Social Speaks: Thoughts on Local Schools Consolidating
January 13, 2016 Leave a comment
As editor, I wanted to hear what people have to say about local schools, such as Tekamah-Herman, Oakland-Craig, Lyons-Decatur Northeast and Bancroft-Rosalie, possibly consolidating. Below are several very interesting, informed and insightful responses.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen If we have to consolidate, I wish they had done it with Lyons when the option was there! Not real crazy about my kids having to travel out of town.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen Not sure how the people of Decatur would have felt about coming to Oakland, Tekamah would be closer.
Amy Wheaton Why if oakland and lyons went together would the school be in oakland?
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I always thought it would be ideal to have one half way between on hwy 77.
Amy Wheaton I’m so glad my kids are out of school…small towns are disappearing…and so are the schools. Sad to say!
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I wasn’t meaning that it would be in Oakland, I was meaning that it would be further for Decatur if they merged & went half way??? Wouldn’t it be ideal to meet half way than to choose towns? Would you expect it to be in Lyons?
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I’m hoping my kids are out of school before anything like this happens, but we still have 9 years left in school! I hate to see any small town school close….we love our school & the convenience of it being a few blocks from home!
Amy Wheaton No not at all! I thought that’s what you meant since you stated you didn’t want your kids to have to travel!
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I would be much more comfortable going 3 1/2 miles on hwy 77 than I would going 7 miles on 32 if we had to consolidate with T-H. That highway just stinks in the winter! Or even worse, out into the country!
Cara Schulzkump Raabe I’m so glad that my daughter graduates this year. But I still worry about all the kids. In a perfect world, right?
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen In a perfect world, every one will be happy!! Sadly, that will never happen! We need to keep the best interests of our kids & their education in mind & stop worrying about sports!
Krisa Brown The towns of Decatur, Craig, and soon to be closed Herman have already lost their schools. So those families along with all the country people have been driving or riding the bus for decades. I understand that no town wants to lose their school house, but things change whether we want them to or not. I think people need to look at community on a larger scale than just their own town. The local small town rivalries are gone. No one has to agree, this is just my opinion.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I just don’t agree with putting more kids on the road…..
Krisa Brown Logan View has been doing it for years.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I realize that, & I see what your point is, I just think if they consolidate with T-H, I would probably choose to put my kids in The L-D school instead…..just my choice. Hwy 32 is a terrible road. When we lived in Uehling, we drove our kids to school in Oakland, instead of Logan View & when we lived out by Craig, we chose O-C over T-H ( yes, whoever owned that house chose the T-H school district for less taxes when they were given the choice). I guess any way you look at it, no one will be happy, but I as a parent, have the option to open enroll. I am not opposed to my kids traveling a short distance, but I also need to consider their safety.
Sarah Gramke Completely against. We are a strong school, and doing well financially. There is no “need” for consolidation. There is a need for more classes to be added, but with technology, distance learning with community schools would solve that. If we consolidate we will be a small B school, and not that winning is everything but we will not compete with other big schools, will not get playing time, and will have to try out for everything. Also hwy 32 would be a horrible road to commute on for our kids. I could go on and on with other reasons why its not a good idea. If you look at all of the facts, the negatives of consolidation definitely outnumber the positives. Hope the community members who are against consolidation continue to attend meetings and speak up for what is best for our kids, and our community as a whole.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen Amen!!!! I cannot imagine my kids traveling on hwy 32 or out in the country to Bertha!! No thanks!! I love our school!!
Kris M Feauto Wow I think that would be a really bad idea.
Teresa Tobin I know I’m not from O-C but just a question to think about. Financially you may be doing great now- what about 10-20 years from now is O-C growing? Are young couples staying in town and raising their kids? I know I’ve seen small town schools here in MO. That did not consolidate and were forced too 5-10 years later cause they didn’t have enough kids! Just a thought!
Sarah Gramke Oakland-Craig is growing. Young people are staying or returning.
Cherry Hanak Why don’t they just build a new high school building , and tear down that old ugly one.
Kristi Bacon How many of u r paying land taxes in the Oakland school district. We have two farms in this district. We can not afford to pay anymore. We r at almost a 100 dollar an acre. OC needs to forget about building n look at other options
Jasmine Haeffner Helzer What should have been done is a school at Bertha. I could care less about sports as that is not what is going to pay the bills when these kids get older. Education is first and foremost. The outlook for rural communities are to hopefully sustain and the likely hood of growth is small. When looking at the numbers there is no tax benefit for a Tekamah-Oakland consolidation all we can hope for is better education.
David Mallette I always thought a merger with LV when the opportunity was there. Good highway to travel…already a new building in existance….I don’t feel a new building for the town and tax payers is the way to go. Oakland will always be my home town, but 10 years from now who knows what young families will be in town to support a new building.
David Mallette When it comes to sports…the BEST athletes make the teams…yes you have to try out and either make a team or your don’t.
Cherry Hanak I don’t even live there , just saying , how many years can people talk about this , nothing ever happens, just saying, again
Susan Reynolds-Seery Living 5 miles out of town is bad enough. My kids ride the bus, so no I don’t drive them, but just recently they got stuck in the snow and was almost 45 minutes late to school. I couldn’t imagine them having to travel farther. I hope they graduate before this goes down or we might be going to West Point and I don’t want to take my kids from their friends, but their safety is more important.
Leann Canarsky Jorgensen I agree Susan!! I’m hoping this will be years down the road & my kids are out of school too! If everyone would stop complaining about this school or that school & worry about their education, it would be a small miracle! No one wants their kids to travel, but if they have to, wouldn’t the shorter, safer route be best?
Susan Reynolds-Seery Yes definitely! It’s not the first time they have gotten stuck either. I worry about them every time they go out. We have a great bus driver and I trust him, it’s the weather and roads I don’t trust. I hope in the end it works best for the kids.
Abby Simonsen As a young child I rode the bus from 7 am till right up till school time every morning. Back in the day when we had snow on the ground from Halloween till the end of March. I have so many fun memories of this free time with other kids. Weather you travel two miles or ten, getting the education required to succeed in this wildly changing world is what is important. Sports teaches discipline to fight and succeed when you are out in the big bad world. Consolidation only makes sense if the dollars it takes to run an education establishment are being spent efficiently.
About katcountryhub
Kat Country Hub 
Recent Comments