Closing Wilson Jr./Sr. School doesn’t make sense

Dear Editor, The public hearing for the proposed closing of the Wilson Jr./Sr. High School was held Jan. 4 at Wilson School. USD 112 Board of Education conducted the meeting.

The meeting was held in the WHS gym. The south side bleachers were full or nearly full; there were three or four people on the north side that I did not recognize. The BOE was set up on the floor facing the audience.

Given the opportunity to speak (five minutes each), the Wilson/Dorrance patrons really responded.

Speaking were students (I believe Serenity Steinike was one), ... groups of students, teachers (Susan Thielen among them), former WHS Principal Leland Francis, David Criswell, former Mayor of Wilson, Mike Peschka Wilson Mayor, Mike Just patron, an attorney from Topeka and Troy Waymaster, Kansas State Representative District 109.

The group above … had several reoccurring themes.

The ones noted were the distances involved and distances to schools outside the district. Distances listed below: Wilson to Claflin — 24 miles on three county roads, Ellsworth, Russell and Barton Wilson to Ellsworth — 16 miles on Old Highway 40 Wilson to Sylvan Grove — 19 miles on State 232 and State 181 Wilson to Russell — 24 miles on State 232 and Interstate 70 Dorrance to Russell — 15 miles on Interstate 70 Claflin to Holyrood — 9 miles State 4 and State 156 Claflin to Bushton — 8 miles on State 4 Bushton to Holyrood — 5 miles on county road A conservative estimate of 50 percent of grades 7-12 students attending school in Ellsworth, Sylvan Grove and Russell will cost USD 112 $353,758 in state aid (0.5 x 73 students x $9,692) in state aid.

Other repeated themes were that Wilson is the largest town in the district and growing. Losing WJSHS would be detrimental to the local economy and in turn, detrimental to USD 112. Waymaster pointed out examples of this happening in his district. He also stated he wanted WJSHS to remain open.

Also brought up was a lack of options considered prior to proposing a school closure.

A lack of confidence in the district’s figures and availability of them to the public was mentioned more than once.

It was brought up that there was money available from Topeka, but the district had to apply for it and they had not. This could affect the bottom line.

This was not recorded, so some persons and topics have undoubtedly been missed. My apologies.

This was a public hearing discussing the proposed closure of Wilson Jr./Sr. High School, for approximately an hour-and-a-half, Wilson/Dorrance students, teachers, parents, the Wilson mayor and the state representative presented a convincing case that closing the school would be detrimental not only to Wilson/Dorrance students and the Wilson/Dorrance community, but eventually, the entire district.

It was asked of this large and assorted crowd if anyone was in favor of closing the school to stand. I did not see anyone stand. This hearing was advertised, it was public and not one person attended to support the proposed closure.

This article was not planned — the only notes are in my head — others may have seen it differently.

What I saw was the Wilson/Dorrance community defend one of our most valuable assets in a civil and convincing manner.

Sincerely, Chuck Crawford Wilson, KS