Superintendent recounts lengthy Act 46 merger process and recommends funded facilitation

Sherry Souza, superintendent of the Mountain View Supervisory Union, told the Senate Education Committee April 16 that the district’s voluntary merger under Act 46 required years of study committees, public forums and negotiations but ultimately produced greater instructional cohesion and governance consistency.

Souza described an exploratory process beginning in 2015, a study committee that held dozens of meetings and public forums, and a final merger that was not completed until 2019 because of initial local no votes. She said the work included drafting articles of agreement, negotiating contracts and aligning curriculum, and that commuting the governance structures enabled one unified salary grid, shared administrative functions and a district-wide strategic plan.

Souza urged the Legislature to fund trained, regionally knowledgeable facilitators to support merger discussions, suggesting a compensation level of about $50,000 per facilitator who could serve multiple communities and improve efficiency. She also reported legal fees of over $30,000 related to the merger process and stressed the importance of clear incentives and ample time for voluntary, community-driven consolidation.

Committee members asked about workforce unification, fiscal trade-offs and whether supervisory unions or unified districts better achieve the intended outcomes; Souza said her experience showed substantial benefits to students and staff but emphasized the depth of work and the need for local voice in voluntary processes.

Her testimony framed mergers as complex but potentially beneficial steps for improving equity and educational opportunity when communities commit to sustained engagement and adequate resources.