David: In the late '60s it was determined that we didn't need two school boards: i.e. elementary for city funded schools, and one for the high school. Plus, it was difficult to seek additional funding when necessary to repair/improve facilities and support wages for teachers on different wage scales. Hence, it was decided to combine the boards, put teachers all on the same scale and keep the funding in one manageable pot. It made it easier to negotiate with all factors involved in education. Powder River did the same with their schools earlier. Hope this helps.
[This message has been edited by Bill Zook (edited 8/18/2008).]