On Jan. 16, the Harney County School District No. 3 (HCSD3) board of directors passed a resolution to opt out of the agreement with the Harney Educational Service District (ESD) to provide services.

HCSD3 Superintendent Steve Quick said the decision was basically financial, explaining that it allows the district to have more flexibility regarding how it spends its funds.

Funded by taxes, Harney ESD provides a number of educational services to its district schools, including HCSD3. After several months of research, HCSD3 determined that it could provide the same services, and possibly additional ones, by opting out of the agreement or Local Service Plan.

Quick said not everyone is pleased with the board’s decision because the ESD has served the district for a long time, and change isn’t always easy. However, he added that the decision may benefit rural schools, as ESD providers can spend more time at those locations.

The current Local Service Plan offers a number of services, but HCSD3 doesn’t necessarily use them all, despite having to include them in the district’s cost. There are also instances where the Harney ESD contracts with other entities to provide a select service. By opting out, if the district, at some point, requires a particular service, it can contract out for that service directly.

Quick said that if the district needs to hire someone to fill a void in services, it will, by law, consider hiring ESD employees.

“Our money could be more wisely spent when we control it,” Quick said. “We’re always trying to better serve the students and the teachers of the district.”

The Oregon Department of Education estimates that by opting out, HCSD3 will receive between $500,000 and $600,000 to spend as  it sees fit to provide services for students and staff.

“I believe this is the right thing to do for our district and our kids,” Quick said. “Time will prove if it’s the right decision or not, but it’s worth giving it a shot.”

The Local Service Plan with the ESD ends June 30. If the district later decides later to rejoin the ESD, it may do so. To opt back in, the district would need to follow the same process of an initial notification of intent by Nov. 1, and then a final decision to join by March 1.

Donna Schnitker, an administrator with Harney ESD, said if HCSD3 opted out last year, it would have made more of an impact on Harney ESD than it will at the present time.

Last year, HCSD3 students made up about 70 percent of the students served by Harney ESD, while the other 30 percent consisted of students attending rural and charter schools. Since that time, Crane Superintendent Matt Hawley increased the student count at Crane schools by providing a bus for students who are interested in attending those schools. Crane will also be the sponsor for Silvies River Charter School next year, and that enrollment has grown from 250 students to about 400 from all over the state. In addition, a charter school in Bend will come under the umbrella of Crane, and that will add even more students.

If HCSD3 chose to stay with Harney ESD for the coming year, the district’s students would only make up 47 percent of the ESD’s total student count. This is down from last year’s total of 75 percent. Schnitker noted that HCSD3 has about 800 students, and the Crane school district now has about the same number, which will be served by Harney ESD.

Schnitker said there are five rural ESDs in the state that receive a minimum of $1.3 million to serve students and staff, and Harney ESD falls into that category. By opting out, HCSD3 will receive an amount per student from that $1.3 million to administer the services.

Schnitker said there is enough revenue to serve the schools still under contract with Harney ESD. She added that additional funds come to the ESD via grants.

Harney ESD is currently advertising for a new superintendent and offering an attractive salary for the position, Schnitker said.

“Harney ESD isn’t going away,” she added. “There are now three rural districts asking for administrative services, and that is in addition to the services ESD already provides, so that will increase revenue to the ESD as well.”