeuser/Chetek: "This is a great and exciting opportunity for the two communities to be a model for the rest of the state of Wisconsin. The public has spoken and supported the work that has been completed by the committees and boards. Now we can begin to bring the kids and programs together to make this the best rural district in the state."
Deb Kutrieb, treasurer, Vote YES!: "I'm glad that it [referendum] passed because it reflects the thoughts of the consolidation task force and the two school districts' recommendations. This is an exciting time! I can't wait for students, staff and parents from both schools to get to know each other. I think the combination of each school's strengths will create an amazing district. I'm happy that the two communities can now start working toward a common, positive goal."
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©The Chetek Alert 2010
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