ST. ANTHONY - One of the fiercest battles the Legislature will face is shaping up in small towns like St. Anthony where more than 50 people organized Wednesday to plan an attack against a school consolidation bill.

Residents of St. Anthony are worried that Senate Bill 2333 will force them to close their school, which has kindergarten through eighth grade, and require their kids to ride the bus to Mandan every morning to school.

"If you want to keep this school you better fight for it now," Rep. Rod Froelich, D-Selfridge, told the crowd. "It will be too late two weeks from now."

Residents of the Little Heart School District, which includes St. Anthony, packed the school's small gym where they signed petitions against the bill and received pointers from Froelich, Rep. Jim Kerzman, D-Mott, and Sen. Aaron Krauter, D-Regent, on how to oppose it.

The bill requires K-8 school districts with fewer than 100 students to formulate a plan to join another district that has a high school. Currently, students in the Little Heart district attend kindergarten through eighth grade at Little Heart School, and are bused to Mandan when they reach high school.

The bill requires a vote of the people in the district before a school is closed, but opponents are still worried that schools will close.

The bill passed the Senate on Feb. 15 by a vote of 26-19, and is now in the House for consideration. The House Education Committee could hear the bill early next week, according to Froelich.

Susan Westberg, who lives right next to the school, said the state should not decide how small a school should be.

"I have no problem if they consolidate, but it should be our choice."

Westberg, along with others, like the fact that their children's classes are small. In the Little Heart School there are 23 students and three teachers.

Supporters of the bill say it will bring more fairness in how education is funded.

Rep. Ole Aarsvold, D-Blanchard, a sponsor of the bill, said although K-8 school districts pay tuition for students while they attend high school, that is not fair because taxpayers in other districts are footing the bill all of the time, not just when their students reach high school age.

Aarsvold said that most K-8 school districts have a lower mill levy than districts with high schools.

"It's not an education issue, it's a tax issue," Aarsvold said.

Taxes are one issue rural residents are worried about, but for Myra Olson, the main concern is the quality of education and traveling time her kids would have to face.

Olson moved from Mandan to St. Anthony about two years ago. She said one of the main selling points of the move was for the small school.

Olson said she will home-school her children if she is forced to send them to Mandan.

Wayne Sanstead, superintendent of public instruction, said he's supported the idea the past 30 to 40 years.

Like it or not, Sanstead said small schools eventually will have to face consolidation.

"If it is not done by the Legislature, the courts will address it," Sanstead said. "That's just reality that it can't continue."

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@bismarcktribune.com.)