Clarifying Recent Reports on G-R's Dissolution Process

              This blog post is in response to recent media reports about the current status of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck district dissolution process; most notably, the March 15 article in the Waterloo Courier under the headline “Gladbrook-Reinbeck Dissolution Process Moving Forward.”  (Read the online version HERE.)  While I haven’t seen a physical copy of the paper, I understand that this same article was published in the print version under a different headline…something along the lines of “G-R Split Moves Forward.” I just want to set the record straight on a few items in these recent media reports -- especially on the misleading headlines.

              Headlines are important. In fact, in today’s fast-paced world in which many people just “scan” the paper or quickly scroll through items shared on social media, often times the headline is the only thing that people read.  Headlines like, “G-R Split Moves Forward” are especially misleading, they give the impression that the district WILL be splitting. To clarify, no final decisions have been made and in the end, the patrons of the G-R district will have an opportunity to have their say in the matter by voting in a referendum election on the issue. 

What’s moving forward is the process of developing a dissolution proposal that will eventually be presented to the G-R school board and voted on by patrons of the school district.  The district is required by law to go through this process because the district was served with a petition signed by just over 20% of the district’s registered voters.  The mandate of the dissolution commission is not to decide if the district should or shouldn’t dissolve.  Their job is to develop the best possible proposal outlining the details of a dissolution in the event that a public vote to dissolve the district would pass. 

The use of the word “split” in the headline will lead some to think that a dissolution means the same thing as “un-merging” or dividing the district back into the “old Gladbrook district” and the “old Reinbeck district,” and this is just not the case. When a district dissolves, it completely closes down – the district doesn’t exist anymore.  In a dissolution, all parts of the former district are assigned to a neighboring district, and the assets, liabilities, land, and students are divided accordingly. Once a dissolution is finalized the district no longer has a school board, the district’s employees no longer have jobs, and the district’s citizens all become residents of another district.

Recent media reports have used phrases like, “…residents have submitted another petition,” and, “…citizens pushed for dissolution,” in their reporting. I do want to clarify that while these statements are technically correct because some residents have submitted a petition and some citizens have pushed for dissolution, this doesn’t mean that this represents the viewpoint of the majority of the district’s citizens.  

In my short time as the district’s superintendent, I’ve come to quickly realize that Gladbrook-Reinbeck is doing a great job of educating its students and serving its community. G-R is serving its community and students in the most fiscally responsible way possible. The district employs a top-notch staff of teachers, principals, coaches, and support staff.  G-R is a leader among schools in this region in terms of academics, fine arts, and athletics. I’ve also come to understand that while there are some who would like to see the district dissolved, the G-R district continues to have tremendous community involvement and support. I believe that a large proportion of the district’s citizens do support the district and want to see it continue to serve the community for many years to come. 

Ultimately, the voters will have their say and the majority will prevail.  I hope that all of the district’s citizens will take time to educate themselves on the related issues, attend public hearings or visit with dissolution commission members, and exercise their right to vote on this important issue. 

One final note: I do want to say that I'm not upset by the recent reports or upset at the reporters themselves; the purpose of this article is simply to give more clarity to patrons of the G-R district. We're blessed in this area to be covered by some outstanding reporters who are very good at their jobs. School dissolution procedures in Iowa are rare and complicated, and misunderstandings will happen. I've done some freelance writing for newspapers myself (in my younger years before the internet & social media) and I understand that the headlines are usually written by someone completely different than the writer of the article.  

For more on the G-R dissolution process, read my January 4 blog post: “Gladbrook-Reinbeck Dissolution Update.”