ROCKWELL, IA--People who live in 2 neighboring school districts are being encouraged to vote on a proposed merger.
On Wednesday night parents, teachers and students turned out in Rockwell to learn more about reorganization plans for their districts.
The Rockwell-Swaledale and Sheffield-Chapin Meservey-Thornton school districts are entering the 3rd year of whole grade sharing partnership.
Superintendents from both districts assured the gathering that forming the West Fork district will lower property taxes for most affected homeowners and benefit the children.
Most of the people who listened were concerned about academic achievement and seemed to agree with the idea.
"If we merge and become one big family we'll have a lot more opportunities as far as the kids and the classes they can take and competition with all the numbers in the classes," said Rockwell Middle School Teacher Amy Symens who has 3 children currently in the school district.
If the reorganization is approved, the high school children would remain in Sheffield, grades 4-8 would stay at the Rockwell middle school and the affected communities will keep their pre-K-3 elementary schools.
Rockwell-Swaledale Superintendent Tom Fey said the most vocal opposition he has heard is from people in either district who still object to losing their athletic team identity as either Spartans or Rebels.
For more than a year now the combined teams have been known as the War Hawks.
At least 50% of the voters in each district must give the merger their support on September 14th.
If it fails, both districts will continue their whole grade sharing arrangement.
