I will be the first to say that this was not a first choice, not even a second or third. This was the very last option; an option many don’t want, but now feel is necessary. This is the only legal action, we as parents and members of the USD 112 school district can take to protect the environment and education our students will be a part of and is necessary to allow all communities to disassociate ourselves from the indifference that has plagued this district from the beginning. This will allow an opportunity to give every student and teacher district-wide, as well as each community, the fresh start and stability that each rightfully deserves.

I understand the argument about local control, and I agree to a point. However, even local control needs to have its checks and balances. After all, isn’t that one of the principles our country was founded on? That no one entity or person should have all the power? What happens when your local government or board has failed to do their due diligence? How are they held accountable? If the majority of voters of USD 112 elect to continue with the disorganization, the state BOE will then determine which adjoining district will absorb each part of USD 112. To clear up any confusion, this will NOT create new stand-alone districts. Will this mean all attendance buildings will close? No, not necessarily.

The closure of Wilson High School brought to the forefront the lack of confidence in our current School Board of Education. Every opportunity has been given to the BOE to avoid disorganization and to work with the communities to find a long-term solution and the BOE has been uncooperative. No community meetings were held to discuss possible closure. No alternative suggestions were brought forth or researched. They made no effort in trying other alternatives before making the decision to close, and no plan was presented to students or parents to give them an idea of what this new structure and process would consist of. The USD 112 BOE repeatedly ignored recommendations from Kansas State Representative Troy Waymaster and State BOE Representative Dennis Hershberger to either leave the Wilson 7-12 (school) open or postpone the closing to allow for alternative solutions to be explored. Further, comments made by newly elected USD 112 Board of Education President, Tamara Dody, during the Jan. 4, 2023, board meeting were racial, judgmental, stereotypical and have no found factual evidence to support her claim on why a 4-day school week will not work for our district. Comments or beliefs such those that she made have no business being connected to our local schools and especially should never come from a person who sits in a position that can make impactful decisions about the future of a child’s education. This is unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

The USD 112 BOE is making critical decisions with no facts or numbers to support. No financially based evidence to support the closing was presented until the day of the hearing, even after it was repeatedly asked for by many. When specifically asked how many, if any, board members requested this data at any time in the leading months, the superintendent responded, “None.” A report published by the KASB for USD 112 clearly states that closing WHS will NOT save the most money. Once this was pointed out, board member Allison Koch tried to discredit the report based on representation numbers, even though she was part of the committee that participated in the study group for the report. The BOE set unrealistic deadlines on any possible solution that was explored. Private schools and/or land transfers with another district should have been explored through the BOE and not the patrons.

There is a reason that a disorganization of this nature has not been done before. It should not have ever come to this point. Unfortunately, our local BOE has allowed animosity to settle within our district. There has been no welcoming, open arms awaiting our students. Instead, they have received comments stating that ‘Wilson has “overstayed your welcome.”’ All that aside, with proper leadership, USD 112 had the potential to be a great district. We could have been leaders, innovators. Instead, greed and selfishness have torn this district apart beyond repair. It is now our responsibility to take our children’s educational future into our own hands. Do we stay as a district that is constantly bickering over who had to ‘suffer’ more, who had to give up what, who had to travel on a bus longer? Or do we part and give our children and our communities a chance to become part of something new and finally put these differences behind us?

The choice is now ours. Vote Aug. 1. Kayla Cullens Wilson