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BUSHNELL, ILL -- A proposed three-school consolidation plan is nearing decision time.

The final vote to merge school districts Bushnell-Prairie City, Abingdon and Avon will be on March 20th during the Illinois primaries.

If the consolidation follows through the new district will be the twelfth largest in Illinois.

But not everyone thinks bigger is better.

"We're in good financial condition," said John Oakman, co-chair of the Vote No to Consolidation committee.

"Our student population has leveled off to the point where we don't feel that it's necessary to consolidate at this point," said Oakman. "The school that has the need that is in the consolidation proposal is Avon."

The consolidation plan came into play when the Avon school district saw a decline in population and revenue.

Under the plan each city will have it's own grade school. But junior high will be consolidated in Abingdon and high school in Bushnell.

Despite the possible traveling dilemmas the merge may cause, some parents are pro consolidation strictly for educational benefits.

"Carl Sandburg has agreed to do dual credit if they were to consolidate because it would be enough children for them to send an instructor to," said Desiree Malburg, an Abingdon School District parent.

Representatives from all three school boards formed a group called the Committee of 10 and proposed the merge.

This prompted the Vote No to Consolidation Committee to form, opposing the three school combination.

The next informational meeting for the Vote No to Consolidation Committee is March 11 at the Bushnell Recreation and Cultural Center.