Page 32 - 1980
P. 32
Merger
Right to be
'me’ is issue
alston High School stu
R dent council president
Steve Beideck released a
statement on December 10,
1979 confirming the student
council’s opposition of the
merger proposed by Omaha
Public Schools.
The council’s reasoning
for their opposition is:
“ 1. We would like to keep
our identity as that of Ral If Ralston was toread to merge with OPS, these Middle School students might be the first to suffer the consequences.
ston Senior High School, an
independent high school in School districts may die in court
an independent school dis
trict.
2. We want to maintain the benefit financially from the Only Millard has experi dents each year.)
high quality of education merger because of the enced an increase. Assistant Superintendent
that we are now receiving as wealth of Ralston and Dis Ralston School Superin of Millard School District
trict 66. tendent Gerald Kleinsmith Ronald Witt denies that Mil
students of school District
#54 of Ralston and “ It (the report) suggests said that although there are lard’s growth is linked in any
3. We want to be able to merger would be tremen always new families in the way to the OPS budget lid or
continue participation in and dously beneficial to OPS district, he has not talked to count-mandated integration.
and very detrimental to Ral any parents who cited prob “This kind of growth has
to maintain the quality of the
programs now available to ston and Westside (District lems with the OPS system as been happening long before
us, so that we will become 66),” said Monaghan. a factor in their move to Ral the lid or busing in public
better persons later in life.” Monaghan also com ston. schools,” Witt said.
mented that there might be At District 66, Assistant
OPS is MIA no benefit to merging with Superintendent Ken Hansen
says the district is in much
Millard because it is not in
he Omaha Public School
the same financial position the same situation as Ral T District proposed to
he 1980 Nebraska Legis as Ralston and District 66. ston: there is no where to merge with Ralston, District
T lature has not consid OPS officials believe that expand, the children in the 66, and Millard school dis
ered action on the merger a major factor responsible district are maturing beyond tricts. The three suburban
proposed by Omaha Public for their financial deteriora school age, and younger districts that border OPS
Schools. tion is due to the flight of families are looking else have made it clear that they
This is partially due to middle to high income fami where for homes. Hansen have no intentions of merg
OPS’s ‘non-commitment.’ lies to the suburbs, thus says he has talked with OPS ing and are willing to fight
OPS has not taken an legal leaving only poor families to families who are disturbed the merger in court if it is
action; they have only dis finance the district. about the budget lid, but necessary.
cussed the possibilites. OPS believes that these feels they will find little room Financial problems plus a
Two senators, Vard John families have fled because to “ hide” in the Westside declining enrollment
son and Pat Venditte, inves of mandated programs, system. prompted the merger action.
tigated two separate bills, forced busing, and the “ In fact, our enrollment OPS board member
but introduced none to the spending lid. has gone down at a greater James A. Monaghan
Uni-cameral. There is no evidence in rate than that of OPS. There requested a report of the
Ralston’s or District 66’s are no new areas to build financial status of the dis
June 2,1979 — June 6,1980 enrollment to substantiate here,” said Hansen.
Volume 1 tricts. Monaghan, who
Number 1 such claims about families Enrollment has a totally opposes the idea of a
fleeing OPS to the suburbs. different story at Millard, merger, said the report
Both districts have suffered which has had an 80% showed that OPS would
a decline in classroom increase in the past six
enrollment, as well as OPS. years (about 900 more stu
