159 responses

 

What is your role in the A-C Central school district?
	Parent/Guardian   69 43% Teacher   6 4% Community Member   88 55% Student   2 1% Staff Member   5 3%     0 0% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

Should the Board of Education pursue consolidation (merger of two or more existing districts to form or create a new district)?
	Yes   72 45% No   62 39% Unsure   25 16% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

Should the Board of Education pursue consolidation with which of the following contiguous Districts?
	Porta   78 49% Virginia   22 14% Pleasant Plains   52 33% Havana   4 3% Beardstown   5 3% Franklin   8 5% Jacksonville   3 2% None   40 25% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

Should the Board of Education pursue school district conversion (formation of a single new high school district and new elementary districts based upon boundaries of a dissolved district)?
	Yes   28 18% No   85 53% Unsure   47 30% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

What timeline would be the most advantageous to follow?
	1 year   24 15% 2 years   56 35% 3 years   43 27% None   51 32% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

Should the Board of Education pursue annexation (incorporation of a portion or all of one school district into another district)?
	Yes   25 16% No   98 62% Unsure   36 23% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

 

Should the Board of Education pursue high school deactivation (deactivation of a high school attendance center which results in sending students in grades 9-12 to one or more high schools in other districts)?
	Yes   15 9% No   128 81% Unsure   17 11% People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

What benefits do you see with consolidation?

What benefits do you see with consolidation?

curriculum expansion, extra-curricular offerings, facilities

better class offerings-multiple sections available

A better opportunity to cont quality education to the students of the school district a-c need to seed consolidation until they feel the opportunity is correct with the school district as a whole

Better and more curriculum for High School Students

Porta has newer schools, shut down chandlerville school(out of date)

Need to eliminate high salaries

Too many superintendents and principals

Better education

None if you take on lousy buildings and problems like the chandlerville consolidation

more money for programs, more sports, higher learning

chance to study for subjects

more classes offered for middle and high school students

I see more benefit to annexation. Especially to Plains as they need a building and Ashland could go one way and Chandlerville could go another.

Save money. More curriculum.

Hold cost down.

None.

None at this time. Our curriculum is adequate. Our finances are stable and we have spent $$$ updating our buildings.

None at this time.

None at this time.

Better curriculum choices. Financial benefits.

Better curriculum offerings

We better consolidate now or state will step in & say we have to consolidate with a district we don't want!

better education opportunities, better sports opp.

more academic class choices

do not be in a hurry as state does not have the money to pursue at the moment, offers more subjects but what is the quality of ACT,SAT scores at the possible schools

none

possibly some academic advantages, more advanced classes in science, history and tech

none

broader HS offerings, bigger groups to choose from for sports-Big Deal

more options for education, better preparation for college or other post HS ed

None

more classes offered, more sports offered

i have not been exposed to any positive reason for consolidation

expense

more subject choice, better use of taxes

more academic opportunities, sports opportunities

better curriculum, more stable district--We have too many students that are taking extra activities classes because the school doesn’t offer enough classes

better education purposes

none

higher level of education and experienced staff, more sports

at this time none

none

more academic options

academics, financial, more programs, more opportunities for students

the children would hopefully have better education and access to resources that would enrich their educational experience

to assure a rural district that can provide academic and extra circular activities, while supporting the integrity of the previous district values

better education and more sports programs

EXPAND ACADEMIC CHOICES

bus rides could be shorter, safer and newer buildings for students

none- i feel district conversion would benefit Ashland and Chandlerville communities. It would allow the communities to retain some ownership of their schools within their community. Conversion would allow high school students the opportunities they deserve both academically as well as athletically

If we consolidate, then close the C-ville complex and save all that overhead expense. CLOSE C-VILLE.

Better scholastic opportunities for each student

None, really.

At this time, none!

None at this time

More educational opportunities

At this time - none

Stronger core classes - more choices for college bound and also vocational classes.

Potentially better curriculum.

More academics with stronger courses for college bound students as well as more choices for vocational classes.

Provide better curriculum for students along with more extra curricular opportunities.

More classes can be offered for the students

Not sure any, but possibly additional courses. Now try & share teachers among districts.

Expanding class opportunities, higher education b/c of more $ to fund programs, lower taxes.

None. If I had 6 kids and had problems with monies for food, shelter, housing, fuel, I surely wouldn't c-exist with another family that had the same problems!! If I were doing ok financially I wouldn't take on another persons problems to drag everyone down financially.

None

Possible increase in the number of classes offered

Very little benefit under our current circumstances.

More classes for better subjects

More class offerings. More stability.

More tax base for district

Improved curriculum & facilities. Improved teacher/staff salaries. Better facilities in some cases. PORTA seems to be better fit for our students; Pl. Pl. more "city" students whose parents don't seem to want to improve HS buildings.

Better education - more classes. Streamlined administration. Schools in Ash/VA are essential to any economic growth in Cass Co. No one will move here w/schools only at Triopia/Beardstown. Eastern Cass has great growth potential only if it has schools. Con. w/PORTA or Plains will mean, eventually, no schools, would create a slow econ/social erosion & pop. exodus.

The ability to offer a better more diverse education for our children. Make our schools more financially viable.

Provides better curriculum for students along with more extra curricular opportunities.

Possibly more stability financially. A bigger variety of classes could be offered at the high school level. We could provide more stability for our students so they don't have to keep "starting over".

Very little. A lot of research should go into a consolidation study. Such thing as finances, student enrollment, test scores, faculty evaluation, administrative evaluation, building & grounds improvements. Not just sports which seems to be too important at this time.

Porta already has new schools & room for our students

Improved curriculum and if consolidated with PORTA our Ashland building and the buildings in Petersburg would be very sold. PORTA also has wonderful sports fields and gymnasiums and the pool is a real bonus.

Improved financial status. The control of our fate with PORTA and A-C combined the viability of both districts is improved.

Rosetta Stone is not a suitable teaching alternative for any class, particularly foreign language. Consolidation would solve that issue.

Improved education. More affordable.

None. It puts everyone in a turmoil and pits people against one another voting. And can be a problem in class when teachers are quite vocal about their own opinions.

More classes offered. Better sports and number of students. State compensation but our state is financially broke.

Expanded curricular

I don't see anything.

More benefits on high school level providing more courses and also vocational courses for students who are not college bound.

Less teacher & management salaries. Recent tax levy passed for building improvement. Less miles to drive if high school is in Virginia...pool & park & better baseball field in Virginia. Central location in Cass County. Virginia has football field.

Broader curriculum. More challenging for students. Better use of teaching staff.

There are many benefits to consolidation when the time is right and it is supported by the community.

Possibly better education & more classes

Students will benefit from the availability of a newer and better technology - a wider variety of course offerings - association with a more varied school population - a conslidated effort will benefit STUDENTS and that MUST BE the overall goal

Offer more academics for students

More options for high school kids. Smaller costs per student.

At a board meeting I attended, a couple of AC teachers who also have children in the district, talked about the students in high school not having enough classes they can take. I also do not feel that my own children who are in college were adequately prepared for college. If we consolidate maybe more classes can be offered and our students will be better prepared for the next level of education.

expanded educational opportunities, financial gains-long term

I am sorry but I don't see any benefits

increased opportunities, increased curriculum

an expanded curriculum is vital. High school students need more electives offered so that they have the choice

more class offerings, more money for all aspects of the school

greater course and activity offerings, greater educational value

better opportunities for learning employable skills

none

none

none

better opportunities for students and staff to excel and continue to offer quality education to our kids, there are so many relationships between plains and ashland-churches,business,relatives and inner-marriages. seems like it should have happened years ago

none

none

none more cost

more subjects to choose from

Our high school students need more classes to choose from. We should not have students taking 2-3 PE classes, or being a TA or office aid.

to prepare my children for the "real world" challenges ahead, through a better education and opportunities

more choices for classes in the Jr. & High School; exposure to other students and teachers

None-Just a large bureaucracy that lose contact with small town families. Springfield is a prime example. Large salaried bureaucrats and poorer results

Better Facilities, More course choices, Better administration, Long term stability, More athletics choices

with consolidation there would be more course choices, better facilities, district stability

Better curriculum and more opportunities for children to advance in more diverse classes. Arts, music, college level courses

Depends on the district we would consolidate with. I think Franklin might be promising and it could still work with Virginia if everyone worked together. Porta doesn't have a great academic record and seems to care mostly about sports

enrollment growing smaller, one school is in major need of updating, more courses could be offered, length of time spent in bus traveling, greater sports advantages

better opportunity for children’s education

Not many-one community always seems to be favored more-possible a better class selection depending on district

 

 

 

 

What negatives do you see with consolidation?

 

 

What negatives do you see with consolidation?

distance of attendance centers could be an issue if all are located in the same place, especially for Pre-K - 4 or 5.

bus travel time & expense

do not judge the opportunity to the school board or the district until you can benefit the students, tax payers

transportation costs

longer bus rides/travel, larger classes

longer bus trips, the bus rides are already long enough and they don’t provide door service as it stands now, larger classrooms means less individual time with each student

travel time for students and teachers

The cost to taxpayers to pay for all the costs of consolidation. Annexation is cheaper.

Long bus rides.

Transportation of students to another school.

Other comments: Leave it alone as it is now. Read the report from the board in the Scoop.

Lots! Loss of identity for 2 towns! That is HUGE for the future! We have to fight for our towns & schools!! Don't just give in. We feel like Scot Atwood & those who signed that letter in the Scoop are very correct in their thoughts. We need to stop for a minute & think before we rush right into something that could create 2 ghost towns very quickly! We need to continue to put forth the effort & time that our taxpayers expect from us. We've paid good money for a school & we feel like you should continue to grow our own great students & future citizens.

"Our school will ultimately be lost and property values will decrease.

Other comments: Since educationally we are sound and financially we are sound at this time, my question is--what is the rush? There may be opportunities that we don't see at this time to the south if Future Gen continues."

The AC Central school should not even be considering consolidation at this time. There are three major reasons for consolidating and AC does not meet any of those reasons. If they were smart they would look at the education of those who signed the article in the Scoop!!!

With the exception of Pleasant Plains & Virginia, distance & travel time makes them poor choices.

Other comments: Consolidation would be warranted if the district is in financial distress or poor quality of education for our young people. Neither problem currently exists.

If you are a resident of Ashland - the loss of control. If you are resident of Chandlerville - none.

Other comments: This needs to happen as soon as possible. I believe that the PORTA District would be the best fit for our communities and more accommodating than any of the other choices.

Increased transportation

Same as above

transportation, small town identity

loss of community, greater travel distances

more money used for transportation, longer distances for many student

the problem is not solves by consolidation

the loss of a school greatly affects the community in a very negative manner. students must spend more time on buses. whatever happened to town students walking to school? more money needed for transportation

Too much money and driving time. More kids in accidents. Loss of what little is left of our town

loss of focal point of Ashland community

loss of community involvement leading to apathy-re: community services, charities, etc. Out of control sports programs with loss of participation by students who have no other opportunities

losing our identity, our school, and eventually our town

bus routes, no state money

transportation especially in winter

longer travel time, probably bigger class size

bussing

longer travel

30 min drive to the school and 30 min home, 1 hr bus ride for practices and 1 hr ride home

k-12 will end up going to another district, cass county tax money is for the school, we shouldn’t have a portion of tax money going to another district

travel, higher taxes, to many students in one class

loss of control

wreck the local economies of both villages, homes and businesses would immediately loose value

travel time, loss of school, no community pride

loss of school, loss of identity, lower property values, loss of people, loss of business, loss of control

cost of travel, time of travel, loss of presence in community, loss of jobs

the loss of community identity and mainly the issue of extended transportation concerns

the logistics(travel) required to accommodate the large geographic areas of the previous districts

none

larger classes, more bussing of the kids

EXTRA TRAVEL

longer bus rides, leaving a building empty

would decimate each community's economy as well as sense of pride within their community. People would fraudulently shift residency to the Host community as well as the purchase of goods and services would transfer to the hos community. A-C Prime Example!

Taxes/expenses won't come down so why cons.? CLOSE C-VILLE.

Other comments: AC is rated in the top 100 schools so we should market that position, not ignore it. We can gain population w/proper marketing of this fact. If necessary, consolidate w/Pleasant Plains & close C-ville.

Too long of travel time.

Other comments: 3 things to remember: 1) keep finances in check, we are the highest tax rate in area; 2) keep in mind what's best for all students; 3) not all steps are total long term fix but maybe the best short term fix that will lead to a long term fix.

Busing kids too far from home. Kids have to get up earlier and don't get home until after dark.

Assuming additional financial burdens when our school is financially better off at this time

We have already lost our 2nd oldest tournament in the State of Illinois!!! What will we lose next???

Nothing to be gained from consolidating w/school already in poor status. Not cost effective!

Bus times. Loss of identity. Decline in value of my home.

Loss of control. Devaluation of homes and business in the Ashland community. Possible decrease in the education quality now provided.

Other comments: As long as the community supports the school financially and the school provides quality education (which it does), there is no reason to consolidate. I believe this is a very poor survey: you are asking people their opinions regarding possible consolidation, annexation or deactivation without providing who, what, where. These are important facts that are ignored. Again: AC Central does not need to consolidate, deactivate or take any other action.

I do not see a negative if the consolidation improves the academics of the district.

Other comments: I think the social and economic factors of the prospective district should closely match ours.

Loss of school in our communities; loss of influence over educational opportunities/future for our students.

Other comments: We are in good financial shape and offer quality education at present. Bigger is not always better. Our district has not experienced the large decrease in enrollment experienced by other districts, including PORTA. Consolidation may be necessary in the future, but not now! Many factors could change demographics in the future and we are not in precarious position to push forward. Be careful who we hook our wagon to.

None.

Other comments: I think if we are co-oping sports with PORTA now, we should be discussing consolidation with them and not another district or we will begin to look like Virginia. If PORTA is good enough to play sports with, I would think they would be good enough to join in education also.

Community becoming a bedroom community - meaning no one will want to move into Ashland. Will have nothing to offer except high water bills and taxes.

Other comments: Didn't like losing the Ashland tournament. our school feels ""sports"" is the big deal but education should be one of the main priorities. We use buses to transport the kids for sport co-ops. Why can't we bus the kids for classes that are not offered at AC?

Debt. If other district is not financially secure, we (Ashland residents) incur their debt. Bad idea for us.

Other comments: No to Virginia consolidation. Let Ashland consolidate with Pleasant Plains. Chandlerville to Beardstown or Havana.

Larger class sizes, more travel time for C'ville....they could go to Havana and Ashland to Plains.

Other comments: Dissolve A-C consolidation...C'ville to Havana; Ashland to Plains. Ashland keep grade school & middle; Farmingdale keep grade school & middle; High school in Plains. Virginia consolidation would bring AC down.

More drug traffic. Less family/community awareness. Higher RE taxes.

Other comments: The present education structure has pitted admin. against teachers, teachers, against each other, teachers against students, and students against students. Student health & welfare is ignored because the dollar is the only matter of concern. Me, me, me is the only mind game for admin, staff, students.

More problems!! More debt!! More taxes!! (if with Pl. Plains, no ""poor"" in Pl. Pl.) New schools (Pl. Pl. over crowded now) No one really wants us!!! Get real!!!

Other comments: Why make sports our first concern??? Why didn't we co-op with PORTA with educational classes first. My #1 concern are the three R's and that's not Run-Relays-or Race!!!!

Loss of town identification. Less say in school issues. Longer commutes for kids/parents. Less extracurricular participation. Our school empty or barely used - like the gym is now! It is a shame that those brand new bleachers are empty now.

Other comments: We are currently financially sound, new additions & many upgrades to our facility, enrollment is up and top 100 school two years running. Why on Earth mess with that?? What school are you considering consolidation with can say that?? Consolidation/deactivation is a HORRIBLE idea!

Loss of attendance center, decreased property values, loss of business within both Ashland & Chandlerville.

Other comments: Sta the course until forced into a move.

Other comments: Our finances & scores DO NOT WARRANT any further discussion in this matter. The board should be protecting our community interest, not giving it away. At this time we should exhaust all options and resources to protect our local schools and preserve them. if the sports "coop" is any example of things to come, a consolidation will not end well for AC. The coop is more like an acquisition.

Higher taxes. More busing. Kids on buses longer. Little kids up to fourth grade need to be in their town.

Other comments: It is difficult to fill out this survey without knowing the intent of it and the state of the school. At all times, please keep the kids in mind as a priority. Can we just remain A-C and keep/have the sports co-op?

Closing of Chandlerville school.

Other comments: Why was $ spent on the Ashland school gym when we knew it wasn't going to be used? (floor refinished, air conditioning, etc) Smaller schools more individualized attention, help, etc.

Longer bus rides & higher fuel bills

Loss of school in Chandlerville, possibly. Changes for A-C students & teachers AGAIN. Size of new district. Student attendance centers may not be equal. Are all districts equal in technology? Money.

Other comments: Stay away from Virginia!!! Why are we talking consolidation again? Public needs to know why? New taxes & higher rates. How will A-C teachers be retained - seniority or early retirement incentives etc? Rushing in to whatever is decided. Give teachers more input so best education for all can be provided. Keep public informed.

None - get over the school mascot loss and silly unproductive town turf wars.

Other comments: Both Ashland and Virginia providing the best education for children entering a global economy/international society. Without this, many youths will not be productive adults. Get over the B.S. adults!!

I don't foresee any negatives if it's handles correctly.

Other comments: Whichever school is approached, the public needs to consider what is best for the students' education. The public needs to be given concrete facts instead of all the suppositions that come from so many sides. The longer time frame should give the different districts time to take care of whatever extra backlog they need to resolve.

When a town loses its school, it dies

Long bus rides if decisions aren't made. Some of these schools are too far for our kids to travel to and from school, practices, events, etc.

Other comments: Why are we considering anyone other than PORTA? The co-op seems to be going well. I don't think we should let a few disgruntled board members ruin a good thing, especially the ones who don't even have any children or kids in school. Have they bothered to attend sporting events to see how well the co-op is going?

People will lose jobs. Less involvement in extra curriculars. I believe we should retain junior high sports and activities in Chandlerville & Ashland. I also believe K-3 students should remain in their home towns, next to their churches, daycare or babysitter and parents. Transporting small children from home town is silly.

Other comments - (too much to type in this space)

Virginia will never work. Pleasant Plains grade school too far away. Havana, Beardstown, Franklin & Jacksonville too far away.

Some potential detriment to the towns of Ashland & Chandlerville. Less control of our children's education - one benefit of the smaller district size is more control. If we consolidate we will be a minority of a much larger district. Even with these potential negatives, my opinion is still to pursue consolidation with PORTA.

Other comments: The current A-C Board must face the hard choice of the immediate closure of the Chandlerville facility. At the current enrollment level, all students can be housed in Ashland. This will be unpopular but wise. (NOTE: more comments, but not enough room to type them all)

Other comments: I don't believe that now is the right time ot pursue consolidation. Why would we want that now, after spending $$$ so much on buildings, computers etc.? If it becomes necessary in future, then consider Pl. Pl. - makes the most sense.

Loss of community center. Loss of property value.

Transportation - busin kids way too far. Larger classes kids getting lost in shuffle. Just look at what has happened to sports - we have been swallowed up by a larger district with a very small percentage of A-C kids even playing anymore.

Other comments: The situation that A-C has been in recent years is similar to a family living in a house for 20 years with a ""for sale"" sign in the yard and the boxes packed but never feeling like it is home even after 20 years. (NOTE: more comments; not enough room to type them all)

Loss of schools in Ashland & Chandlerville. I'm afraid we would lose residences & businesses. Home values would decrease. Families not likely to live in a town without school or purchase a home. Loss of income and taxes. Loss of jobs for teachers, bus drivers and employees of school.

Other comments: We have upgraded our high school recently and I feel we should keep our schools opened as long as finances allow.

Windshield time for students

Other comments: I appreciate being asked my opinion as a taxpayer. Keep up the good work!

Everything.

I think it's a bunch of s*** and I don't think we should consolidate with anybody.

Loss of identity. Distance - time students are on bus.

Other comments: Why are we in such a hurry to consolidate? Are finances in that bad shape? Do not rush or push this issue so close to the Virginia collapse. Stay away from Virginia District - we don't need their problems. No benefit there! Also disappointed on how quickly administration dropped the A-C tournament. Feel discussions could have worked a compromise out. Probably not this year but next year. It is a shame to let part of our history go so easily.

The pride of the town that will not have the high school will be injured.

Size of district geographically. Transportation widens. Loss of local identity.

Some of the choices are way too far. Our tax money would go to another county when it should stay here if at all possible.

Other comments: We already rushed into the sports co-op with PORTA and that has not worked out as well as expected. You can see PORTA is extremely anxious to have our kids and our money, but our current finances and academics do not warrant any type of further consolidation. Do not rush into any other arrangements.

Too far to travel - how much would be spent on bus maintenance and fuel. Length of time students would be on the bus, not to mention the ones that drive. Jobs would be lost. Effect on students w/disabilities, over-all test scores (students may not feel comfortable/self-confident in new surroundings).

Other comments: How much is district in debt? How much money would be saved/lost? Would taxpayers be paying more/less? What are the pro/cons considered by the district? Would any grant money be carried over to a new district? Are these chosen other district in the red or black? What are their over-all test scores? Would students be getting a quality education in a bigger class setting?

Losing local control of our district. I know education is the reason for schools. But if you look at the participation in sports since going to P'burg, the numbers have dropped. Very few get to play. We have a wonderful band & I wonder how many board members, etc. have gone to watch the band march. See how proud they are of their band.

Other comments: (NOTE: Too many to type in this space)

boundaries too large.

Other comments: (Attached typed sheet - too long to retype in this space)

Losing the in-town school

Other comments: Keep busing to a minimal which will keep cost down. Close proximity would be best

Obviously, community loss of a high school within the community.

Other comments: My main concern is that other factors will influence this choice - and the OVERALL MOST IMPORTANT consideration MUST be what is best for our students.

Not utilizing all the current facilities that each district has. Buildings and gyms need to be used so students don't have to be out so late on a school night practicing and not getting home until 9:00 with no supper and homework. Coaches need to be willing to travel also. This would benefit them also so they could get home earlier also.

Other comments: Busing. Whomever is in charge of this needs to get their act together so parents are informed of schedules sooner then at the last minute or the day before. We need to utilize the phone more. Not all parents have internet access or the ability to check internet when they are at work.

More travel time.

Other comments: Has keeping a grade school holding kids from Ashland, Chandlerville and Tallula in Ashland to minimize travel for small children been researched? Send all JH and HS kids to Petersburg. But Ashland's facilities could hold a grade school very well. Also, forget worrying about sports. No one from A-C is going to play in the NBA. There are far more important things to consider.

I think consolidation will be a positive move if done right. I do not understand why there are so many options on question 3. I have a middle school student who is involved in the sports co-op with PORTA. I must be missing something because that seems like it is going very well. Why would we even be considering six other schools?

Other comments: I recently read that we have enough money in our district and we do not need to consolidate. I find this confusing and hard to believe. If we have enough money then why aren't more courses offered at the high school level? (Note: more comment; not enough room to type them all)

transportation(increase cost), possible increase in property taxes, cost of studies

I see what happened in Tallula and now there is nothing left there, I think Ashland has lost to much in the last several years

loss of local control, travel time for students

In the future consolidation might be necessary. At this time, it would be wise to wait and see what happens with the state and Virginia. Keep our powder dry for dowm the road losing our school is one step down the road of Ashland becoming another Bath or Tallua

transportation

loss of schools in individual communities, larger district, increased travel/bus times,loss of good teachers

travel

we loose our schools, property values decrease

taxed will go up, added transportation costs, added building maintenance costs, children being treated like cattle

long bus rides

 

ego problems, difficult decisions will need to be made, but kids are kids and they deserve the best education we can provide. there are many positive reasons to consolidate-not that many neg

higher taxes, kids do not get chance to play sports, bigger classes, longer bus routes

everything

prefer kids in their own hometown, not getting any smarter traveling on buses

children on bus to long

none

transportation

none

large school districts lose contact and no longer answer to small town communities. The larger the district the accountability to students becomes less important

none

if we pursue a consolidation with the wrong district. Pleasant Plaines would not be a good fit socially or economically. Our student bodies are not a good fit.

Loss of community identity

depends on who consolidation with, pick up more fiscal responsibility

losing some of the classes children are interested in attending

costs-unless all in 1 facility it's not feasible, class sizes-one community is always favored-sports is the #1 priority instead of education

closing of any of the schools in any of the districts

 

**Full text of shortened comments are available upon request

 

 

 

 

Addendum to Consolidation Survey

Other Questions,Comments or Concerns?

I think enough time and money has been wasted trying to decide if we should consolidate. I think if we would have taken the time and not tried to rush the last consolidation, it may have passed, if consolidation passes, I believe the best option is one district, one school, in one location not spread out in three different towns.

We need to be pre-active and not wait until we are forced into consolidation. We at A-C have a lot to offer another district. Porta is extremely positive and welcoming, very different than what we were used to from Virginia

Since we are currently co-oping sports with Porta and that is going well than we should pursue consolidation with them first before anyone else. That is the most professional course we can take

in response to the survey, we believe it's important to look at a long-term perspective verses a short term. Certainly one thing to consider is the size of the district that would result in each of the four scenarios if implemented. Boundaries must be the #1 consideration in determining the appropriate action as this will save on transportation cost and length of time students are on a bus. Probably #2 most important factor is the cost as it relates to property and buildings whether they exist now or would have to be constructed. #3 many students may not want to change schools if they are close to graduation. Having elementary schools close proximity to the students seems pretty important so that the younger ones don't have to get up so early and ride lengthy distances to school

Why are you pursuing consolidation at this time?

Why was Petersburg told after 2 yrs of co-oping sports we would consolidate with them?

With the State saying now consolidation costs too much money--were you planning on receiving money from the state?

A-C is rated in the top 100 schools so we should market that position, not ignore it. We can gain population w/proper marketing of this fact if necessary, consolidate w/Pleasant Plains and CLOSE C-VILLE

3 things to remember:

1. keep finances in check, we are the highest tax rate in the area

2. keep in mind what’s best for all students

3. not all steps are total long term fix but maybe the best short term fix that will lead to a long term fix

As long as the community supports the school financially and the school provides quality education (which it does) there is no reason to consolidate. I believe this is a very poor survey: you are asking people their opinions regarding possible consolidation, annexation or deactivation without providing: who, what, and where. These are important facts that are ignored. Again: A-C central does not need to consolidate, deactivate or take any other action!

I think the social and economic factors of the prospective district should closely match ours

We are in good financial shape and offer quality educations are present. Bigger is not always better! our district has not experienced the large decrease in enrollment experienced by other district, including Porta.

Consolidation may be necessary in the future, but not now! Many factors could change demographics in the future and we are not in precarious position to push forward. Be careful who we hook our wagon to.

I think if we are co-oping sports with Porta now, we should be discussing consolidation with them and not another district or we will begin to look like Virginia. If Porta is good enough to play sports with, I would think they would be good enough to join in education also

Didn’t like losing the Ashland tournament. Our school feels sports is the big deal but education should be one of the main priority’s. We use buses to transport the kids for sport co-ops why cant we bus the kids for classes that are not offered at A-C

No Virginia Consolidation, Let Ashland consolidate with Pleasant Plains, Chandlerville to Beardstown or Havana

dissolve A-C consolidation...C'Ville to Havana, Ashland to Plains, Ashland keep grade school and middle, Farmingdale keep grade school and middle=High school would go to Plains

Virginia consolidation would bring AC down

the present education structure has pitted admin against teachers, teachers against each other, teachers against students, students against society.

Student health and welfare is ignored because the dollar is the only matter of concern. ME, ME, ME is the only mind game for Admin, staff, students

Why make sports our first concern??

Why didn't we co-op w/Porta with educational classes first?

My #1 concern are the three R's and that's not Run-Relays or Race!!

We are currently financially sound , new additions and many upgrades to our facility, enrollment is up and too 100 school two yrs running-why on Earth mess with that?? What school are you considering consolidation with can say that?? Consolidation/deactivation is HORRIBLE idea!!

stay the course until forced into a move!

our finances and scores do not warrant any further discussion in this matter. the board should be protecting our community interest, not giving it away. at this time we should exhaust all options and resources to protect our local schools, and preserve them. if the sports co-op is any example of things to come a consolidation will not end well for A-C. the co-op is more like an acquisition

chandlerville building should not be used due to being very old and allergens. ashland building should house the elementary

conversion would allow each community to retain an identity as well as commerce would remain of least to some degree. it would also create dynamics of competition when the students came together at the high school level both acedemically and athletically. competition is one of the things that made our country great, as well as the a-c central school system until the communities combined completely at all levels. the competition disappeared at that point. it also gices our children opportunity in a less chaotic environment, that is not requiring them to be transported back and forth

elementary are on the bus for 1 1/2 hrs in morning and 1 hr at night. ashland gym not used-could have still had JH sports-not travel 26 miles to porta-leave at 6:30 home at 9

the no vote messed up Virginia and A-C- then A-C was too proud to continue co-op sports!

A-C was Wrong!

If consolidation occurs in some fashion, it would be so important to be sure that the excellent Ashland school building and facilities would continue to be used as a school.

Thank you for working hard, serving our A-C students in their best interest!

if our students are academic okay and above in many areas how can you say we need more subjects to improve?

why in a hurry, we are doing fine.

received questionnaire on the 13th. You want response by the 16th. Poor planning. Maybe this is part of our ongoing problems

All students AC go to Virginia and stop all this nonsense. The students are together more than the school board

join with Porta to offer some of the classes they have we don't.( or another district) Greenview and others have bussed students to other schools for years. Don't sell our town out until we have to

We agree whole heartedly with Scott Atwood and his concerned group

i understand the portions the governor has put you in but that does not mean we have to go full steam ahead Our school is an excellent school, and we should not lose it

children ride the buses to long, changing the routes for complainers is wrong the person doing the act should be the one punished

keep elementary schools in present locations

need elementary school kept separate so littles aren't bussed too far. Consider the distance from both Chandlerville and Ashland when considering districts

use the resources at our school to provide our kids with a good education. stop rushing us into consolidation. think our of the box. you have students that have graduated from A-C that have gone on to attend U of I and other top colleges around the state. I think you are selling yourself short on the quality of education you can provide these kids by considering consolidation

it all revolves around sports, not education every district wants the best players for sports. its more money for their school a school gets to state, its more money for the coach and money for the school

build one new school K-12 in Philadelphia for Ashland, Virginia and Chandlerville and Close all 3-schools

Cont to maintain 3 old schools and 1 new one or sell the 3 old ones

Would a new school board and superintendent be elected? because the ones A-C has now are a joke and that's being nice

i would like to see the end of the sports co-op as well, at least with Virginia the resulting district shape was more square-even if we were running twice as many busses

If you want to merge/co-op Virginia's the only logical choice. honestly, I think we're better off on our own.

Thanks for giving us a chance to have input. Please listen to what people say, I think this is one of the first things we'll give up in consolidation/merger/etc.

stop spending, cut Administration, get rid of teachers who take all the resources but do not contribute to the children's education

i'm not against consolidation but before i would vote for it i need to know-what happens to the schools in c'ville and ashland. there are to many unanswered questions for me to vote

if our school is one of the top 100 schools in the state-why would we even consider consolidation

i've read reports that we are financially sound our enrollment is good, we are academically sound why consolidate? enough of the consolidation talk Please!

did not have enough time to fill the survey out. this survey is poor at best. most questions can not be answered merely wit a yes or no or unsure. Dont panic, why the rush?

elementary spend too much time on the bus now, i do not feel the need to consolidate yet. i do believe we need to establish a time frame

the four opitions on front page could have had more definition so I could make an even more educated analysis of the choices given

I am concerned with transportation. Currently my child rides the bus a total of 2 1/2 hrs per day with a consolidated district an increase of that time would be unexceptable!

What about the taxes?

How long are the kids going to be on buses?

What are they going to do with our school?

sports programs should not be made a reason for consolidation as schooling is for education and not for athletic

i think the school board needs to start thinking about the students instead of what they want

Do not agree with Scott Atwood's letter

No one wants to move in Ashland because water rates. He taks we will be a ghost town. It has already started and will continue. Cannot stand to be taxed to death

instead of asking questions of us the school board should be providing us with facts and choices based on studies showing costs

leave it alone as it is now, read the report from the board in the scoop

we agree with scott atwood

since educationally we are sound and financially we are sound at this time my question is-What is the rush? There may be opportunities that we don't see at this time to the south if future generation continues.

consolidation would be warranted if the district is in financial distress or poor quality of education for our young people. Neither problem currently exists

this needs to happen as soon as possible. i believe that the Porta District would be the best fit for our communities and more accommodating than any of the other choices

we are financially stable why would we consolidate?

has keeping a grade school holding kids from Ashland, Chandlerville, Tallula in Ashland to minimize travel for small children been researched? Send all JH and HS kid to Petersburg, but Ashland's facilities could hold a grade school very well. Also, forget worrying about sports. No one from A-C is going to play in the NBA there are far more important thing to consider

Busing supervisior needs to get act together, use the phones more instead of internet

my main concern is that other factors will influence this choice-and the overall most important consideration must be what is best for our students

keep busing to a minimal which will keep cost down

how much is district in debt? how much money will be saved or lost? would tax payers be paying more or less? what are the pros and cons?

we already rushed into the sports co-op with Porta and that has not worked out as well as expected. You can see Porta is extremely anxious to have our kids and our money, but our current finances and academics do not warrant any type of further consolidation do not rush into any other arrangements

Why in such a hurry? stay away from Virginia

I think it's a bunch of **** and I don't think we should consolidate with anybody

I appreciate being asked my opinion as a taxpayer.

Keep up the good work!

we have upgraded our schools recently and I feel we should keep our schools opened as long as finances allow

I don't believe that now is the right time to pursue consolidation. Why would we want that now, after spending $$$ so much on buildings, computers, etc?

If it becomes necessary in future then consider PI=makes the most sense

 

the current a-c board must face the hard choice of the immediate closure of the chandlerville facility. at the current enrollment level all students can be housed in ashland. this will be unpopular but wise.

for the 2012-2013 class yr I would like to see a-c and porta co-op some classes. the sports co-op has been very good now with the exception of large team size. cuts should be implemented for all sports for the2012-2013 sports season/school yr. *do not hire another principal or superintendent for more than a year to year contract

why are we considering anyone other than porta? the sports co-op is doing well. i don't think we should let a few disgruntled board members ruin a good thing, especially the ones that don't even have children in school. have they bothered to attend sporting events to see how well the co-op is going?

we need to consider what is best for the children, the public needs to be given concrete facts instead of all the suppositions that come from so many sides

both ashland and virginia provide the best education for children entering a global economy/international society. without this, many youth will not be productive adults.

stay away from virginia, why are we talking consolidation again?

how will teachers be retained? Higher taxes? Keep public informed!

why was $ spent on the Ashland school gym when we knew it wasn't going to be used?

smaller schools more individualized attention, help, etc.

it is difficult to fill out this survey without knowing the intent of it and the state of the school

at all times, please keep the kids in mind as a priority

can we just remain a-c and keep the co-op sports

why are we talking of consolidation when you have a board member that stated there in no financial need at this time. why cant you leave things alone.

consolidation will not save money,improve quality of education-or do any positive things. it will help sell school buses fuel-it is a bad socialistic idea

a big reason we moved here was the school district if we don't need to consolidate then why do so? I don't want another school using our school district to save theirs. I don't believe we should consolidate for reasons surrounding sports. We are a school and our primary focus should continue to be education

Talking with board members from Pleasant Plains. The best thing we can do is dissolve our consolidation with C-ville. So they can go to Porta and Ashland can go to Plains. It's the best thing we can do.

Signed Derek Degroot

The attitude in larger school districts is that larger and newer more expensive schools will some how rise the quality of education, which rarely occurs. A smaller system works closer with the community and families at large and the result is a better standard of education.

A-C Board needs to become aware of what's happening in the school concerning lask of course options

I feel that everyone need to be forthcoming with the truth about our district for the sake of the students. A-C does not have enough course choices and teachers are spending money on supplies that are needed in the classroom

-concentrate on education not sports

-control bullying in the school; both students and faculty

-better transportation arrangements