Whitmore and Mountain Union elementary schools will be consolidated under a single district

With the intention to increase efficiency, the 64-student Whitmore Elementary School District and the 70-student Mountain Union School District will integrate into a single district in 2027. According to the Shasta County Board of Education’s announcement of the merger, their decision was made this April when both districts voted to consolidate. 

The two school districts already share a superintendent, Tony Moebes. Both districts contain one K-8 school, Whitmore Elementary and Montgomery Creek Elementary respectively. Their current separate boards will remain in place until next year’s election in November, when a new five-member board will be elected. 

In a Dec. 10 press release, the Shasta County Office of Education said that increased coordination between the two schools and improved fiscal management would pose benefits for both student populations. SCOE noted that the merger will not have a significant impact on either school, but the Shasta County board would lose $385,000 annually from the state.

Including SCOE, there are 26 school districts in Shasta County, many of which are rural. The last district merger happened in 1992, with the formation of Gateway Unified  School District. Small rural school districts often struggle financially to maintain the cost of education, as they generally are more underfunded — many rely on federal funding to get by, which has been precarious amid spending cuts in Washington. 

Both of the current board presidents expressed gratitude for the merger. 

“This unification is a step in the right direction and will allow us to continue to provide high-quality educational services and support for our small rural communities,” said their shared Superintendent Moebes.

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