P-J photo by Sara Holthouse The Clymer Central School Board discussed the upcoming merger study meeting and timeline during their June meeting.

CLYMER – The merger feasibility study for Clymer, Sherman and Panama Central Schools has finished, and is set to be presented in a joint board meeting on Tuesday.

Clymer Central School’s Board of Education discussed the upcoming Joint Board of Education meeting between the three schools — set to be held Tuesday at the Panama Central School auditorium at 6 p.m. — during their June meeting. The joint board meeting is open to the public and the formal merger study and recommendations will be presented to the three boards.

Clymer School Board President Ed Mulkearn said also on the agenda for the meeting is that BOCES Superintendent David O’Rourke will be talking about the options for a straw vote or petition. Mulkearn said little paper squares for polling will then be provided by Shelly O’Boyle, C/S/P merger study coordinator, and each board member will be able to write down their preference for a straw vote or petition. The poll will be held as a board, so whichever choice has the majority polls in one board will count as one vote towards either option. This means that if one board has three votes for a straw vote and two for a petition, that board’s vote would count as for a straw vote.

“But that hasn’t bound us to anything, because then at our July 13 reorganization meeting, whatever the outcome of that is, there will be a resolution for whether we want to do a straw vote or petition, but before that there will be one if we feel there’s enough merit to move forward and ask the Commissioner of Education to schedule a statutory vote,” Mulkearn said.

BOARDS TO RECEIVE STUDY OVER WEEKEND

The study will also be given to each board 72 hours before Tuesday’s meeting to allow them the time to look it over and prepare any questions they may have. A question was then raised as to the difference between the straw vote and petition. Mulkearn said there is specific verbiage that is required by the state to have for the straw vote, but that upon reading it the guidance makes the straw vote sound like it is a final vote for the merger. The New York State Education Department template for the straw vote was read, including how it was worded for the last time a straw vote was taken for the previous Clymer and Panama merger talks.

Mulkearn added that with the straw vote it is a one-day thing that the school boards do not necessarily have to do much for, but there is a risk that people would come thinking they are voting for the final vote on the merger, and not just to move forward to a next step in the process. Superintendent Beth Olson added that at any point, since it is a potential merger between three schools, that one school could drop out at any time and the other two could continue forward. Another study would not have to be done, but some other steps would have to be taken.

“We would have to do an update and then another petition,” Olson said. “We’ve asked that question and that could be relatively quick.”

DISCUSSION ON STRAW POLE OR PETITION

Also for the straw vote versus petition, Mulkearn said they would not be able to have someone standing outside the polls reminding people that the vote is non-binding and it is to move forward to the next step, with a lot more work to be done before the final step. With the petition, people could be reminded of that when they came to sign.

“Our group feels that the petition is a much better option for us, if we as a board feel we want to move forward with a final vote and bring it to the people,” Mulkearn said. “If we don’t feel that way it doesn’t matter, we can choose not to move forward at our next meeting, but if we do feel it’s in our best interests to move forward then we would want to go with the petition.”

Olson said the petition for Clymer would need around 170 signatures, adding that the logistics of that have not been fully worked out yet as it has not officially been decided on doing a petition yet. She added that, for example, it could function by being placed somewhere like the District Office with the Clerk, and would be there for about two weeks. In that first week, whoever wants to come in could come in and sign the petition, and at the end of that week they would see how many signatures would still be needed.

“We’re also going to ask for volunteers during our meeting on the 16th,” Olson said. “If you’re willing to go out and gather some signatures, you’ll have the opportunity and we’ll give you a copy of the petition to go out and gather signatures. I see it as a combination of both.”

Olson added that Clymer would not be able to go help Sherman or Panama to get their signatures, and each district has to get their own.

ASKING QUESTIONS REGARDING STUDY

When it comes to Tuesday’s meeting, all three school boards during the 72 hours that they have the study before the meeting will email any questions or concerns to O’Boyle. The three boards will have the opportunity to ask questions to study consultants White and Partners during the meeting, though the public will not at this time as it is a board meeting, and more community forums are scheduled. O’Boyle will be able to see if there is any overlap for any questions and then questions will be assigned to specific board members to ask them during the meeting.

A discussion was held about if any of the recommendations of the study could be revised.

“The recommendations can be the recommendations, but the new board can choose to follow or not follow any of those recommendations,” Olson said. “But, between now and December we don’t want to be changing up the recommendations as presented.”

As far as the new board goes, Olson said there is still talk about a gentleman’s agreement that would include three board members from each district to sit on that new board.

Timeline wise, after the meeting on the 16th where the study will be presented by White and Partners and the discussions there, there will be a resolution during the July 13 Reorganizational meeting to officially move forward and choose a petition or straw vote. All three districts will be having their meeting on the same day at the same time, on July 13 at 6 p.m., so they will know where everyone stands at that point to know if everyone is moving forward or not. Beginning August 18 and ending September 24 there are three community forum meetings scheduled in each district to address community concerns. In the meantime people can continue to send questions to CSPstudy@e2ccb.org or visit CSPhub.org to stay updated.

Mulkearn added that not everyone in the communities is “leading the charge” and agreeing to merge, and so it is important to get all questions and concerns addressed and to make sure they have an answer for those. Olson reemphasized that at any point one of the districts can decide to drop out, and that does not mean that it ends for everyone and the other two districts can continue forward. She added that if a petition is chosen, following the August 18 meeting the petition can open, though it will not be due until the official date in October. If a straw vote is chosen that date will be somewhere in that time frame.