The Guthrie Center and Adair-Casey school districts have officially entered into a five-year whole-grade sharing agreement. The Guthrie Center School Board voted 4-1 to approve the agreement Wednesday night, while unanimously voting to share in all activities
Prior to the vote, Junior High Principal Shane Arp and High School Principal Gerald Thomas said that once the agreement goes into effect this summer, junior high and high school students will have more opportunities for courses. Notably, Guthrie Center students will be able to take culinary arts and photography courses which have not been available to them in the past. Thomas also spoke about the possibility of an auto mechanics course being added at the high school in the future.
The agreement states that each district will maintain its own kindergarten-6th grade program. 7th and 8th grade students will attend class at Adair-Casey. 9th-12th graders will attend high school in Guthrie Center. The agreement will go into effect July 1st, 2016.
Additionally, the districts will share all activities in grades 7-12, including athletic programs. All high school competitions will take place in Guthrie Center and the shared school districts will jointly compete in the West Central Activities Conference.
Superintendent Steve Smith closed the meeting by saying that the real hard work of integrating the districts has just begun.