This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

Where are the city-county school discussions heading now?

I think the general public is a bit out in the dark as to where these discussions are heading.

We read headlines of last week that a school merger has priority.   Yet the idea of a merger between the two school districts was tossed out of the negotiations almost from the beginning.

Discussions moved to the question of deciding the boundaries of the district which were confusing in that some students attending county elementary would wind up in city high schools.

Both sides apparently\agreed on a boundary realignment plan that was to go into effect.

Regional education  officials accepted a proposal by a former Mazama High School teacher, Mark Ahalt,   The proposal had over 2,000 signatures and was submitted to the education service district in August.

As I understand it if no remonstrances are filed against the realignment of the boundaries after 20 days it becomes effective.  

Now if one or more remonstances are filed against the merger proposal that proposal would be subject to an election.   IF only one remonstrance is filed against the merger plan it would be on the March 2009 ballot. 

Now if remonstrances are filed in both districts against the merger or the realignment plan, each district would vote individually with the city district voting first.  Remonstrance by one district could halt the alignment plan.

The Oregon Department of education says that merger would take precedence over the realignment plan.

Currently, under the realignment plan the city would receive Altamont Elementary School, three pieces of property and some attendance zones.  The county would receive Mazama High School and keep Fairhaven Elementary.  Plans apparently are to close Fairhaven and possibly Altamont.

What begin as a plan to merge the two districts into one had become a legal puzzle that will take some time to sort out.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.