The following is a press release from the Walnut Schools.

by Jim Field.

The Walnut School Board voted at their Tuesday night meeting to enter a sharing agreement with the A-H-S-T schools.  Walnut student will attend classes at A-H-S-T for about three periods per day and share all athletics with A-H-S-T beginning with the 2012-2013 school year.  Walnut Superintendent Jim Hammerich said they voted on shifting academics from Atlantic to A-H-S-T for three periods in the afternoon, just like they currently do in Atlantic.  The board voted for a two-year contract with A-H-S-T.  The Walnut school board also voted to continue sharing Junior High sports was unanimous in voting to send all boys sports to A-H-S-T.  The board also voted 3-2 to share all girls sports with A-H-S-T.   The board’s vote ends the sharing agreements with Atlantic.  Hammerich said it is a better fit for the Walnut kids, all the logistics, transportation costs ect., and having Junior High already in Avoca all weighed in on the board’s decision.  He said the Atlantic sharing experience the last five years was wonderful, but it will end this school year.  Hammerich says the two school board’s will continue to discuss future whole-grade sharing between A-H-S-T and Walnut.