JEFFERSON COUNTY - The possibility of consolidation of schools is on the minds of educators both in the county and across the state.
While Dr. Nick Osborne is in the midst of conducting a consolidation study for Ina, Dodds, McClellan, Bethel and Opdyke-Belle Rive grade schools, the Classrooms First Commission recently released a set of draft recommendations intended to make it easier for school districts to consolidate.
Opdyke-Belle Rive Grade School Principal Debbie Blakey said she can see both advantages and disadvantages to consolidation of the lower-attendance schools in Jefferson County.
She said three to five years ago, the school saw a decrease in its enrollment, but it has been steady through the last few years.
The ability to offer music and art programs to grade school students is one of the possible advantages of consolidation, Blakey said.
"We don't have an instructor for those," she said. "If we had a larger population, we would have the funds for those types of services."
However, Blakey said transportation is likely to be a sticking point, especially if a suggested 50 percent slashing of the transportation fund by Gov. Pat Quinn is approved.
"There may be more costs involved that people don't see," she said. "If all five consolidate, teacher pay scales would go up to the highest of those five schools." School consolidation is a possibility - http://bit.ly/Iyh87B
