Board approves attachment petition
by Sue Mroz of The Review staff
PLYMOUTH – School Board members approved a small- territory transfer petition at Tuesday’s School Board meeting.
Town of Lyndon resident Mardie Hartenstein, who resides at N2798 Silver Creek-Cascade Road, had submitted the petition to alter school boundaries by detaching her property from the Random Lake School District and attaching it to the Plymouth Joint School District.
Superintendent Clark Reinke noted that in order for this action to take place, both school districts would have to approve the petition by the end of this month.
“This is a formal process, as outlined by the Department of Public Instruction [DPI],” Reinke explained.
“Her property is south of Cascade,” he added. “She had open-enrolled her children here in this district.”
Reinke informed the board that the Random Lake School Board had voted unanimously to deny Hartenstein’s request during their Feb. 15 monthly meeting.
“But it’s still important for this board to take action on her petition, because she could appeal the decision to the DPI,” he said.
“From a financial standpoint, it makes sense for us to approve her request. Having the property attached would add to the property value of our school district.”
Manager of Business Services Jon Miller pointed out that if Hartenstein’s property would become an island through having the attachment take place, bussing would become a problem.
“We have a bus going past her house,” Reinke said. “But her property would create an island, if the attachment took place.”
Board members voted unanimously to have Hartenstein’s property attached to the Plymouth School District. Board President Mark Rhyan and board members Jerry Prahl and Jeff Tauscheck were absent from the meeting.
Board Vice President Tim St. Clair conducted the meeting.
On Wednesday, The Review contacted Tom Malmstadt, district administrator of the Random Lake School District. Malmstadt explained that the Random Lake School Board denied Hartenstein’s petition due to the loss of revenue the school district would incur, if her request were granted.
Hartenstein now has the right to appeal the Random Lake School Board’s decision to the DPI.
