Towards the end of the Owen-Withee School Board meeting on July 15, the board met with representatives from the Greenwood School District to discuss ways they might collaborate. Greenwood was represented by their District Administrator, Middle/High School Principal, and the school board president, vice-president, treasurer, and a board member.

Greenwood District Administrator Joe Green did most of the talking. He said that Greenwood and Loyal share some staff. They started doing this two years ago feeling if you have something that others need, you should help. They work together to make sure they are giving kids opportunities. The two districts are only seven miles apart. Greenwood and Owen-Withee are a little farther apart, but it was felt that it would still be doable. Green said they started with aligning their calendars for the most part. They then started sharing some in-service costs. They aligned their bell schedules, although lunch is different in both schools. Loyal had a college prep English class so 10 students from Greenwood went to Loyal. Greenwood offered AutoCAD to six students from Loyal. No money was exchanged. Greenwood contracted with the Loyal Band teacher for their 6th grade band students. They share marching band and the one-act play. For technology education they move teachers and students. He said there are hurdles with resistant staff sometimes. Green added that transportation costs are relevant but shouldn’t prevent giving kids opportunities. He said sports were where the worst roadblocks to collaboration occurred. Green said that a partnership is never perfect for both parties at the same time, that “it is more like a marriage relationship where it is not always convenient for both sides.” He said they are expanding on what “our” means and looking at a bigger circle for “our” kids.

Green said that all small schools are in the same boat. O-W Board president Julie Wendler said, “We have to work together.” Green said they began by visiting Whitehall as the four districts in Trempealeau County have a cooperative. They talked about creating something similar in Clark County.

O-W guidance counselor Morgan Mueller pointed out that Greenwood is on a trimester system while O-W has semesters. She said the alternative program might be a place to start. She also felt that the Rural Virtual Academy had really helped offer students at O-W opportunities. She said that O-W doesn’t have staff credentialed to do advanced classes and wondered if CVTC could work with the districts to make transcript college credit easier. She suggested talking to staff about how they feel about this.

O-W board member Dean Schmelzer felt it might work for seniors that have met most of their requirements. They could take the time to do a course at Greenwood that wasn’t offered at O-W. He said many students are going to work or whatever and missing out on their senior year. Green said that CVTC conversations are about inequity for dual credits. They are different from NTC. He said that Loyal students can get dual credit for classes, while Greenwood students in the same class with the same instructor cannot. NTC credits transfer directly to CVTC. Mueller said if a class is offered in-house at O-W, it has to go through CVTC, but if it is online, students can go through NTC. Wendler pointed out that students in bigger schools can start college as sophomores because of dual credits. She said they have to figure out how to be competitive. Mueller said the maximum allowed in-house through CVTC is 18 credits.

Green said CESA has been a really good resource. Mueller said that CESA also offers classes, some of which are dual credit.

Green said that trimesters is what Loyal had so Greenwood changed to trimesters. It offers students more opportunities. He said that last year is the first year they did this. Greenwood’s principal said there is no perfect schedule set-up. With trimesters, if you don’t do well in a class, you have another opportunity to take the class in the same year.

Wendler asked if Greenwood and Loyal share anything else. Green said they did share a food service director for a time and they are looking at sharing some elementary guidance counseling for next year. There was also talk about teachers mentoring new teachers, which is hard to do when you only have one teacher per subject in a small school district. Green said this is not about eliminating positions. It is about enhancing what both districts are doing with what they have.

O-W board member Todd Nelson asked about all three districts working together. Green said there was some conversation at the WASB conference about setting up a group with Owen-Withee, Greenwood, Loyal, Granton and Neillsville. He said he is less confident each time they have to go to referendum, so they have to do something.

Mueller asked how they move forward, did it involve forming a committee. Green said the school boards meet together if they need to and that the ultimate goal is to be in a position where they don’t have to shift money. O-W staff member Caleb Green asked what co-curricular looked like. Green said they share transportation costs.

Nothing was decided at the meeting and more conversation needs to take place before anything can happen.