Vote ‘no’ to preserve schools

I was a member of the first Quivira Heights High senior class. For the most part, our senior year was not a terribly rough year with two schools consolidating that had been arch rivals. We were very blessed to each bring a very strong-willed teacher/coach to the leadership of our consolidation. These two men were greatly respected by both communities and they held us to a very high standard of uniting into a school that would win many championships that year; great for uniting kids and communities together.

I would like to acknowledge the work and progress of The Plaza in Bushton. This is the “closed CPMS” building that had our lights and heating/AC removed, leaving massive destruction since there was such a large loan against these additions by the past board and superintendent. Bushton was then allowed to silent bid on having to purchase the damaged building from the school district. The Plaza committee and community have worked long hours getting the building back into shape room-by-room.

The Bushton City Office, Farmer Township, Senior Center, Cloud 9 (crafting classes), God’s Got, El-Co Insurance, Farmer Township Library, Yoga and Tai Chi, Bushton Food Bank, along with a Rec Center, all occupy this building now.

Heartland Home Educators with 18 families meet in two rooms weekly for activities and classes.

The kitchen has been updated to a professional kitchen that will allow catering and cooking for sale out of it. It will be available to the community to have large group cooking also.

The Little Oilers football team has played on our football field Saturday mornings for at least 12 years. CPMS sports practices have been brought back to the building, and in the recent school board meeting, it was voted that all CPMS home games will be in Bushton this year. There are still available rooms in this beautiful building, and the city council is working on adding more options to benefit the community and surrounding areas.

We, as a community, were so upset with the loss of our school, yet, this community came together with fund-raisers and a very active committee to clean and repair the intentionally damaged building. Businesses and groups asked to move in and rent spaces, bringing life back to The Plaza.

A VOTE NO leaves the three (WES, CPES, CPJSHS) schools open, allowing community control and kids will remain in local communities. It gives our communities the ability to continue to offer services to the school and community.

A VOTE NO allows local control as our communities grow.

A VOTE YES, will close the three schools as of July 1, 2024, with results no one knows yet; a risk we don’t want to happen.

VOTE NO. Save USD 112 and communities Joy Hoelscher Bushton