HOLYROOD — Designing a road map for the future of the Central Plains USD 112 school district began Aug. 27, during the first meeting of the district’s Futures Committee at Central Plains Elementary School in Holyrood.

“The board of education would just like to get some consensus among the different communities that make up the Central Plains school district,” said Superintendent Greg Clark.“Are we looking at one school for the entire district? Are we happy with the way it is laid out now?”

Clark said there are 12 volunteer members of the Futures Committee — Karen Riggs of Bushton, Joe Togersen of Lorraine, Jessica Habiger of Bushton, Allison Koch of Holyrood, Stephanie Petermann of Holyrood, Kenny Schepmann of Holyrood, Rachelle Stratmann of Claflin, Troy Bailey of Claflin, Sonya Lamatsch of Claflin, Alice Whitmer of Wilson, Susan Thielen of Dorrance and Theresa Staudinger of Wilson. Bailey, however, did not attend the meeting.

Clark said committee members will visit USD 112 communities in coming months asking questions of patrons. The committee will meet officially four more times before the end of the year with leadership facilitator Gary Sechrist of the Kansas Association of School Boards, then present a report to the USD 112 board of education in January.

Clark added the committee may also meet without Sechrist.

“I will not be an active participant in this committee,” Clark said.“I will provide them any information they need, but this is strictly patron-driven.”

Asked why a Futures Committee was needed, Clark said the following:

“We’ve always said that closing the school in Bushton was not the end all, be all — at least we as a board didn’t feel that way. So this is the next step in the process. How do we continue to make this district viable for many years into the future — hence the name the Futures Committee — and what would the communities and patrons support?”

Over the next hour and 20 minutes, Sechrist guided the committee through a series of activities designed so they could get to know each other and begin to build trust. He told them it is okay to have diverse opinions.

“We’re going to have diverse opinions,” he said.“We need to have diverse opinions. But we need to trust each other to get where we’re going.”

USD 112 district goals also were reviewed, along with the information produced several months ago at a town hall meeting in the CPES gym.

“The board has asked me to facilitate this and I think I understand this situation but I don’t understand it enough that I can get in the way,” Sechrist said. “I’m just here to lead. I’m not here to force it in any one direction.”

Each member of the Futures Committee expressed why they volunteered to be a member.

Whitmer said she hoped to be part of the solution that brings the district together.

“I hope to help make some difficult decisions that will help kids,” she said.

Thielen said she wanted to be a part of what can be done for quality for everybody.

Lamatsch said she wants to help make the best decision possible for kids.

Staudinger said she wants her 1-year-old son to have an amazing education.

Koch said while she doesn’t have any children, she does have nieces and nephews who, along with children in the various communities of the district, deserve a quality education.

Petermann said she wants to help make the decisions the district needs now in order to ensure its future.

Habiger said she would like to find a united front for everyone that is going to be the best for the future of the district.

Riggs said she wants to ensure her grandchildren and other district students receive the best education possible.

Stratmann said she wants to secure the district’s schools for the future.

Schepmann said he wants to make sure the future of the district is secure.

“I think that’s important to all of these four communities,” he said.

Togersen said he wants to help make the best decisions for the kids of the district.

The committee then discussed the merits of each of the four USD 112 board goals.

The first goal states “To provide students with the curriculum, programs and quality needed for their success beyond our walls.”

The committee members thought the district as a whole is providing students a quality education and life skills, but it doesn’t toot its own horn enough. They also felt the district needs to concentrate on the positives, which will attract additional enrollment.

The second USD 112 board goal is “To operate with a fiscally responsible budget that addresses the core needs of our district.”

Several committee members said they needed to first see the financial numbers involved in order to comment on this board goal. Several others said the district is in the condition it is in because of poor management and poor budgeting. The state legislature reneging on promises to school districts was also cited as part of the reason why the district is in the shape it is in.

The third USD 112 board goal is “To maintain the facilities to enhance the student’s experience. To provide for safety for all how enter our buildings and maintain the buildings to ensure years of service.”

Several of the committee members said they were concerned with security at Central Plains High School and whether CPES is large enough to handle larger class sizes if enrollment increases. It was noted students are offered a lot of good experiences, but need to be secure in school.

The fourth USD 112 board goals is “To work towards a united district and create a safe learning environment for all students.”

Committee members said while they all wished USD 112 was a unified district, it is not. It does, however, provide a safe learning environment for students. The consensus of the committee was the turf wars in the district need to end and everyone needs to do what is best for all students in the district.

Finally, Sechrist asked the committee members to define unification and efficiency. The answers ranged from being a united front for the students to having a more unified culture and consolidating services to having one high school for the entire district.

Efficiency was defined as using resources to the best of the district’s ability, having a good student-to-teacher ratio, doing a better job with district funds and sharing programs and teachers throughout the district.