WINTHROP - About 70 McLeod West High School students rode buses to attend morning classes at Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop High School on Tuesday.
The commute came about after the McLeod West School Board decided to use a tuition agreement plan agreed upon by boards from both districts last spring.
Under the agreement, the McLeod West will pay tuition for and bus its students to GFW High School for the 2008-2009 school year.
McLeod West students in grades 9-12 will attend GFW High School for periods 2-5, eat lunch and return to the McLeod West School in Brownton for the final two periods of the day.
McLeod West High School juniors and seniors have the option to attend GFW for the entire school day.
Co-curricular activities including athletics, speech and drama will continue to be held at McLeod West High School this school year.
Two McLeod West teachers -Terry Becker and Liz Kissner - teach at GFW High School now. Becker teaches geometry and pre-calculus while Kissner teaches biology and physical science.
"The first couple days have gone well," said McLeod West K-12 Principal Mike McNulty. "It's only about a 15-minute bus ride. We're picking up little things that help make it better each day. Like they always have, our students and teachers are adjusting well."
Earlier this summer, a construction engineer determined that the 1922 portion of McLeod West High School was unsafe to use due to structural safety concerns.
The McLeod West School Board considered moving some elementary classes off campus to area churches and public buildings but opted to use the GFW tuition agreement instead.
On Monday, Aug. 25, high school registration was conducted during an informational meetings at GFW High School.
"We weren't sure exactly how many more students would come but we're happy to serve more students and accommodate McLeod West. I think it's a win-win for both districts," said GFW Supt. Dr. Steve Malone.
Malone said the GFW Board will consider adding more social studies, science, English, health/physical-education, math and FACS (Family and Consumer Science) classes back to accommodate the new McLeod West students.
The McLeod West School District will continue offering grades K-8 at its Brownton campus. The former school building in Stewart has been closed.
The district plans to hold an operating levy referendum vote this November.
(Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).