In a update to this post, there has been a change in the Essex school district’s strategy. In a series of KMA stories:
- A school board member resigned in early March because he felt he was “going in a different direction than the rest of the board.
- Later that month, residents presented a petition “demanding that the board halt its exploration of sharing with contiguous school districts”.
- That came to a head at the April school board meeting.
- It must have had an effect, because earlier this month the Essex board and Red Oak board met to discuss operational sharing, rather than grade sharing.
- Essex still needs a superintendent, and a couple other positions, after terminating some agreements with East Mills.
A Valley News Today (Shenandoah) article in March reported that the state had suggested the district be looking to cut $500,000 from its budget. Apparently not on the table — or at least not mentioned anywhere I’ve seen — is increasing the local income surtax. Essex’s surtax is currently 9%, while the highest rates in the state aren’t too far away in Sidney (20%) and Fremont-Mills (17%).