Merger Still Possible for Chenango Valley & Chenango Forks

Chenango Forks and Chenango Valley School Districts continue to look into the possibility of a merger. The districts have held a merger study, which has consisted of six different meetings. Tuesday night, the third meeting took place, and it was a busy one. The topics covered included two of the most important to local residents: athletics and usage of facilities. Consultants, committee members, and some administrators were present for the meeting, which discussed the merger of two athletic programs. The study showed that if Forks and Valley were to combine into one single sports program, close to 300 less students would be able to participate in sports. The meeting also discussed which facility would be used for which school in the event of a merger. One school would be used as a middle school and the other as a high school. Deciding which building will be used as which school is difficult, because both schools are comparable both in size and classrooms, auditoriums, and labs. The recommendation deciding how each facility should be used will come at next month’s meeting, along with discussions about transportation, staff, and financing. If everything in the merger were to be approved, the schools could combine as soon as the 2014-2015 school year.