Merging with North Central Parke is likely to come in the year 2027/2028 or 2028/2029 at the latest. The pressures felt due to funding issues has only just begun. 2028 is when we are expecting to really feel the consequences and the state will come in and force a county-wide merge. Why put MES and RES through the merge for 2026/2027 only to do it again the following year? Once MES is closed, it will be closed permanently. If we merge with NCP before a school closes, the chances of keeping it open and keeping all staff is much higher.

This is great for both RES and MES. MES will not flood classrooms at RES and MES students will not take the extended bus rides. Children with IEPs will not suffer from gaps while everyone is scrambling to adjust. There will be minimal disruption to routines and educational outcomes will be better.

If we adopt the Parke Heritage brand now, we may be able to keep the schools. In the future RP may become our grade school and junior high, while Parke Heritage High School absorbs our older children. But in this case, we will not have children missing out, taking longer than average bus rides, RES will not be oversaturated, our community will not feel the effects of this merge, and our school families will be able to stay intact and whole while moving together to another facility.

Current Parke Heritage buildings will not need to absorb our children or rearrange things. The children currently attending will not be affected other than knowing their neighbors are now a part of their same school system.

Help us insist that our school boards come up with a solution to merge these schools. This may cost some administration positions, but this will be happening in the future. If MES closes then Montezuma children will always oversaturate RES. If we act now, the risks of closing and physically merging is a lot less likely.