Four District Merger moves forward to straw vote
By: Chelsea Rarrick
Updated: January 10, 2012
Four Herkimer County school district boards have voted to continue toward a merger.
Ilion, Herkimer, Frankfort-Schuyler, and Mohawk have been holding meetings for the past few months about the possibility of a merger.
In order for the district merger to go into the hands of the community, all four district boards had to vote yes on the merger.
Now that it is moving forward, the next step is up to the community with a straw vote on January 19th.
Ilion resident, Joan Prymas says a school merger is the best thing for everyone in all four districts.
"More advanced placement courses, for more varied sports. One of the things we talked about is an opportunity to have better competition," said Prymas.
Prymas, who is for the merger, was only one of two people who came to the meeting to voice any last minute views to the Ilion school board.
She doesn't currently have a student at the school, but as a resident and community advisory member, knowing what is going on with her schools is important to her.
"It's been fantastic understanding what problems face the schools if they don't merger, and what opportunities are for students if they do," she said.
The final numbers for the school board votes were as follows:
Frankfort-Schuyler, Ilion, and Herkimer voting 6 for the merger, with 0 against and 1 absent vote.
Mohawk members voted 4 in favor of a merger, and 0 against with one absent vote.
"We just want what's best for students and their education. As long as people keep in mind what's best for kids, that's what we're really looking for," said Dan Lalonde, Ilion Board of Education President.
For more information on the merger:
http://ilioncsd.org/
http://www.herkimercsd.org
http://www.frankfort-schuyler.org
http://www.mohawk.k12.ny.us
Ilion, Herkimer, Frankfort-Schuyler, and Mohawk have been holding meetings for the past few months about the possibility of a merger.
In order for the district merger to go into the hands of the community, all four district boards had to vote yes on the merger.
Now that it is moving forward, the next step is up to the community with a straw vote on January 19th.
Ilion resident, Joan Prymas says a school merger is the best thing for everyone in all four districts.
"More advanced placement courses, for more varied sports. One of the things we talked about is an opportunity to have better competition," said Prymas.
Prymas, who is for the merger, was only one of two people who came to the meeting to voice any last minute views to the Ilion school board.
She doesn't currently have a student at the school, but as a resident and community advisory member, knowing what is going on with her schools is important to her.
"It's been fantastic understanding what problems face the schools if they don't merger, and what opportunities are for students if they do," she said.
The final numbers for the school board votes were as follows:
Frankfort-Schuyler, Ilion, and Herkimer voting 6 for the merger, with 0 against and 1 absent vote.
Mohawk members voted 4 in favor of a merger, and 0 against with one absent vote.
"We just want what's best for students and their education. As long as people keep in mind what's best for kids, that's what we're really looking for," said Dan Lalonde, Ilion Board of Education President.
For more information on the merger:
http://ilioncsd.org/
http://www.herkimercsd.org
http://www.frankfort-schuyler.org
http://www.mohawk.k12.ny.us
