Newbury Schools seeks merger

Declining enrollment cited as main factor to merge with West Geauga

Newbury Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes shared the news with staff and students on Jan. 8.

After considerable deliberation, the Newbury School Board has decided to seek a merger with West Geauga Schools.

The proposed merger would be accomplished through territory transfer and go into effect for the 2020-21 school year.

“This is a sad day,” Hoynes said. “People understand the need for Newbury to become part of a larger district, but the schools are such an important part of the community’s history.”

Declining enrollment and the need to maintain educational quality inside financial constraints were cited as primary reasons for the Newbury board’s decision to seek a merger and cease operation as an independent entity.

K-through-12 enrollment in the Newbury schools for the 2018-19 school year is 351.

That is down from 512 in the 2013-14 school year.

West Geauga Schools have K-through-12 enrollment of 1,972 for the 201819 school year, down from 2.206 in the 2013-14 school year.

Hoynes said Newbury solicited merger presentations from the West Geauga and Berkshire districts.

West Geauga’s proposal was chosen “for the breadth and quality of student programs to clubs and sports that enhance character and build life-long skills,” according to a public statement released Jan. 8 by Newbury.

The merger proposal will be the main item on the agenda at the Newbury School Board’s meeting on Jan. 14. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium

Merger proposals from the Newbury and West Geauga boards will be submitted to the Geauga County Educational Service Center. The ESC board will then vote on the proposed merger. That vote can come no earlier than July 2019.

West Geauga Superintendent Richard Markwardt said that in the months ahead, input will be sought from residents living in both schools districts.

“Change is always unsettling and we’re aware of the anxiety associated with this type of consolidation,” Markwardt said. “This will be a thoughtful, deliberate process. We’ll safeguard the traditions that make Newbury Schools unique.

“There may be some bumps in the road, but we’ll work together and get through them,” Markwardt added. “Both (school) boards endorse the journey.”

Another such consolidation occurred in Geauga County in 2015 when the financially-strapped Ledgemont School District merged via land transfer with Berkshire.