Three Southwestern School Board members voted Monday against conducting independent studies about consolidation with the Madison school district.
One board member voted in favor of conducting a study, and another member abstained.
Southwestern Schools Superintendent Steve Telfer said he had been opposed to a merger because it was unclear why Madison wanted to consolidate and he did not see how such a move would benefit Southwestern Schools.
Madison Superintendent Tom Patterson said last week that if the Southwestern board voted against the studies, the consolidation talks would probably die.
Telfer said another reason board members decided against the studies was a concern over costs.
Board member Narci Burress said she did not want the school to pay any money for the studies, but abstained from voting because she felt not enough facts were presented to make a decision. Board member David Nickels voted to conduct the studies.
Madison School Board member Linda Darnell was present at the meeting and said she did not know if she was for or against consolidation and did not want the Southwestern School Board to approve any money for a study. Having a study, however, could be useful to both school districts if the state mandates consolidation.
Southwestern School Board member Jodi Gray said getting the funding and conducting studies in favor of a merger could potentially bring more pressure from the state to consolidate.
Darnell said if that were the case, and studies showed a merger was harmful to one or both districts, then both school corporations should lobby to the state against forcing consolidation.
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