The Clymer Central School board of education along with Sherman and Panama’s boards all voted to move forward with the merger process and to gauge community support with a petition during their reorganizational meetings Monday night. Members of the Clymer Central School Board of Education are pictured. Photo by Sara Holthouse

CLYMER – Monday night saw the next step in the potential merger of Clymer, Sherman and Panama central schools as all three schools voted individually in favor of continuing the process.

Each school board met individually for their July reorganizational meeting Monday night, and included among the list of items to vote on were three resolutions, agreeing to continue forward in the process, agreeing to use the petition to gauge community support, and agreeing to allow those that have signed up to volunteer to get signatures to do so.

“On the evening of July 13, the boards of all three districts passed three resolutions regarding the merger,” said Shelly O’Boyle, CSP merger study project coordinator. “Specifically, they have officially resolved to move forward with the merger process and have selected the petition method as the required way to gauge public support. The three boards have also approved the volunteers who will be tasked with gathering those signatures.”

The petition method was discussed and chosen as the way to gauge community support as the next step during the previous joint board meeting held in Panama in June. During that meeting, it was said that for the petition, each district is required to get a signature count that exceeds the amount of their last three budget votes. The petition will be set in the district office, and each district can also designate volunteers to go and get signatures, with the final tally done by the district clerk. Clymer is required to get 160 signatures from the community on the petition, Sherman 301 and Panama 154.

According to the three districts’ joint merger website, CSPhub.org, the petition is an informal measure of public support necessary to continue moving forward towards the formal statutory vote. A signature on the petition indicates support for continuing the process and allowing the community to consider the proposal in greater detail, and does not mean the person signing is voting in favor of the merger itself. The petition process officially begins on August 18, which is the first date set for the community town hall meetings.

“Looking ahead, we are scheduling a series of town hall meetings to ensure residents have the opportunity to ask questions,” O’Boyle said. “Although the meetings take place in each district, these meetings are open to the public, and we strongly encourage residents of all three districts to attend any or all of them.”

The town halls begin August 18 at 7 p.m. at Sherman Central School, which will also be when the petition officially opens for each district. The next town hall after that will be at Panama Central School on September 16 at 7 p.m, with a building tour earlier in the day at 6 p.m. The town hall at Clymer Central School will be September 24 at 7 p.m.

Volunteers have signed up in each district to get signatures for the petition, with Sherman’s volunteers numbering 15, Panama 11, and Clymer 11. Clymer’s volunteers include; Melissa Brumagin, Jim Caflisch, Bethany Collins, Laurie Holthouse, Dawn Kin, Rachel Kinal, Edward Mulkearn, Mike Schenck, Carrie Shampoe, Carole Siverling and Dale Willink. Sherman’s volunteers include; Judy Card, Inta Damcott, Joe DeLellis, Michelle Emory, Teresa Guzman, Leah Hayes, Kenneth Labuskes, Brooke Long, William Long, Betty Jo Nickerson, Emily Reynolds, Edith Stansbury, Heather White, Elizabeth Sweatman, and Kathy Sweatman. Panama’s volunteers are; Alison Bernik, Adam Brandi, Robert Delahoy, Ricky Eggleston, Sophie Horner, Jenn Johnson, Carrie Munsee, David Munsee, Chelsea Saxton, Michele Sperry and Jessica Willett. Members of each individual community are encouraged to contact any of these volunteers once the petition opens if they wish to sign. Signatures are also able to be obtained at the town hall meetings, and the petition closes October 1.

The full 150 page merger study is able to be viewed at CSPhub.org, along with any other merger information and frequently asked questions. Questions can continue to be emailed to CSPstudy@e2ccb.org.