Don Cash hears the talk every year.

But this time around, the longtime Troy, Kan., educator believes the idea of consolidating the Elwood, Kan., Wathena, Kan., and Troy districts into one is serious.

“I’ve been here 30 years, and we’re supposed to be consolidated the next year, every year. It’s never happened,” said Mr. Cash, principal at Troy and an educator with the district for more than 30 years. “But we need to look at what it would take to make a countywide school — what the cost would be, how feasible it would be to do that in the future.”

Wathena and Elwood resumed the seemingly annual consolidation talks in early September.

Troy held a public hearing shortly after those talks started, and more than 200 people attended to discuss the future of the school. Last week at a joint meeting between Elwood and Wathena, those two boards voted to allow Troy into the official consolidation talks.

The three boards plan to meet on the fourth Monday of every month.

Wathena/Elwood Superintendent Mike Newman said those talks will continue until the talks stop progressing or a deal for consolidation is reached.

“It is more serious this time than it ever has been in the past,” Mr. Newman said.

Discussions on school location, a timetable and other specifics will develop during the coming months. Early discussions have centered around expanding the curriculum, and the early returns focus on positive academic benefits.

“You can take the best of everything,” Mr. Newman said. “We haven’t thrown Troy in that mix, but we know it will enhance curriculum once we can.”

The three eastern Doniphan County schools are following the lead of the Midway-Denton and Highland school districts.

In September 2003, the neighboring districts agreed to combine services on a contractual basis. Highland and Midway-Denton maintain separate school boards and elementary schools in each town, and the two junior-senior high schools remain open.

Sixth- through eighth-grade students attend classes in Denton, while high-school students go to school in Highland.

The eastern Doniphan County talks lean toward a cooperative agreement, Mr. Newman said. Under this scenario, a new board of education would be elected and responsible for the grades that would be shared. At this time, only middle- and high-school curriculum have been discussed.

But all of this remains a scenario with more serious discussions to come. Mr. Cash and Mr. Newman said a final decision to consolidate remains in the future and only a possibility.

“Each district has different feelings, and you have to take care of the desires of each district,” Mr. Newman said. “It presents some unique challenges.”

Assistant sports editor Ross Martin can be reached at rossmartin@npgco.com.