Combo would expand two districts' co-op.

Garfield and Palouse school boards at a joint meeting last Thursday, Feb. 23, approved continued consideration of combining fifth grades.

Superintendents Bev Fox of Palouse and Zane Wells of Garfield will now seek teacher input on the proposal.

A shared fifth-grade would expand the co-op between the two districts which now involves grades six through twelve.

Both Fox and Wells said the fifth-grade could be combined by the 2012-13 school year although several factors have to be considered. Wells said the eventual class size, transportation costs, family issues and a whole range of other topics...