School board member proposes consolidating two area districts

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by Dara Newson

Story Created: Jun 22, 2012 at 7:18 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 22, 2012 at 7:37 PM CDT

A meeting between the Hastings City Council and the Hastings School Board led to a discussion of consolidating two central Nebraska school districts into one.

School board member Jim Heyen proposed the idea that Adams Central and Hastings Public Schools keep their current schools but share the same resources.

"Council was saying that they wanted to work, we need to work, with not only Hastings Public Schools but Adams Central and St. Cecilia and the comment I made was that we need to be one district," Heyen said.

Heyen says the possibility would save money and help provide a better education.

"The thing we want is what's best for our children and to me that would be the best thing to do is to make one district where you can share programs," he said. "And, if they don't have a certain program they can come into Hastings or we can go out there."

Craig Kautz, Superintendent of Hastings Public Schools, says he thinks the idea stems from years past.

"Prior to 1966, a lot of the area that is now served by the Adams Central School District was actually served by Hastings Public Schools," Kautz said.

But, whether it's in the best interest of both districts to reunify would have to be decided by the communities and the board of education.

"The bottom line is unless it's mutual, mutually beneficial to both entities, it'll be a long time before an area that was one time served by one school district is once again served by one school district," Kautz said.

'It's gonna take a lot of hard work and there's going to be some resistance in doing but I think it's something uh for all our children it's the best thing that could happen," Heyen said.

The discussion between the council and the school board was only a discussion; no plans have been made to move forward with the ideas.

No one from the Adams Central School Board was not available for comment by air time.

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