State Approves Perry-Casa Merger With Ola

The state Board of Education approved the consolidation of the tiny Perry-Casa School District with a slightly larger neighbor. The move takes effect on July 1 and it was announced a day after a fire destroyed four Perry-Casa classrooms and damaged a fifth, forcing the cash-strapped district to move elementary school classes into a Baptist church. Perry-Casa Superintendent Sherry Holliman said the fire caused $300,000 in damage and the Perry County sheriff was investigating a possible connection to vandalism of a school bus the same night. Holliman stressed that the consolidation of her 107 student district with the 520 student Ola district was the only way to keep at least some schools operating in the western Perry County town of Casa. She said it had nothing to do with the statewide debate raging over consolidation as a means to fund districts more equitably. Holliman said Ola and other Yell County schools have consistently worked with her to keep Casa schools afloat, by sharing teachers, a bookkeeper and planning strategies. One Perry-Casa district patron Patricia Watts said many taxpayers in the district percent signed petitions asking to give another neighbor, the Perryville School District, a chance to annex Perry-Casa. She said the two are in the same county and it would be a natural partnership. She said 100 Perry-Casa students have already used school choice to go to Perryville.