FAQs

A:  Consolidation aims to address programmatic limitations caused by declining enrollment in separate districts. By combining resources, the new district can explore:

• Expand Academic Offerings: Offer a wider variety of courses, including more electives and advanced placement options that are currently difficult to sustain individually.

• Enhance Student Support: Provide better access to specialized staff.

• Strengthen Extracurriculars: Ensure more robust teams and clubs by drawing from a larger student body.

A: The financial outlook for a consolidated district is driven largely by state incentives rather than just immediate "cuts":

• Incentive Aid: The state provides additional "Incentive Aid" for five years following consolidation to help with the transition.

• Tax Rate Decrease: Financial projections show a significant projected decrease in the mill rate for the consolidated district, based on streamlining duplicative costs and a larger taxpayer population. Exact calculation of expected consolidated mill rate will be published with the plan is confirmed. Current mill rates are $7.56 in Greenwood and $6.17 in Loyal.

A:  Current Reality: Both districts currently rely on operational referendums to maintain their existing programs.

Consolidated Future: The consolidated district would likely require a smaller total referendum amount than the two districts would individually to provide the same level of education 

A:  The Joint Task Force is currently evaluating a few primary concepts for building usage and grade configurations. Data has been collected regarding enrollment trends, transportation, open-enrollment, coursework offerings and post-secondary readiness.  It is the role of the Joint Task Force to make a consolidation recommendation, based on this research, keeping student opportunities and fiscal responsibility at the forefront.

A:  Retaining Students: The primary goal of consolidation is to offer a higher-quality "product" that keeps local students from leaving for neighboring districts.

Addressing Declines: Both districts have seen enrollment drops over the last decade. Consolidation is viewed as a strategy to stop this decline by becoming a more competitive and attractive district.

A:  Efficiency: Consolidating allows for the redesign of bus routes to eliminate overlapping territories between the two existing districts.

Travel Times: While students in the outlying areas may experience slightly longer rides to reach a centralized school, the plan aims to optimize routes to keep these times within reasonable limits.

A:  Minimizing mid-day student transfers is a priority to reduce both costs and disruption. While some mid-day transportation may still occur under an East/West model, estimated costs are modest—about $50,000 annually (approx. $286.40 per day cost). In context, this is a small portion compared to combined current transportation spending($821,565) and the overall projected $1.6–$2.6 million in annual savings from consolidation.

Suggestions for minimizing busing with East/West High School Model:

• Each Student Has a Base Campus: 80–90%+ of classes taken at one campus

• One Pathway Only: Travel only for a single specialty program if needed

• Limited Shuttle Times: 2–4 scheduled trips per day (or fewer)

• Flexible Scheduling: Block schedules (90-minute blocks) or alternating M/W/F vs. T/Th

• Move Teachers, Not Students: Staff travel when feasible

• Use Virtual Learning: Reduces additional trips

Result: Minimal, predictable busing with expanded student opportunities.

Assumes a closed campus for both schools to avoid students driving back and forth during the day.

Note: Final transportation logistics, including bus routes and schedules, will be determined by district administration and school boards—not the Joint Task Force.

A:  Shared History: The Task Force recognizes that "community pride" is often the biggest taxpayer hurdle and strives to keep each unique identity in mind.

New Identity: A successful transition involves creating a new shared identity (new mascot, colors, and name) while still honoring the histories of both the Loyal and Greenwood.

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A:  If the districts remain separate, they face significant challenges:

• Financial Strain: Both will likely need larger and more frequent operational referendums just to keep the doors open.

• Program Cuts: Continued declining enrollment will force further reductions in staff, course offerings, and extracurricular opportunities.

A:  Public Meetings: Attend upcoming Joint School Board (first Wednesday of each month) meetings to hear directly from leadership.

District Websites: Both Loyal and Greenwood post presentation slides, financial data, and task force updates online.

A:  There is a public comment section of every School Board Meeting and every Joint School Board meeting. The public is welcome to attend and speak at any or all.

Over the summer of 2026, there will be a Community Input Session in each community. Look for details to attend and hear more about the proposed plan for the consolidation vote in November.

A:  Yes, if the Joint School Boards decide to draft a resolution to put the consolidation plan on the ballot, voters will likely see this in November 2026.  Both communities would have to vote Yes for the plan to be enacted.

A:The boards are following the statute for consolidation that follows an 18-month timeline. If the resolution is approved on the November 2026 ballot, the joint board must approve the resolution at their December meeting.  This would start the 18-month timeline, which makes the start of the consolidation July 1, 2028.

A:A new operational referendum would need to be approved prior to the 2028-2029 school year.  The approved consolidation plan will determine the extent to which taxpayers could see school tax relief.  This would happen as early as 2029.