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Boundary change may keep school district afloat By TONY BOOM LINCOLN - Although a proposed school district boundary change would have a negligible impact in Ashland, it could help make Pinehurst School District financially stable and potentially save Ashland from having to absorb the rural mountain district. A change that will transfer 83 tax lots from the eastern part of Ashland School District into Pinehurst's territory was unanimously approved by the Ashland school board on Monday. Pinehurst approved the proposal earlier. Eight students from the area already attend Pinehurst School. Students from the area between Greensprings Summit and Tubb Springs have historically gone to Pinehurst School, although they were in the Ashland district. The school has 29 students from kindergarten to eighth grade enrolled for next year. High school students are bused to Ashland. A boundary change allows board members to be elected from the area. Finding enough people to serve on the five-member board has been a challenge for the district. Jackson Education Service District could take an active role in finding board members or ultimately be involved in running the school if the board falls below a three-member quorum. Both boards will send their vote results to the ESD board, which also acts as the boundary board for school districts. The ESD will make a final decision on the matter. "When we started this process, my child was in the third grade. Now she's in the seventh," said Diarmuid McGuire, owner of the Greensprings Inn and a resident of the affected area. "We are extremely grateful to the Ashland board for finally making it possible." McGuire might run for the board. He is now chair of the Pinehurst School Foundation. "The younger kids all seem to be on the west end of the community now," said McGuire. "Children on the east end ... have gone on to high school." The change may also lead to greater financial stability for the school, said Pinehurst board member Sally Badenhop. "If enrollment goes down too low we don't have a school," said Badenhop. "This will mean we have enough enrollment to keep funds coming in." McGuire, Richard Holbo and Ron Schaff have been involved with the school, but couldn't participate in a legal way because they were outside the district, said Badenhop. "When the line was drawn in 1904 ... it split our community," said Schaaf. "That's never been comfortable for all of us." Ashland board member Terry Littleton thinks it is in her district's interest that Pinehurst remain open. "If Ashland had to absorb the Pinehurst School District we would have a problem with all those kids who should be bused down the hill on wintry days, or have to keep the school open, and that would be expensive," she said. Ashland Superintendent Juli Di Chiro recommended against the change. Littleton said Di Chiro wasn't strongly on one side or the other of the issue. "Districts aren't funded on property taxes any more. It has practically no negative impact on us," said Littleton. Financial impact to the Ashland district will be less than 0.1 percent. Residents in the affected area would pay taxes on Ashland school district bond measures already approved. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.