Everly, Iowa — If all goes as planned, this coming fall’s Clay Central-Everly district seventh-through-twelfth graders will be attending junior high or high school in other districts, while a Clay Central-Everly building remains empty.
At a recent school board meeting, it was decided to “tuition out” the district’s seventh-through-twelfth graders. Clay Central-Everly Superintendent Dennis McClain explains.
He says that means that most of the tax money that would normally go to CCE for a particular student, will instead go to the district whose school the student is actually attending.
One of the main factors in the board’s decision was a survey. McClain tells us about it.
He tells us that it was a public survey, asking for feedback from community members, parents, students, graduates, and staff. The survey showed that 34.8 percent felt the district should partner with Spencer. It said 24.3 percent felt they should partner with Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. Ten point nine percent said they should partner with Sioux Central, and 30 percent said they should partner with Okoboji. The survey also said only 58.3 percent of students would be returning to CCE in the fall.
McClain says that there were some other factors that played into the board’s decision.
He says, unfortunately, that means that they will be closing one of the school buildings.
He says that from here on, they’ll be working on the sharing agreements with other districts and that all of that will be in place in time to start school in the fall. McClain thanks the community for their support and says that they know it’s tough when changes of this magnitude are made. He wishes everyone the best and asks that they continue to support the district’s students.
