The Sayre School Board voted Monday night to discontinue merger talks with the Athens Area School District.
In a 5-4 decision, the Sayre School Board voted in favor of a resolution that read:
“Whereas, after thorough consideration of the financial, logistical, and educational impacts of such a merger, Sayre Area School District Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest to maintain an independent institution.”
It further states, “The Sayre Area School District is committed to continuing its ongoing discussions with Athens Area School District regarding shared services, and “open to future discussions and proposals if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the students, staff, and community.”
Longtime Sayre School Board member Donnie Skerpon, who put the idea of a merger between the two school districts on the table in an official manner back in 2017, posted a statement that he read prior to Monday night’s vote on social media.
Here is that complete statement:
I’m not a person who posts significantly on social media, but since our Sayre Area School District Board meeting was not recorded or broadcast live on YouTube this evening as has been typical, I wanted to share my statement prior to the 5-4 vote to stop the pursuit of a potential merger with Athens. My position will not be endorsed by all, but it’s important for the community to understand my perspective.
“While I have not shied away from speaking my perspective in the past, this is a particularly difficult one for me. It’s difficult because, it is focused on what I wholeheartedly believe is in the best long-term interest of the students who attend the Sayre Area School District. I need to emphasize it is what I wholeheartedly believe needs to be the long-term strategy for this District, and I feel that it is the same for the Athens Area School District … but it is disruptive to students today.
It’s complicated! On the surface others could make the assumption that I’m abandoning the district that presented me with my diploma, and the district that presented a diploma to my three children and offered them a very diverse set of opportunities to maximize their God-given abilities. However, that would be an incorrect assumption. My responsibility as a member of this Board is to not be too sentimental about the long, wonderful history and tradition of this district, but to be focused on the future – a future that is complicated – and one that I believe requires SIGNIFICANT collaboration and partnership with the Athens Area School District over an extended period of time. We are much more of a single community today than we have ever been.
Unfortunately, again this is my personal opinion, this is not the perspective of a majority of the members of this Board. One key indicator has been our inability to perform a simple task, that being to agree on common resolution with the Athens Area School District regarding tonight’s vote. The issue in reaching agreement on a common resolution, again from my perspective, has been on our side of the aisle. The intent of many members on our Board to role our own has been clear.
The single resolution that we are voting on tonight is worded with a pre-determined and negative position. The resolution states,
“Whereas, after thorough consideration of the financial, logistical, and educational impacts of such a merger, Sayre Area School District Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest to maintain an independent institution.”
It further states, “The Sayre Area School District is committed to continuing its ongoing discussions with Athens Area School District regarding shared services, and “open to future discussions and proposals if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the students, staff, and community.”
On the other hand, the Athens Area School District is voting tomorrow night on two separate resolutions.
The first resolution states, “Whereas, a merger feasibility study has been conducted, raising additional questions that require further analysis and research, the Board of Education of Athens Area School District hereby commit to continuing the exploration of a potential merger between the two districts, and direct the Athens Superintendent to collaborate with the Sayre Superintendent on developing and presenting an action plan for implementing the merger exploration, with said action plan to be presented to both Boards within 90 days of the passage of this resolution, and commit to providing regular updates to their respective communities on progress of the merger exploration.”
Moreover, the second resolution states, “the Board of Education of Athens Area School District hereby agree to explore and, if deemed mutually beneficial, implement near-term partnership and resource-sharing opportunities between the two districts and recognize that these partnership efforts will serve as a means to ensure equitable opportunities for all students across both districts, act as a preliminary assessment of compatibility for a potential future merger, and strengthen our community for mutual growth.
While the two Districts can respond yes or no to their written resolutions, they clearly are framed very differently. I prefer the version that will be presented to the Athens Board for decision.
It is my perspective that we are moving forward with the same old strategy, partner this year if we need Athens, don’t partner next year if we think we can go it alone. We do not currently have a strategic focus. Strategies take years to implement, they are not focused in the near term. This is not the path that I am interested in taking, because I wholeheartedly believe we need to fully commit to a long-term strategy, one that requires the on-going, detailed collaboration between the two districts over an extended period of time. One that is not answered by a study performed by consultants. While there are elements that provide value, such a study only provides a snapshot of data and some potential options – certainly not comprehensive enough to be the end all to be all. We need to collectively roll up our sleeves with the Athens Area School District. One wherein, ALL 18 members are on board with a strategy. It is CLEAR we are not there – using the recommendations of the study to run away. Nothing of value comes easy.
I must state, since I previously put the idea of a merger on the table in an official manner back in 2017, following past failed attempts over a few decades, I have seen the Athens Board become more open-minded to the potential, and most recently took a significant step by accepting that a combined organization would become a unique organization, not Sayre being absorbed by Athens which has been feared by many. We, on the other hand, have not. Again, this is my perspective.
The net is, I absolutely believe both districts can benefit from a joint strategic plan with no defined timetable, but the intent of that strategic plan needs to be CLEAR to ultimately be successful.
With this resolution and vote, we fall short of a CLEAR intent. Our intent to cherry pick from year-to-year doesn’t work. We fall short of facing reality. We like to state that our graduating class next year is higher than in recent years, however it does not approach where it was 10 years ago, and when you look at the enrollment this coming school year, our K, 1st, and 2nd grade classes are in the 50’s. And historically those classes tend to end up with lower numbers by graduation. Recent statements in the press have been “our numbers are up in most sports”. Don’t misinterpret my comments as being negative … It’s absolutely TERRIFIC that are numbers are up in Football and Volleyball. Extracurricular participation is a key part of the academic process.
However, while I am all in for being optimistic and promoting pride – certainly in the moment, behind closed doors that is not looking at things strategically. In reality, we have not had a boys or girls soccer program, or boys or girls swimming program in years. We have 1 JV/Varsity participant and 1 Junior High participant in boys cross country. We have no girls participating in cross country. In the past these programs have thrived. And while the numbers for many other programs that occur later in the year have the opportunity to increase, the early indication is that others are low. Yet, we have not been interested in developing a strategic alignment with Athens. We want to deal with this on a year-to-year basis and cherry pick where we are interested to join forces. This to me is not an effective, positive, or long-term approach.
With all of this being said, I will be voting no on tonight’s resolution. Not because I am not interested in being “committed to continuing its ongoing discussions with Athens regarding shared services, and “open to future discussions and proposals if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the students, staff, and community.” It is because we are not going far enough and making a strategic commitment.
The Athens School Board was scheduled to vote on two measures related to continuing the merger talks at their meeting tonight. With Sayre’s decision to end talks on their end, those votes will be merely a formality.
Editor’s Notes: Monday night’s Sayre School Board meeting was not available via live stream or recorded due to technical difficulties …. Other Sayre School Board members and school officials were not immediately reached for comment. Look for more on this recent decision on myhometowntoday.com and the My Hometown Today app.
