Truth in the Rumor

I have been getting anonymous notes from the readers of the Commentator--rumors that made it worthwhile to do a little legwork for the rest of our readers.  I am reconstructing what I said from memory so please forgive me if I get it a little wrong.  I am sure that someone will correct me and that is fine!!  Here We Go:

First:  The Rumor from Anonymous:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Bizarre Rumor":

Monday, September 28th at 5:00 there will be a Public Forum at MES regarding what they are wanting to do with the schools. The rumor I heard is that they want to combine MMS and Greenbank at the high school property and combine MES and Hillsboro in one (maybe the MMS building?). It' no secret that they want MES moved and/or closed, that was in the newspaper! Show up on Monday to hear what they have to say!

Here's what we know from talking with the interim superintend:

There is a grain of truth.  According to him, the suggestion has been made as follows:

HES would become a K-6 school

GBMS would become a K-6 school.

MES would become a K-6 school but at the MMS facility.

MES would be the new board office.

7th and 8th graders from both schools would go to a new facility at the high school.  Some will remember that GBMS was once at the high school.

MES would move to the old MMS building (which actually isn't so old.)

The goal would be to get MES out of the flood plain,  strength the need for HES which has an extremely low student count.  The board office would no longer be on the second floor of the old Jr. High (out of the floodplain)  but would now be in the flood plain in the current MES building.

No plans for the multimillion dollar Wellness Center that just opened.

Arguments for moving MES consist of the fact that MES currently has little foot traffic impacting the town.  There would be a nice cafeteria in the Board Office.  The Board would continue to be a water and sewer user.   The Board Office would have a very nice public meeting room (the previous music room) HES would not have to be closed.  The Board Office is expensive to heat.  

Arguments against moving MES to MMS.  Traveling distance and mountain terrain.  7th and 8th graders from the lower end and the upper end of the county would have additional traveling time and miles.  Not moving might force the closure of HES.  

NOW THERE IS A PUBLIC MEETING but it is just not on the agenda.  I am including a picture of the agenda for the meeting tonight.  It will tell you that the board is regularly to meet at the Board Office at 7:00.  THE PUBLIC MEETING IS AT 5:00 Monday evening IN THE MES MUSIC ROOM.  No action is to be taken and because it is not on the agenda this reporter assumes that the entire board will not be present to hear public comment.  (All public meetings of school officials have to be announced when a quorum of members meet together.  

This means that by law one would not expect more than two board members at that public meeting.  (The question is not whether they take action, but whether they meet to discuss anything.)  If there are three members or more,  I want to know about it.