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Committee debates guidance maps and facilitator role for merger study committees
Summary
Lawmakers compared competing guidance maps for recommended study-area groupings, discussed whether maps should favor supervisory-union consolidation or CISA-based groupings, and asked staff to clarify map reading and facilitator responsibilities.
Committee members spent a significant portion of the session reviewing proposed guidance maps that would inform facilitators and merger study committees about recommended district groupings.
One member said Leanne's map "resonates with me" and suggested comparing maps to see whether elements of each could be merged, while another member said their own map focused on reducing supervisory-union counts to create fewer, larger operational districts (Committee member D; Committee member I).
Members emphasized that guidance maps would be exactly that—guidance. The facilitator would use the maps to convene merger study committees and recommend groupings, but study committees could deviate from the recommendations if they provide specific justification tied to local conditions.
Questions included whether CISAs (regional collaborations) should double as facilitator areas and how maps should reflect topography, existing superintendent groupings, and CTE (career and technical education) catchment areas. One lawmaker said they could not interpret the map clearly and asked staff to re-present the map at a future meeting (Committee member J).
Committee members asked staff to clarify the maps, produce merged or adjusted options where justified, and return with clearer text and visualizations so members can read and compare the proposals before making recommendation language for statute or guidance.
