COLERIDGE — The Coleridge School hallways were full Monday.
Over 160 people showed up to gather information, ask questions and voice opinions on whether a Middle School for Laurel and Coleridge students should be located in Coleridge.
The Middle School Information Meeting included a tour of the school building, along with information on having students from Coleridge and Laurel-Concord Schools merge if a middle school is created.
Supt. Rich Patton said a middle school at Coleridge would give the students their own space and activities.
This idea is not new as Coleridge, Laurel-Concord, Newcastle and Wynot schools have a history of sharing.

“The four schools have been in a co-op. We have done everything we could to work together. We have shared everything you could think of — staff, buses, equipment,” said Head Administrative Director Craig Frerichs. “We would not have been able to offer all of the classes that were available to the students without the four schools sharing.”
Frerichs reminded the group of the three goals the four schools have had since they entered into a sharing agreement: maintain a school in each district, offer the best education possible and operate in the most cost efficient manner.
Two teachers from Douglas County West shared some experiences of Valley and Waterloo schools starting a middle school at Waterloo five years ago.
“The decision you are trying to make is so familiar to us. This is just what we went through,” said Mike Lynch, the assistant principal and activity director at Douglas County West High School.
“The problems and concerns with the change was never a kid issue. The adults had more problems with doing it, but all of those worries and concerns have worked out. There were issues on transportation and it all worked out.”
Brad Fidde, who teaches at the Douglas County West Middle School, said he thinks the students are doing better academically since the Middle School was established.
“I like the team effort that can be in place at a middle school,” said Fidde.
In the question and answer time the Douglas County West representatives were asked why they consolidated.
“Declining numbers and finances,” Lynch answered.
Another question centered on how the two communities reacted to one another with the consolidation.
“They have come together. At activities and school events we are one school,” said Lynch. “When plans for the consolidation of the schools began, some of the parents said they would take their kids to another school if the merger happened.”
Having Valley and Waterloo merge has ended up bringing more students into the district, according to Lynch.
“We get more kids from the bigger schools coming in,” he said. “I think it is because there are more opportunities for the kids. It has been very positive to have a separate middle school.”
School board members had asked elementary Principal Stephanie Petersen and high school Principal Les Owen to put together a model of what a dream middle school would look like.
“Middle Schoolers are not to the point of high school, but they don’t fit into the elementary. They are not sociably or academically mature enough to be with high school students,” said Owen. “They are trying to find themselves; this particular age group needs guidance.”
In a middle school setting, a team of teachers meets every day and visits about how the students are doing, according to Owen.
Petersen said the facility at Coleridge would give the students a lot of advantages.
“We would build on the student council, we might look at a National Honor Roll Society for this age and we could hold a Middle School Science Fair,” Petersen said.
According to Petersen, there is a problem at the Laurel-Concord School.
“We are running out of room at Laurel,” said Petersen.
The Coleridge location for a Middle School would offer the students their own science, technology and math labs; rooms for music, art, Family Consumer Science and Industrial art, along with their own library and gym.
“I want to emphasis the middle school is not a done deal — the board asked us to put this together for information purposes,” said Petersen.
“We need a community consensus in order to move ahead without conflict,” said Supt. Patton.
Petersen said the meeting wasn’t just about the middle school as Coleridge would also be taking their high school students to Laurel.
A question was asked if the Coleridge High School students were okay with going to Laurel next year.
“Keeping a high school in Coleridge is number driven — so at one point they will have to go somewhere,” Owen said.
Other questions asked were if Coleridge and Laurel students would keep their own identities. If Coleridge High School students go to Laurel will they be the Laurel Bears? Will middle school students be called Coleridge Bulldogs?
“Several sports between the two schools are already in a co-op,” Frerichs said. “It might make more sense financially when you consider uniforms, colors and the expense to co-op on everything. We will have to look at the sports and activities one by one. We have not made a decision yet.”
A middle school would still be a share and not a consolidation, according to Frerichs.
Coleridge School Board president Robert Colwell was excited about the turn out at the Information Meeting.
“I am impressed with the number of people that turned out,” said Colwell. “We have laid out all of the avenues. People can now talk constructively about the pros and cons.”
Coleridge board member Betty Jo Leapley was pleased with the event.
“I am happy with the crowd,” said Leapley. “The meeting went well.”