After nearly a year of communication and deliberation, the Gladbrook-Reinbeck school board-appointed Dissolution Commission has created a proposed district map that will be discussed tonight night at G-R Junior/Senior High School in Reinbeck. If the district dissolves, it would be divided among Dike-New Hartford, Hudson, Grundy Center, North Tama and Green Mountain-Garwin school districts if this proposed map is considered and approved. Photo submitted

REINBECK – To stay or go?

The question of whether or not the Gladbrook-Reinbeck school district will stay intact or dissolve after nearly two decades is set for discussion at a 7 p.m. meeting tonight (Tuesday, August 2) in Reinbeck.

A 5-2 G-R school board decision to close Gladbrook’s elementary and middle school campus in early 2015 sparked concern among many locals.

“The dissolution committee was appointed by the (school) board a year ago,” said former G-R board member Mike Bearden. “The committee was formed through the process.”

That process started last spring when a Gladbrook citizen-action group submitted a petition calling for the district to dissolve. As a result, the board formed the Dissolution Committee to search for the best action to take.

“We’ve been working with all of the surrounding districts,” said Dissolution Commission and board member Anne Boyer. “We’ll have our last public meeting (tonight).”

The commission, formed in September of 2015, consists of seven members, including Boyer, Rod Brockett, Terri Luehring, Doug Rowe, Gary Stanley, Barry Thede and Susie Kerns-Petersen.

Rowe and Brockett also serve on the G-R school board.

If the district takes the route of dissolution, surrounding districts will absorb current G-R students.

A first draft of proposed district lines has been created and can be viewed by the public on the district’s website.

As drawn by the commission, five school districts would divide up the current G-R district in the event of dissolution. They include Hudson, Dike-New Hartford (D-NH), Grundy Center, North Tama and Green Mountain-Garwin (GMG).

The town of Gladbrook falls within the GMG section, while Reinbeck falls into the D-NH section.

“We got (other districts’) feedback and then drew our own map,” Boyer said. “We drew the map based on what’s best for our kids.”

She added all five districts included in the dissolution map are willing to take on students in their respective areas. Also, she said it’s unlikely the closed Gladbrook school will re-open if the district dissolves.

Bearden said tonight’s meeting will give the public a chance to comment on the commission’s proposed map and summary of the dissolution proposal.

“(The public) will see the final draft of the proposed map,” Bearden said. “When it gets to the board, they can tweak the map if they want.”

Boyer said the process of communicating with other school districts over several months has gone well.

“The schools around us have been very, very supportive,” she said. “They’ve all been very respectful.”

The agenda for the meeting includes a presentation to summarize the proposed dissolution, a time for public comment until 8 p.m. and discussion on public comments and of next steps to be taken.

Tonight’s (Tuesday, August 2) 7 p.m. meeting will be held in the auditorium of G-R Junior/Senior High School at 600 Black Hawk St., in Reinbeck.