Community group wants Monessen School District to merge with another
A citizens group is trying to generate enough support to convince the Monessen School Board to consider merging with a neighboring school district.
Members of the Monessen Education Reform Group, or TeamMERG, have been appearing at board meetings since the fall urging board members to look into a merger.
Membership in TeamMERG grew recently when more people joined following the district’s unveiling of a preliminary 2017-18 budget that includes a possible tax increase, said Chris Paglia of TeamMERG.
He said the budget proposal includes a possible 52 percent increase in the property tax rate to 110 mills.
“We really want to see all the students in the Monessen City School District to be afforded the same opportunities as their counterparts in surrounding school districts,” he said.
At its Feb. 14 meeting, the school board is expected to consider a $17.2 million preliminary budget, which is $2.3 million more than the current $14.9 million budget. The budget increases would raise the tax rate to 75.08 mills from the current rate of 72.41 mills. It would mark the third consecutive year with a tax increase in the district.
Officials said the proposed increase is due to increased salaries, health care costs, pension costs and debt service.
Paglia said the group has been disseminating information to district residents about the possibility of a tax increase and urging them to attend the board’s next meeting on Monday.
“All we really want is for them to consider the possibility of a merger,” Paglia said.
The group isn’t advocating merging with a specific district, but the Belle Vernon Area or the Charleroi Area school districts are the best options, he said, noting that the group has not approached either district about the idea because the Monessen school board hasn’t supported it.
Charleroi Area School District Superintendent Edward Zelich said no one has contacted the district about a possible merger, but the board and administration are willing to listen to and discuss a proposal because they want to do what’s best for children.
“We want to do what’s best for children, what’s best for the learning community,” Zelich said. “We are open to discussion. We’re always open to communication.” Zelich said.
Belle Vernon Area School District Superintendent John Wilkinson said no officials from the Monessen School District have contacted him about a merger, and he declined to speculate about how the district would respond if a merger was proposed.
Paglia said a merger of districts might be the best way to provide students with a good education and avoid tax increase, he said. He also cited Monessen’s declining enrollment as a potential reason for districts to pool resources.
The group would like to form a committee of both city residents and district officials to study the idea, he said.
The group supports maintaining all union jobs in the district if a merger takes place.
“We want to emphasize we are a pro-union, pro-teacher group,” Paglia said.
Those jobs would be protected better in a merger than they would if the state stepped in like it did with the Duquesne School District in Allegheny County, he said.
Due to low test scores and financial trouble, the state Department of Education closed Duquesne High School in 2007 and sent those students to the West Mifflin and East Allegheny school districts.
“When Duquesne was closed by the state, more employees lost their jobs than would have if a merger had been explored earlier,” Paglia said.
Paglia said the group is planning to contact officials in the Central Valley School District in Beaver County to learn more about the 2009 merger of the Center Area and Monaca school districts that formed Central Valley.