The Clymer, Panama and Sherman school boards are currently scheduling talks to discuss potential shared services, tuitioning of students and possible mergers. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

CLYMER — The Clymer Central School Board of Education views collaboration among neighboring school districts as a necessary step toward its own preservation.

The board recently submitted letters of interest regarding shared services, the tuitioning of students and possible merger to the boards of education in Panama and Sherman. A merger study was previously held between Clymer and Panama in 2017 in addition to sharing employees in recent years.

“After a number of studies and internal analysis, we are not financially sustainable,” read Clymer board president Ed Mulkearn from a pre-written statement at a special meeting Sept. 17. “Without program and staff cuts we cannot go for more than three years without another large tax increase.”

“The board of education has and continues to be committed to maintaining current programming.”

Mulkearn’s statement was delivered three months after the community approved an almost 9% percent tax levy increase for the 2019-20 school budget in June during a district-wide revote. The community previously voted down proposed budgets containing a higher 13% tax levy increase a month prior and an earlier, separate proposal for the 2018-19 school budget in May 2018.

However, as one Clymer teacher put it at the Sept. 17 meeting, a “black cloud” had returned to the school district. Throughout September, the district was faced with three resignations in prominent positions at the school.

Superintendent Ed Bailey announced his resignation on Sept. 10 that becomes effective Sept. 30. The resignations of Principal Corey Markham and board member Amanda Stapels were announced at the Sept. 17 meeting. Staples’ departure was effective Sept. 12 while Markham’s becomes effective Oct. 16. Bailey cited two different visions for Clymer’s future between the board’s and his own as the primary reason for resigning.

The Clymer board has since appointed Karen Krause as the interim superintendent while exploring other options during its superintendent search. Krause is under a three-month contract, who previously served as superintendent and interim superintendent in the Ripley Central School District.

Upon receiving Clymer’s letter, Bert Lictus, Panama superintendent, discussed the matter with the Panama school board at its Sept. 16 meeting. Lictus said the district would be open to having a conversation with Clymer “if down the road some idea comes up or a situation that might be worth looking into.”

Panama and Clymer most recently organized the merger study that stalled during a straw vote, or referendum vote, held Nov. 16, 2017. Panama community members voted 192 to 168 in favor while those in the Clymer school district voted 654 to 186 against. It was indicated during the time of the merger study that Sherman declined to participate with the two other districts.

If a consolidation referendum vote is defeated, the state requires school districts to wait a year and a day before any further merger talks can proceed. In February, well over a year after the merger study concluded, both school districts indicated to The Post-Journal that renewing the merger conversation was not being considered at that time.

“We decided that I would respond to them in a general matter. Like most schools we’re always looking to enhance student outcomes,” Lictus said in response to Clymer’s most recent inquiry, noting that Panama will continue under the philosophy of collaborating with other schools to increase student achievement.

Clymer has since received a letter from Panama expressing interest in a meeting between the two school districts, according to Mulkearn.

Lictus was previously the shared superintendent of Panama and Clymer. He resigned from the Clymer portion of his role during the 2017-18 school year following the failed merger study. Soon after Lictus’ departure, effective February 2018, other shared employees soon resigned from Clymer and returned to their sole position in Panama too. Those positions included the director of instruction, the director of technology and an assistant account clerk who were all employed in Clymer through shared services agreements.

Included in Clymer’s most recent budget vote were non-binding propositions regarding how the school district should operate moving forward. For a potential merger, the proposition received a vote of 691 to 278 in favor. For utilizing shared services, the community voted 770 to 185 in favor. The redistricting and tuitioning students propositions were received unfavorably — by a vote of 377 to 531 against and 351 to 562 against, respectively.

Now, again, Mulkearn and the Clymer board, citing the community’s interest, would like to revisit the possible collaboration with its neighboring districts in any form.

“Everything is on the table,” Mulkearn told The Post-Journal.

He noted that the board intends to seek out shared services with Sherman and Panama first before a merger is considered, as directed by the popular results from district voters in June.

The three school districts currently share a JV and varsity football team that earned a state Class D football title last year, a fact Mulkearn included in his recent statement.

“The same successes that we have shared on the football field working together are attainable in all other aspects of our students’ educational experience,” Mulkearn told a roomful of community members.

Michael Ginestre, Sherman superintendent, confirmed that a meeting between Sherman and Clymer officials has been tentatively agreed upon. Ginestre also referenced the success Sherman has had in football collaborating with neighboring school districts.

“They reached out to us to talk about shared services and of course about ways we can enhance opportunities for students. We’re going to talk about that,” he said.