A potential merger between two area school districts is moving forward.

The Weyerhaeuser superintendent says the study committee on a Weyerhaeuer and Chetek merger plans to recommend that the two school boards look at consolidating. Chris Nelson says the committee found in a 17 to 1 vote in favor that there is good reason to merge (2 members absent). The boards have a joint meeting Monday night where Nelson says they will likely make a resolution to indicate which way the boards feel they should go. The boards are set to vote on it next month.

At the last study committee meeting, Nelson says the members also discussed how to keep transportation to less than an hour for the students and talked about how to keep the tax levy for a consolidated district close to what Chetek's rate is currently as an independent district.

Chris Nelson, the Weyerhaeuser superintendent, says in preparation for a potential consolidation, he took another job as superintendent for the New Holstein district. Nelson says if there is a merge, they would only need one superintendent, so he decided to take the opportunity with the larger district.