By a unanimous vote during a specially-called meeting of the Stephens School Board on Thursday night, it was decided that the district will further explore the option to voluntarily consolidate the administrations of the Stephens and Nevada school districts. The decision was based on an 85 percent approval rate from parents and others in the community who responded to surveys the board distributed.

The timeline to have the application submitted to the state Department of Education is March 1, according to Stephens School Board president Maurice Porchia.

Present at Thurs...