Editor’s note: This column was first published on Aug. 17, 2003. Six years later, it might be time again to consider merging the county’s two school districts.
Has the time come to consider combining Comal and New Braunfels into a single, countywide school district?
A lot of changes have occurred in the decades since the two school districts were formed.
New Braunfels is no longer a small town. The county is no longer a sparsely populated rural culture.
There was no Robin Hood plan then. Surely no one back then could envision a state-funding plan that would rob Comal County of tax dollars needed to educate our own children.
Is it time to consider consolidation?
What would it hurt for both school boards to ask their district’s bean counters to run the numbers?
The politics of territorial imperatives that would engulf consolidating the school districts would be excruciating for both school boards.
But would combining the school districts reduce or eliminate the state taking money from Comal Independent School District through the Robin Hood plan? Yes, it would benefit New Braunfels, but isn’t that better than benefiting students hundreds of miles away?
Would merging the two districts result in significant savings in administrative costs that would benefit taxpayers in both school districts? Could some redundant administrative jobs be eliminated?
What about transportation costs? When you have school buses from two school districts driving past each other, surely savings in transportation costs are possible?
Could some offices and support facilities be eliminated, reducing overall costs?
Could combining resources allow for better, more cost-effective opportunities to provide facilities and resources for special education, computer training, agriculture and technical training and other specialties?
Many important aspects of our schools could stay basically the same, including some very important traditions.
The Cougars, Rangers and Unicorns would preserve their histories and rivalries. The PTAs and their parent members would still have an intricate and necessary input into the policies and direction of education on the classroom level.
None of these important traditions would have to change significantly, if at all.
Decades ago, Spring Branch and the western portion of the county along US 281, and the Canyon Lake area to the north, had much less in common with New Braunfels.
But now, the entire county is being united, whether we like it or not, by the homogenizing effect of suburban sprawl.
In the past, differences in cultures and attitudes probably justified separate school districts.
But does it make sense now?
A blue-ribbon task force could be formed to study the issue.
The panel could have three goals:
Determine whether significant advantages and benefits would be created for enhancing education at a reduced cost in the future.
A report could be released for public scrutiny that would provide an explanation of the panel’s findings, including a cost analysis based on jobs eliminated and services re-organized.
Based on those findings, the panel should either recommend for or against combining the two school districts.
If a merger is recommended, the panel should determine the mechanism for proceeding with a proposed merger.
The panel should be comprised of taxpayers, parents, citizens selected for their expertise or training in finance or law, teachers, school administrators and school board members.
Representatives for the school districts, i.e. paid administrators or teachers, should serve in an ex officio capacity only.
This group should include:
• Several parent representatives from each school district. At least one or two from each district should be selected to specifically represent PTAs.
• A couple of taxpayer representatives from each district who are not parents of children currently in school.
• At least a couple CPA types who are not affiliated by employment or contract with either school district.
• A lawyer or two might be needed.
• At least one, but no more than two school board members from each district.
Non-voting members of the panel should probably include:
• Each school district’s top financial administrator.
• A teacher representative from each district.
• An administrative representative from each district.
The leader of this panel might need to be brought in from the outside, considering the pressures and politics of the situation.
If someone local were selected, he or she must be a strong leader capable of maintaining his or her independence.
School board members should consider creating such a panel. Supporting a study would not mean they support the merger.
Let’s consider the possibilities. If it does not make sense, do not consolidate. But if does, then the taxpayers have a right to determine whether a change is needed.
