Culbertson schools down to two options

CULBERTSON -- A decision Sunday by Culbertson's school board changes the options from which Culbertson patrons can choose and the number of elections that board members had thought they might need.

Culbertson educators decided during a special meeting Sunday not to consider a merger with the Hayes Center school system. The Hayes Center board had requested that a merger contract guarantee that the original Hayes Center district retain at least a two-thirds majority on the board and that a K-12 school remain in Hayes Center indefinitely. Hayes Center board members presented this information to the Culbertson board before Culbertson's community meeting April 12, indicating that if that wording could not legally be included in a contract, Hayes Center would withdraw its merger offer.

Culbertson board president Nancy Frecks said this morning that her board voted Sunday to withdraw from further discussions with Hayes Center, and that the option of merging with Hayes Center would be removed from a ballot that would have asked patrons to select a merger with Hayes Center or McCook.

The Culbertson board had planned one election to ask whether patrons wanted to continue its unification with Trenton and Stratton, and, if necessary, a second election to decide to merge with McCook or Hayes Center.

Frecks said there will now be only one election, not two, and the ballot will ask whether the Culbertson school district should reunify with the Hitchcock County Schools systems, or merge with the McCook school district.

The election will be Tuesday, April 26, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., at the Ag Complex on the fairgrounds in Culbertson.

Voters can cast early ballots until 4 p.m., Monday, April 25, in the clerk's office in the courthouse in Trenton, from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The vote is an "advisory vote," and not a legally-binding certified election, however, Culbertson board members passed a motion April 11 indicating they will accept and abide by the results of the advisory vote.