GOWRIE — Two area school districts will begin sharing some leadership personnel in an agreement that will bring financial and educational benefits to both.

The agreement between the Southeast Valley Community School District and the Paton-Churdan Community School District goes into effect July 1.

“I believe there are some things we can teach them that will benefit their district and I bet there are some things we can learn from them,” said Brian Johnson, the Southeast Valley superintendent who will become the superintendent for both districts.

Southeast Valley’s school business official and human resources director will assume those roles for Paton-Churdan as well.

Johnson said 25 percent of his time, roughly one day a week, will be committed to Paton-Churdan.

He said there is a financial benefit to both districts for entering this agreement.

State aid to school districts is based on the number of students in each district. Johnson said that through a program called operational sharing, both districts will get additional money from the state which will be equivalent to having 17 more students in each district.

Paton-Churdan had been sharing a superintendent with the Glidden-Ralston Community School District. However, Glidden-Ralston opted for a sharing agreement with the Coon Rapids -Bayard Community School District.

That led to discussions between the leaders of Paton-Churdan and Southeast Valley, resulting in the recently approved agreement.

It is a two-year agreement that can be renewed.

Southeast Valley is the bigger of the two districts, with about 520 students. It has a high school in Gowrie, a middle school in Burnside and elementary schools in Dayton and Farnhamville.

Paton-Churdan has about 200 students in preschool through 12th grade in one building in Churdan. High school students can take classes and participate in activities at Greene County High School.