O-M committee finalizes map

ORIENT — After it approved a map Monday distributing Orient-Macksburg school district territory to neighboring districts, the Orient-Macksburg dissolution committee reconvened Tuesday for some minor revisions.

“We all had some questions when we woke up Tuesday,” said dissolution chairman Ryan Frederick.

Tuesday’s actions were focused on territory intended for the Creston school district in what is the southwest area of Orient-Macksburg. Committee members considered families with school children, where those children attended school and roads for buses when dividing all the territory to neighboring schools. More than 80 students who live in the Orient-Macksburg district attend school elsewhere.

The proposed map will be presented to the Orient-Macksburg school board 5:30 p.m. July 29 including a public hearing. If approved by the board, the proposal will then be put on a Sept. 10 ballot to be determined by voters in the Orient-Macksburg district. Because of declining enrollment and financial commitments, the school board approved to close the district after the 2024-2025 school year.

Committee members are still waiting for a confirmed answer from the state about what happens to Orient-Macksburg property owners who become part of a neighboring district. It was not known Monday if those landowners will also pay the school tax rates that include debt, like a bond issue. Winterset district residents are paying for facility improvements until 2038.

The neighboring school districts can appeal the proposed territory. Landowners can also file an objection. The Orient-Macksburg school board can then decide to approve the map for the vote or ask the committee for revisions to the map. Two Orient-Macksburg school board members are on the dissolution committee, as allowed by state law. Once the map is approved by the board, only neighboring school districts can then appeal. If agreements are not made the appeal areas will not be included in the election and will be determined by the state.

The committee agreed the Adair County portion of the district should stay in Adair County. A majority of territory north of the Adair-Union county line will be proposed to the Nodaway Valley School District based in Greenfield. The Orient-Macksburg territory south of the county line will be proposed to Creston. Portions of the east side of the district will be proposed to Winterset.

Although East Union School District is adjacent to Orient-Macksburg, nothing was offered. When the committee met with representatives from each neighboring school district earlier this month, East Union was the district least interested in acquiring territory.

If the Sept. 10 election fails, the state department of education will take over closing procedures related to boundaries. Orient-Macksburg school officials are estimating a $500,000 deficit for the 2025-2026 school year, hence the approval to close the district after 2024-2025.

Neighboring school districts are responsible for the same percentage of Orient-Macksburg debt as amount of territory acquired. For example, if Creston acquired 25% of the territory, they pay 25% of the district’s debts. Dissolution members do not want neighboring districts to have Orient-Macksburg debt.

Districts also receive the same percentage of sold assets. The dissolution committee said additional committees to determine Orient-Macksburg facilities and possessions will be created in the future.