LAUREL — The wait is over — Coleridge will have a Middle School next fall.
After months of speculation, meetings, planning, research and differences of opinions, the Laurel-Concord School Board members voted 4-1 to approve moving students in grades 5-8 to a Middle School in Coleridge for the 2010-11 school year. John Wolfgram was the only Board member to vote against the plan.
Coleridge High School students will attend classes at Laurel-Concord and the two schools will be involved in a football co-op.
Coleridge is currently bussing pre-school through fourth grade students to Laurel.
Before the vote was taken, Supt. Rich Patton was asked to give his recommendation on the middle school.

“Supt. Patton was brought in with a clear set of eyes — we have asked him to look at this and give us his viewpoint,” said LCHS Board President Tim Bearnes.
Patton’s presentation included both the pros and cons of the middle school proposal.
“I knew this would be one of the most important decisions that you will ever make as board members,” said Patton. “We worked hard to get good information. I have spoken with many people and attended many meetings. I have learned a lot about this issue, the district and our community.”
Patton had made contact with people in three school districts that had established middle schools: DC West (Waterloo and Valley), Boone Central (Albion and Petersburg) and Wisner and Pilger.
“Of the nine people I spoke to, they all said once they did it they were glad they had done it. Some of these communities had contentious debates in the process of deciding to go with a middle school,” said Patton.
Patton listed the reasons a middle school would be a good option for Laurel and Coleridge.
A middle school will give the students their own space and own identity.
The staff will have only middle school duties and will become skilled in meeting the unique needs of this age group.
A middle school would limit the number of distance education classes.
“That is one thing I have learned during the past few months — there are some people who are concerned about having so many distance learning classes,” said Patton. “We cannot abandon distance learning, but we can lower the number with a Middle School.”
On the other hand, if Laurel loses the Coleridge students, the school would be in a situation of choosing more distance learning classes.
Establishing a middle school will help maintain the Level III Special Education and Credit Recovery Programs at Coleridge, as well.
Patton said there are also some fiscal advantages to the arrangement.
“This is a time of economic uncertainty,” said Patton. “Accepting this proposal will give Laurel non-traditional revenue to help as the traditional revenue sources dwindle. Expenses will be minimized through sharing.”
Busing would be one of the biggest disadvantages Laurel would see with having a middle school located in Coleridge.
An activity bus will be added for students staying after school for activities and a daily noon shuttle will be used for sick students, forgotten homework, doctor appointments or other reasons.
The Laurel School will plan to add a route to the east side of the district to reduce busing time.
“Bus drivers from both schools will work together on the routes,” Patton said. “We will work with the drivers and the parents to minimize busing problems.”
With a middle school located in Coleridge, the Laurel parents would be forced to drive an extra distance to attend activities or pick up children at school if needed.
“We can do this. It will be a step up,” said Patton. “I see this as a flourish or wither situation. We can look to the future and find ways to flourish as opposed to starting down a withering path of slow decay.”
Visitors at the Laurel School Board meeting were given an opportunity to make comments or ask questions, but there were only a few responses.
Questions that were asked centered on having the two districts consolidate rather than be involved in an inter-local agreement and waiting until a later date to vote on a middle school.
Financially, it would not be a good idea for the Laurel-Concord and Coleridge Districts to consolidate.
“It would cost us $400,000 a year in state aid to consolidate — I can’t recommend that,” said Patton.
“Due to the long history of research done on this, we will make the decision tonight,” said Bearnes. “The legal advice we received told us to go ahead and vote tonight.”
Patton thanked the board members for making a difficult decision.
“This has been an emotional meeting,” he said. “No matter what decision was made there will be people who are unhappy. I ask that we stay together as a family and make this thing work. I am confident that good things will happen. Try it for a year.”
Decisions of all of the parents will be respected, Patton said
If any parents choose to have their students leave, the school will work with them.
“There will be some inconveniences,” Patton said. “However, the biggest and most difficult inconvenience would have been cutting teachers, reducing programs and limiting future opportunities for our students.”