Parents still have questions about approved Catawba County school district merger

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — The vote to merge Catawba County, Hickory and Newton-Conover school districts came after four hours of public comments.

Parents Jackie and Chris Tekieniewski watched from their home in Conover. They were stunned.

“Initially, I felt defeated,” said Jackie. “It feels like a rushed decision made by commissioners who don’t have children in school.”

They have three children at Shuford Elementary in Conover. They decided to move close to Charlotte when they left the Charleston area.

“We decided to live here specifically because of the Newton-Conover School District,” said Jackie.

The school is about a five minute drive from their home.

“They are saying now some of the bus rides may be up to 40 minutes,” Chris said. “Somebody’s got to hold someone accountable.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Commissioners approve Catawba County school district merger
• Catawba County school district merger faces opposition
• Community divided over proposed merger of Catawba County school districts
• Newton-Conover school merger debate heats up

He’s posted email addresses for state officials. He hopes a flood of emails will at least force a study on the impact of the merger. The Chair of the Board of Commissioners, Randy Isenhower, said bids for a study ranged from $50,000 to $1 million. He said merging the districts saves money.

“We do save potentially $145 million in capital funds by more efficient use of county buildings,” said Isenhower.

“People are going to look at this and be like, ‘hey, you’re not going to do what we asked you to do, your term is over,’” said Chris.

North Carolina law requires the state board of education to sigh off and approve the merger.

After the board of education vote, the county would have to establish a new school board and transition process for students and staff.

The new district, Catawba Valley Schools, would balance the overcrowding at Catawba County Schools with the enrollment drop int the Hickory City and Newton-Conover districts.

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