​Our opinion: Let’s explore what’s best for future generations.

The WFF Unified School District?

By John Strand

jas@hpr1.com

Both the Fargo and West Fargo School Districts are strategizing their futures. This is necessary, because of immensely challenging financial and geopolitical changes facing both districts.

While both districts are weighing options, there’s one very glaring option missing that neither is considering, at least to our knowledge. We’re remiss when we do not put all potentialities before the decision makers and ultimately the public.

Our recommendation would be to immediately explore the creation of one consolidated school district encompassing both districts.

Yes, we know there’s going to be a pushback from people and even leaders who do not want to lose the identities of existing schools, mascots, teams, etc. That’s understandable as change always presents challenges.

But not changing also presents challenges. Such as inefficiencies.

It’s common knowledge that the West Fargo School District is growing at an almost unserviceable rate. What’s not common knowledge is that there are more Fargo residents with students in the West Fargo School District than there are West Fargo residents.

That’s correct. Read it again, please.

Back in the mid-1970s, when the school district boundaries were last set, there was a vast gap of space physically between the two cities. Since then, that corridor along up to 45th Street South in Fargo has filled in with thousands of people. And students.

To our knowledge, this is the only example in the entire state where city and school boundaries are not the same.

Also to our knowledge, both districts are seriously envisioning their futures. Fine. But not all options are being weighed.

Yes, West Fargo School District can and should be looking at its future long term. And so should the Fargo School District. Yet there has not been a single outreach whereby representatives of both districts and/or communities gathered to discuss the best long-term strategy. No one is asking if a consolidated West Fargo/Fargo School District could provide any benefits.

What could these benefits be? Streamlining administration costs, curriculum efficiencies or enhancements, transportation, physical school locations and configurations.

Both districts depend on property taxes more than any other source of revenue. Both districts are seemingly strapped when it comes to accommodating physical expansion of their existing city footprints. While the cities expand, the building levy funds don’t easily accommodate new schools.

There are apparently times when each district is building schools physically proximate to other schools, despite the fact that they are in different — albeit neighboring — communities. The Fargo School District is apparently looking at the viability and futures of some of its neighborhood elementary schools: Madison, Hawthorne, Clara Barton, Roosevelt and Horace Mann, we understand.

The last major long-range facilities plan for the Fargo School District prioritized saving neighborhood schools. This could be changing going forward. And that’s a huge change for core neighborhoods.

Years ago, our Chambers merged, much to the chagrin of some of their leaders, who were protective of their own city roles. It’s our understanding this change — which was good now, in retrospect — came from the Chamber of Commerce membership.

This is the time to add this third and new option to the mix as we explore what’s best for future generations. A Unified School District would conceivably provide unparalleled curriculum and extracurricular opportunities for our students. That’s worth exploring.

We hereby challenge the West Fargo School Board and the Fargo Board of Education to not overlook this option, especially now when they are contemplating hundreds of millions in needed strategic investments in the future. We don’t need to know all the answers now. Yet if we don’t ask now if it’s a viable option and one worth considering, we’ll never know. And that’s shortsighted.

We do not predict this proposal will pass muster even if appropriately and thoroughly vetted. But vet it we must. We owe our people the grandest vision possible.

And, for the sake of disclosure, this writer served as the chair of the Fargo Schools Long Range Facilities Committee a decade ago while serving on the Fargo School Board. This is not a new idea. It has just danced around, year after year, and it’s likely not even been mentioned at the decision makers’ table.

Understandably. Because it needs to come from the people. As it should.

So, people, what do you think? Parents and caregivers with kids in schools, what do you think? Those of you living in the Fargo city limits — and also in the West Fargo School District — what do you think?

It could be transformational and visionary. And it may die due to lack of interest or community champions. And it’s not the end of the world if we never consolidate these two contiguous school districts. But it would be healthy to say we at least weighed it as an option.