Newbury Local Schools will merge with West Geauga Local Schools beginning with the 2020-21 academic year, the Newbury board of education announced Tuesday.
The decision was made "after studying the issues of declining enrollment and its financial and educational impact for quite a few years," the board said in a statement. The Berkshire school district had also been under consideration, but in the end West Geauga was chosen in part due to its AP and college-prep courses along with its clubs and sports teams.
The board further wrote:
“The Newbury Schools worked diligently for many years to remain independent, but we reached a critical point once our student enrollment neared 300. It was no longer economically feasible to remain independent. This decision was ultimately made to ensure that our children had access to the classes and programs that will best prepare them for future success.”
It is unknown at this time if the new district will close any of the existing school buildings in either Newbury of West Geauga, and the formal recommendations for a merger have not yet been passed by either school board. In the meantime, however, Newbury says the transition process will begin immediately.
“We understand that this is indeed a bittersweet moment for our staff, parents and families and will continue to communicate transition plans as they are being made,” the statement read. “We are all dedicated to making this process as smooth as possible for our students and our staff.”
