School officials in Suttons Bay are looking into the possibility of a merger with the Traverse City school system. Declining enrollments in Leelanau and TC have led to large budget deficits next year, and to a flurry of interest in mergers and collaborations as a way of trimming expenses.

This Leelanau Enterprise story has the details. Suttons Bay is coming off an experiment where they shared a superintendent with Glen Lake schools. All the Leelanau school districts have engaged in talks about various forms of collaboration and cooperation, but one obstacle has been the different millages assessed in the different districts. Suttons Bay and Traverse City are alike in that they both assess the maximum millage on non-homestead properties, 18 mills, which is more than most other Leelanau districts are willing to pay for their kids' educations.

If the two districts were joined, Suttons Bay students would have access to TC's Montessori and Talented and Gifted programs. That would be a plus, as I can testify from personal experience.

According to Glen Lake's outgoing superintendent, Tom Harwood, the legal form of the merger would be an annexation of the Suttons Bay district by TC.