CEMENT, Okla_Four schools in
our area could be closing their doors, victims of school consolidation, based
on a legislative interim study on school restructuring.
Earlier this
year, Governor Mary Fallin called for debate about the structure of school
systems in Oklahoma.
32 Oklahoma
schools are on a list that could be considered for school consolidation.
Take away the
school and the town usually disappears. School consolidation isn't a popular
subject, and school officials in Cement, Temple,
Duke and Davidson are most likely not very happy to be on the list of schools
that could close. But just because you made the list, does not mean that your
school will close.
Cement Superintendent
Bill Pascoe already knew about the list, not the kind of list he wants to be on
for sure, but he feels good about Cement's chances of keeping its school.
"Although
it could make you a little nervous I'm not that concerned in the sense that I
know we're fiscally sound, we're financially sound, there's a hundred schools
smaller in the state of Oklahoma
than we are."
Cement wouldn't
even be on the list if you took the average daily membership today, that's the
average number of kids at school every day, to be on the list you had to be
under 250, right now they're at about 258. Advocates for consolidation point
out that you can save money by closing smaller schools, but not always.
"Cyril
does not have the facilities to house all of our students and we do not have
the facilities to house all of Cyril's students. There would have to be sharing
of buildings so therefore you'd end up having to use both facilities. Or build
a new school which also costs money and supposedly the whole situation is to
try to save money."
State Representative
Joe Dorman from Rush Springs represents two schools on the list, Temple and Cement. He said
he appreciates his small school education.
"The benefits
I got there from having smaller class sizes teachers you go to church with
every weekend. There really is that compassion to work and make sure because
those teachers feel like you're their kids too and that's one of the great
things about living in rural Oklahoma
and growing up in a small town and having a small school."
It's too early to say what schools, if any, or when they would face
school consolidation, because this list is not set in stone, it is simply a
list of schools that could be considered for consolidation.
