Gates County officials said they will follow state school‑closing procedures and a public timeline after a consultant’s consolidation study prompted questions from board members and the public.

Board of Education chair Sally Ryan and other board members said they want the full consolidation report and additional details beyond the PowerPoint presentation shared with the public. The boards discussed required steps under state procedures including facility condition assessments, attendance zone planning, transportation impacts, staffing and public hearings.

County and school staff set a schedule of informational steps: a special called Board of Education meeting in early December (tentatively Dec. 10) to present compiled information, informational meetings at each school in mid‑January (tentatively Jan. 13–15), a county informational meeting tentatively Jan. 27, and a special Board of Education meeting to consider consolidation decisions on Feb. 10. Board leaders said a decision on which school(s) would close, if any, should be possible by February after the full information and hearings are completed.

Board members emphasized they will use attrition and reassignments to reduce disruption where possible and that the consolidation study did not prescribe an immediate closure but provided scenarios to inform the boards’ work; they cautioned that additional analysis and public input are required before any final action. Officials also noted that consolidation decisions will have staffing and program implications, and that public hearings and informational meetings will allow parents and communities to respond before any decision.

Next steps: staff will post the consultant’s report and PowerPoint publicly if possible and the two boards will appoint small teams (two commissioners and two board members) to work together privately on background tasks before reporting back in upcoming public meetings.