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Clifton wants schools study <br />to include 'how to' merge plan <br /> <br />By JESSIE BURCHETTE <br /> <br />Staff Writer <br /> KANN~Lm -- Officials from throe <br />school syat~ms began thc process Monday <br />of hixlng consultants to do a merger study. <br /> School officials and Frank Clifton, <br />Cabarrus County manager, widened thc <br />scope of the study at the initial joint scs- <br />sion. <br /> While Kannapolis City Schools officials <br />have said thc study will not be a "how to <br />merge" study, Clifton made it clear county <br />commissioners want a merger pl.an as part <br />of the study. <br /> Thc Cabanas and Kannapolis boards <br />agreed to a merger study more than two <br />months ago after pressure from thc <br />Cabarrus Commissioners. <br /> Clifton said the Cabarrus <br />Commissioners, who have agreed to pay <br />for the study, do not want to go through <br /> <br />this exercise and then have to pay for <br />another study to do a merger plan. <br /> Lee Efird. chairman of the Kannapolis <br />'board and Bob Andrews. vice chairman of <br />the Cabarrus board, insisted that the over- <br />all study must treat Rowan-Salisbury <br />Schools in the same fashion as Cabarms <br />Schools. <br /> Andrews said he wants the plan to look <br />at whether or not to merge. And if mcrger <br />is recomanended, look at what is the best <br />option and effects of splitting thc <br />Kannapolis school district, merging it with <br />Cabarms or merging it with Rowan- <br />Salisbury. <br /> The expanded size of the project sur- <br />prised the first consultant who was making <br />a proposal to the board. Dr. E. Wayne <br />Trodgon. president of the Welkin Gronp <br />Inc. of Raleigh, said hc had not been <br />clearly informed of the scope of thc study <br /> <br />when first contacted. <br /> Trodgon said his firm could do all ,l~t..- <br />the board members and county manager <br />want. but he would have to revise the cost <br />estimate for the project. <br /> Trodgon. a former superintendent in <br />three systems, initially laid out plans to d~" <br />extensive research on the Caban'us and <br />Kannapolis systems, looking at curricu- <br />lum. personnel, facilities, achievement <br />scores and the entire instructional, admin- <br />istrative and auxiliary services including <br />funding and expenditures. <br /> He outlined plans to get community <br />input through a series .of in depth conf,:n- <br />rial interviews with public officials and <br />others who would be named by those offi- <br />cials. <br />The possible lack of general public <br />input raised concerns with Grace Mynatt. <br /> See Study / page 9 <br /> <br /> <br />