Ventura, G-H School Boards will draw up petitions for vote

The Ventura and Garner-Hayfield School Boards have agreed to have an attorney draw up language for petitions needed to start the process for consolidation of the two districts. 

If the petitions are signed by 304 registered voters in the Ventura School District and 400 voters in the Garner-Hayfield District, a vote will be scheduled for consolidation.

In laying the groundwork for possible consolidation, the boards also specified a transitional school board would consist of four members appointed by the Garner-Hayfield board, two members appointed by the Ventura board, and a seventh member being agreed on by both boards. That new school board representing both districts would eventually be whittled down to five members, voted on at-large by the proposed new district. 

The two current boards would remain until the reorganization is complete. 

Both boards also agreed that if voters approved a reorganization, the official name of the consolidated district would be the Garner-Hayfield/Ventura school district. A majority of voters in both districts would need to approve a reorganization vote.