By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County commissioners have written the St. Joseph Board of Education, urging the board to stick with its original long-range plan to move the school district to a two high school model.
Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner, Scott Nelson, says the three commissioners simply want to support the plan to reduce the number of St. Joseph public high schools.
“We just supported that whole process knowing that they felt at the time and we agreed that St. Joseph should go to a two (high) school model,” Nelson tells KFEQmmunity. “We’re not picking schools. It’s just two schools.”
The move came after it appeared the St. Joseph Board of Education backed off its original long-range plan and decided to remain with the three high school model. The board, though, now appears to have again embraced the two high school model, favoring retaining Central High School along with Benton High School, using neighboring Hyde Elementary School to provide sufficient space.
Nelson says the Buchanan County Commission drafted the letter after he spoke with the other two commissioners following a discussion at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce about the future of the school district.
“So, I brought that information back to the commissioners and we said, yeah, we do need to support our school board and not this whole idea of a last-minute change to things,” Nelson says. “That’s just chaos. Nothing good comes from chaos. Why is chaos even brought into the picture? Why a last-minute change? I just don’t understand that.”
Nelson says the commission understands the importance of the St. Joseph School District to the county as a whole and believes the plan to reduce the number of high schools makes the most sense.
“We are losing population. We are losing school numbers. Those are facts,” Nelson says. “Employers, and I’m not going to say which ones, are reluctant to come – some – are reluctant to come to the area or live in the area, because of the school district.”
Nelson says the school board earlier realized the district needed to change and that change wouldn’t be easy.
“But I felt like they kind of did their due diligence and came up with a plan and then all of the sudden the plan changes on the drop of a hat? I’m not sure that’s productive.”
The St. Joseph Board of Education is scheduled to consider the move to the two high school model during its Monday regular meeting.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ
