In a 5-2 Vote North Lawrence Community School Board Members Vote Against Transfer of OMS Students

BEDFORD - (March 17, 2022) - Despite the final pleas from North Lawrence Community School Superintendent Dr. Ty Mungle and North Lawrence Curriculum Director Maggie Dainton; the North Lawrence School board voted against the transfer of Oolitic Middle School students to Bedford Middle School.

In the 5-2 Vote all the board members except Bryce Bennet and Tracy Bailey voted against the transfer of Oolitic Middle School students.

(Community members spoke against the proposal, many saying that the transfer of OMS would drive many parents to seek other school choices)

During the public comment period Ross Lester told the school board " This is North Lawrence Community Schools not Bedford Community Schools," The speakers telling school board members that the transfer of these students will push parents to find other school options for their children.

In reaction to tonight's vote Scott King says " I am glad they voted the way they did. I think they listened to us and paid attention,"

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" I am glad the majority of the school board members, exercised good judgment. And they carefully evaluated the merits of the proposal," said Ross Lester.

" Some of these students have been moved 4 or 5 times within the last two years and the timing is just not right at this time. I appreciate the work some of you have put into this, however the timing is just not right," said Kristen Collier the only NLCS board member to comment on the vote during the meeting.

North Lawrence Community Schools stated they would not release a statement to the media regarding tonight's vote.

The North Lawrence Community school board voted to close four elementary schools and Shawswick Middle School in January 2020. The rationale for the closures was some of the schools were operating in deficit spending, and operational costs were above 21 percent for the school corporation.

However, the school corporation have not released any data in the actual savings from the consolidation. Enrollment and staff departures continue to affect the school corporations as the low pay of teachers is driving the teachers to better paying jobs outside the North Lawrence Community School Corporation.

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Following the North Lawrence Community School corporation vote to consolidate the elementary schools two charter schools have been created on Lawrence County's western border.

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