During a special meeting on Dec. 16, members of the Green Island Board of Education, by unanimous consent, adopted a resolution to move forward with a tuitioning plan for grades 9-12 students. The resolution passed by a vote of 4 to 0, with one board member absent.
The decision now rests with residents of the Green Island school district who will vote on the tuitioning agreement proposal from 2-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, at the Heatly School.
Under the proposed agreement, Heatly students in grades 9-12 would attend Watervliet High School, beginning in September 2025. This proposed plan would provide access to educational opportunities that are not currently available to high school students in Green Island, including a wider choice of electives, college-level and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and more extracurricular opportunities and learning experiences. In addition to benefiting students, the tuition agreement would result in cost-savings for the Green Island community.
Although the Green Island school district would incur the cost of tuition for its high school students, cost-savings and efficiencies are anticipated because of the reduction in grades 9-12 staffing. Over the long term, having fewer employees on the district’s payroll will help alleviate the rising costs of salaries and benefits, which increase each year at a much higher rate than the tax increase.
Superintendent Dan Kalbfliesh explained that it has become a significant challenge for smaller school districts, like Green Island, to deliver the rigorous academic foundation, diverse extracurricular experiences and exposure to real-world learning opportunities necessary for high school students to prepare for college or careers.
“The Green Island and Watervliet school districts have built successful partnerships for interscholastic sports, shared food/cafeteria services, various transportation services, and special education programs,” Kalbfliesh added. “For our two neighboring districts to expand as partners in education with the proposed high school tuition plan makes good academic and fiscal sense. It also would help support our goal to sustain the Heatly identity.”
Please check our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) web page for additional information. You may also use an online form to submit questions ahead of the public hearing on Monday, Jan. 27.