West Elk board proposes to close Severy and Moline schools

[Brodys dad]

Wilma,

You are correct about the Howard kids riding the bus to Severy and Moline for 38 years, but don't forget the 7th - 12th grade kids from Severy and Moline have traveled to Howard for those same 38 years.

[patriotdad]

When are people going to realize this isn't  Howard vs. Moline or Howard vs. Severy.  The location of the school was decided 30+ years ago.  People forget that the current location wasn't the first choice, they wanted to build out @ the 160 & 99 Jct.  but it wasn't feasible because of the blasting @ the quarry.  People also forget that the evil citizens of Howard passed and paid for bond to run City water to the High School. 

 
I can't imagine anyone wanting the trailers, but what other options does the board have.  They have clearly stated that they can not continue to operate the 2 grade schools.  They simply don't have the money to do it.  They proposed a bond, it failed. It's over. What's next?  Go bankrupt trying to keep everyone happy? 

Since building new failed, and keeping the old is not doable.  What are the options?  trailers?  remodel? What else?  I don't know. Complaining about busing and worrying about a location that was decided decades ago is not productive.   

[Wilma]

patriotdad, you have just told me something that I didn't know.  Imagine that, me not knowing something.  I didn't know that the first choice for the school was at the junction.  That would have been my choice and I wondered why it was passed by.

I see no reason to complain about anyone's children being bussed.  It has been done for a long time and it is still going to be done.  Trying to keep a school at Severy or at Moline is not going to change the bussing situation.

I do not like the idea of trailers for classrooms.  But what does a person do when there is no money to keep the old house from falling down?  They move into a trailer house.

[momof 2boys]

Had you been at the board meeting in December, you would have been presented with the money situation and all of the options that the board is considering.  This meeting was moved to the high school gymnasium to accomodate a large crowd.  Guess what?  The crowd of concerned citizens didn't show up.  It was the regular group, plus a few (very few) citizens from Howard and Severy.  I only saw a couple of forum members there also.  I find it amazing how so many can sit back and complain about the situation, yet not go and listen to the discussions and hear the facts as far as budgeting is concerned.  

Yes, this should have been taken care of 10 years ago, but it wasn't and something must be done now.  No more prograstinating. The budget for the upcoming school year is being cut approximately $500,000.  It is not just our district that is being cut, schools all over Kansas are facing cuts.  Why are these cuts so drastic for us?  We have three campuses to run rather than one.  We have three sets of janitorial staff, three sets of cooks, three sets of office staff, three buildings with utilities.  This takes much more money to run, and if you were at the last board meeting you would have seen the outrageous budget it takes to run these and the money that would be saved by consolidating to one campus.  As far as the busing goes, I don't care who rode how long for how many years.  That does not have anything to do with our financial circumstances.  Right now, students arrive to the school they attend up to 30 minutes before school starts and must wait to catch a bus home up to 30 minutes after school is dismissed.  One central location and everyone gets there at the same time and leaves at the same time.  Had you been at the meeting you would have known that.    

As far as the remark that the board has more options if they work on it.  They have been working on it for many years, time has run out! Their options are not popular with everyone, but they make sense financially.  

Sorry if my rant offended any, but it irritates me to no end to hear people say that we "should do this'" or "should do that" yet they have not made themselves available to go and hear what the board is facing and listen to the facts.  It is easy to have an opinion, but it is work to have an "informed opinion".

[frawin]

Gina and Patriotdad, you two have made the best informative, reasonable and mature posts that have been made on this thread.
You are both right on with the problems and the fact that to many people complain but few of them show up to be informed and voice their ideas.

[Jo McDonald]

You put it out there and you got it right, sweet girl. 
And if your post  "riled anyone up" --- then So Be It!  Truth is truth, and there is no gray areas involved.  The school situation is
located smack dab in the middle of a rock and a hard place.  There will be a solution and an answer, and we will all have to abide by it.

   Merry Christmas to all that are reading the forum.

   Jo

[Varmit]

Seems to me that there have been many alternatives and options offered, at least on this forum.  The folks that make up the board were put there as representatives of the citizens of Elk county, yet you want to know how many that I have heard from...zero, zip, nada.  Not one letter, phone call, email.  As far as I know none have even made an apperence on the forum.  Yet I am supposed to believe that just because I show up at a meeting they are going to listen to what I have to say and actually consider it?? 

[Joanna]

Yes.

[Varmit]

Really?  Because the way I have heard it told, every solution that has been presented has been shut down.  Except for building a new school (in Howard), or locating everyone to a central campus (in Howard).  Those that voted against the bond (a very clear majority, by the way) get accused of "voting against our children" by the same folks that complain about nobody coming the board meetings.  Meetings that are held where?...oh yes, in Howard.  

Seeing as how spread out our county is, here is an idea.  Why doesn't the school board come to the people?  They could hold meetings in senior centers, town halls, community buildings, etc.  I would be more likely to attend if the meetings were held in Grenola.  

[Wilma]

Varmit, I thought I understood that your children attend a different school district.  Do you live in Dist. 282 and send your children to another district?  Or did I misunderstand a post quite aways back?