Sentral School fate hanging point for negotiations

FENTON - The fate of the Sentral School building - as well as the cost of transporting students - stonewalled the Tri-Board as it tried to hammer out a consensus Wednesday night at Sentral School in Fenton. The Tri-District board, which is working out a plan for whole/grade sharing or consolidation, includes Armstrong-Ringsted, North Kossuth, and Sentral Fenton.

North Kossuth had earlier approved both Phase I and II of a plan Jerry McCall of Educational Consulting Service drafted after meeting with representatives from all three districts. Armstrong-Ringsted at a recent board meeting approved Phase I but tabled Phase II, indicating a concern that McCall's plan called for shuttering Sentral when enrollment for the three districts reaches the range of 625-700. Similarly, Sentral until Wednesday night's meeting had not approved the plan for the same reason, concern over closing the Sentral building.

McCall said the three districts actually would pull in a total property evaluation of $427 million - second only to Algona's $482 million among neighboring districts. The Tri-District's valuation per student would be even more impressive - $559,083 compared to $391,731 for Algona.

"You have the ability to actually provide because of your financial base," McCall said. "No one's (among the three districts) coming to the table with an empty bucket."

McCall addressed a concern by A-R superintendent Randy Collins about closing Sentral.

"I believe there is a second life for this facility, probably in the private sector," McCall said.

A-R board member Jim Boyer asked McCall about his recommendation for two attendance centers in Phase II - one at Armstrong and the other at Swea City.

McCall said the intent of that recommendation was to have as little impact on students as possible.

Boyer said the A-R board had considered that it would be more efficient to have one K-4 attendance at Sentral where staff would work collaboratively. "It creates an opportunity to keep this (Sentral) attendance center open longer."

McCall said if all three districts sent their K-4 students to Sentral that would use most of the facility. "As far as programming you certainly have a valid point there," McCall said.

"I think there's a tremendous opportunity to draw from the south," added Boyer.

"Elementary students are already a long time on the bus," said Jeannie Kinney, North Kossuth board president.

Kinney was also concerned about paying for three buildings.

"I do not know how for the long haul we can finance three buildings," said Kinney. "My concern is for the long haul."

"This might not work for them" Boyer said of the impact of Phase II on Sentral.

A-R board member Jen Von Bank said consolidation would save in administrator salaries.

Nate Hanson, who serves as transportation director for the three districts, noted that bus routes are duplicated now.

"The bleeding has to stop," Von Bank said. "People are tired of the indecisiveness. Three more kids are leaving" for Algona, said Von Bank.

"If you're going to close (Sentral) in three years, why not go to Algona now," said one Sentral board member.

"As far as I'm concerned, Phase II is not even an issue," Boyer said. "Phase II will be decided by a different board."

Kinney said North Kossuth deemed Phase II important because Phase I would run out within one to two years. "That is only a year or two that we're in Phase I," Kinney said.

While Boyer and other A-R board members pressed for locating the elementary at Sentral, another Sentral board member said he preferred a K-8 at Sentral. "To me you're going to have to have more years here," he said. "To retain kids we're going to have to have more time down here."

One North Kossuth board member said it would be hard to bring students all the way to Fenton.

Kinney floated an option to have the K-4 at Sentral, high school at North Kossuth and middle school at A-R.

Beth Rolling, North Kossuth board member, suggested K-8 centers at Sentral and Armstrong and a high school at Swea City.

"This is not about where our kids are," said Von Bank.

"We as boards have to decide if it's worth going ahead with this," Boyer said.

"The kids are getting along great," said Von Bank of the NSKAR athletic sharing agreement. "I think that's why it's a crying shame that we can't get together on this."

One Sentral board member suggested that Phase II be dropped from the conversation.

"We can't commit a new board to the plan," Collins said, also referring to Phase II.

The boards agreed to retire and meet individually and meet again 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 at Sentral.