This vote will not be easy to take, but it’s the right one, and it’s time. – Maggie Zock
During a contentious, sometimes raucous three-hour meeting Jan. 14, a sharply-divided Newbury Schools Board of Education approved transferring the school district to West Geauga Schools, beginning in 2020.
Newbury Auditorium was packed and many students and staff members stood around the perimeter of the room. Staff members wore black T-shirts with orange lettering that read, in part, “You Can’t Put Our Students First if You Put Our Staff Last.”
Signs were posted on the wall and in the foyer outside the auditorium.
Before the meeting began, a group of students sang the school’s alma mater and the fight song to loud applause and cheering.
Board President Maggie Zock began the meeting with a prepared statement, apologizing for the timing of a press release from the board and administration last week that announced the board’s plans to vote Jan. 14 on merging with West Geauga.
“I apologize for the error. It was an honest oversight,” Zock said, referring to releasing the statement prior to the actual board vote.
She assured the audience no vote would be taken until the board had heard public comments.
Zock said the district has explored the consolidation issue for several years and has tried many strategies to remain independent — possibly the last single-township school district in the state — but the efforts were not enough.
“This vote will not be easy to take, but it’s the right one, and it’s time,” Zock said.
She explained the current board had spent more than a year gathering facts, conducting feasibility studies and surveys, holding work sessions and visiting both West Geauga and Berkshire school districts.
During the process, it became clear West Geauga was the better choice for a merger, she said.
Before taking public comment, Zock asked everyone to remain respectful, allowing each person five minutes to speak. She reserved the right to prohibit harassing comments and to ask anyone disrupting the meeting to leave.
Police would remove anyone refusing to go, she added.
Mary Dittrich, graduate of Newbury’s class of 2004, said her grandparents, parents, husband and four children all attended Newbury Schools.
“I’m done pointing fingers. This merger is best for the kids,” she told the board.
Newbury alumnus Chris Yaecker, who headed the successful campaign to elect three pro-consolidation candidates to the school board in 2017, said the district is no longer economically sustainable.
“When I graduated, we had 1,100 kids in the school, and now we have 340, with the third highest per-pupil cost in Ohio, almost double the state average,” Yaecker said. “The time to act is now.”
Yaecker said his taxes will go down significantly after a merger with West Geauga Schools.
“My vote is for West G,” he told the board.
His mother, Mary Helen Yaecker, said common sense justifies a merger.
Kelly Williams, a 1995 Newbury graduate, said her family has lived in Newbury for over 200 years.
“We love this town and this community, and we understand the sentiment,” Williams said, adding West Geauga will offer academic and enrichment programs Newbury cannot provide.
“I urge you to vote yes and bring the decades-old question to an end, and bring stability to Newbury Township,” Williams said.
After several other comments in favor of merging, 20-year Newbury teacher Kristin VanderMaas told the board while she had found the Berkshire staff to be cordial and welcoming to Newbury staffers, she had heard “snide comments” from West Geauga staff about needing boot scrapers for Newbury staffers to clean the horse manure from their shoes.
VanderMaas said merging with West Geauga will mean 87 percent of Newbury staff members will lose their jobs. She listed a number of staff members whose families depend on healthcare coverage and a paycheck for their mortgages, children’s college tuition, student loans and medical expenses.
Resident Karen Bourland questioned the validity of the district’s recent survey of residents and asked for a vote of the people before deciding on a merger.
“I know you believe you have a mandate and perhaps you do, but shouldn’t you get a vote of the people before you do something you can’t undo?” Bourland asked.
Snow Road resident Audrey Ray sharply criticized the board’s press release, which she called reprehensible, and asked for a vote of the people.
“Please do the right thing. Our kids deserve better,” Ray told the board, to a standing ovation.
Kristina Evans, mother of five, said the district is no longer sustainable.
“It is irresponsible to continue going down the same path,” Evans said. “This board has done the work and I’m supportive of that. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions and this is one of those times.”
Following the public comments, each board member read from a prepared statement.
Board member Kimya Matthews said the school population has been steadily declining since 1986 and the superintendent at that time projected there would be 342 students by 2018.
She said consolidation has been an issue since 1986, adding once a school population falls below 250, the state takes over.
“I cannot let the state decide the transition,” Matthews said.
Board member Marty Sanders said voting for the merger will be doing the students and the community a disservice.
“I want Newbury to stay independent. I always have,” Sanders said, adding he realizes a merger may be inevitable at some point. Sanders recommended putting the issue on the ballot.
“If this week is any indication of how well this board is (handling this), then we’re in trouble,” Sanders said.
He moved to table the issue until the February meeting, which he said would give Berkshire a chance for more input.
“Eventually we’re going to go somewhere, but let everyone’s voice be heard,” Sanders said.
Board member Kirk Simpkins, also an opponent of consolidation, seconded Sanders’ motion.
“Stalling and delaying is detrimental,” Matthews said. “We’ve had multiple work sessions and have heard from many members of the community.”
The motion to postpone the vote failed 3-2.
Board member Terry Sedivy gave a brief history of the rural district and his family’s involvement in the school over the decades.
“We as a community must shed this island mentality,” Sedivy said. “We can do better. It’s time for a change.”
Simpkins called the last two years “an epic disaster from a leadership perspective.”
“Don’t let this be your freakin’ example,” Simpkins said. “Step up and lead.”
Zock said her decision was difficult, but was made after gathering data, exploring all options and coming to the conclusion West Geauga was the best choice because of the district’s stability, excellence, special education, course offerings, individual instruction and extra-curricular opportunities.
She praised Berkshire officials for their openness and transparency during the data gathering process.
“This has been a time of sadness, anger, frustration and loss,” Zock said. “Today’s an opportunity to end this cycle.”
She then called for a vote to transfer the territory of Newbury Schools to West Geauga Schools effective in the 2020-2021 school year. Students in the audience stood as the vote was taken. Zock, Matthews and Sedivy voted yes. Simpkins and Sanders voted no.
Students responded by shouts and banging on their chairs.
Sixteen people, most of them students, lined up to make comments. Students expressed concern they would not be accepted socially at West Geauga, and said they feared bullying and exclusion. Many fought back tears.
“Have you asked the students? Have you cared?” one girl asked the board. “I will be starting at West Geauga my senior year. You are taking away my senior year.”
Longtime Newbury resident Bobbie Prinkey told the board, “It’s about money. It takes money to operate a school. You need to be diligent and smart. I’m tired of the vindictiveness and venom-spewing words of hate. I am for this merger. We need people to stop hurting and hating each other. God is weeping for this township.”
West Geauga Schools Superintendent Richard Markwardt said Jan. 15 his administration is currently planning how to include Newbury into its family.
“We will be meeting with current West Geauga students to determine how best to do so,” he said. “There is no further action required by the (West Geauga Schools Board of Education) at this time. West Geauga and Newbury need to focus our collective energies on communicating the particulars of consolidation to our residents, addressing concerns and meeting the needs of our kids.”
