CLAFLIN — Members of the Central Plains USD 112 board of education were presented with several options for the future configuration of the district Monday during their monthly meeting at Central Plains Junior-Senior High School in Claflin.

“I think we gave you a range of options to think about,” said Dr. Brian Jordan of the Kansas Association of School Boards, who facilitated meetings in the past months of a 22-member committee of district patrons. The group was asked to define the best long-term (20-25 years) configuration of USD 112, providing for student quality educational experiences.

Jordan said the group narrowed their discussion to six possibilities:

• One Junior/Senior High School/Two Elementary Schools.

• Two K-12 facilities.

• Maintain the current configuration.

• Land transfer.

• Move the central office.

• Move sixth grade.

The first option, one junior/ senior high school and two elementary schools, could include either Claflin or Wilson. The main concern of the group was the flow of the families in their daily routines within the communities. Jordan said this creates challenges when starting to think about transporting students from one end of the district to another for junior-senior high school. In addition, the school in Claflin appears to be the costliest to operate from a utilities-per-pupil standpoint and more students would possibly drive up the cost of operations.

The second option, two K-12 facilities, would have cost savings in the long term due to operating one less facility. This also means fewer administrative and classified staff, along with savings in utilities. However, improvements would be needed at Central Plains High School to accommodate the additional K-6 students.

The third option, maintain the current configuration, was not, according to the group, a viable option because it does not address the objective of the study — the best configuration of the Central Plains school district for the next 20-25 years.

The fourth option, land transfer, involved Wilson School and timing. Jordan said the group originally thought a transfer plan might be triggered when the K-12 facility at Wilson no longer was financially sustainable. The group said there would have to be districts willing to accept such a transfer. Alternatives to a land transfer included forming cooperative agreements with juniorsenior high schools near Wilson to provide educational and extracurricular opportunities for students.

The group said the fifth and sixth options — move the central office and move six grade — should be done at the same time as a kitchen reconfiguration (going to a central kitchen or two kitchens in the district) to address space and bathroom challenges at Central Plains Elementary School in Holyrood.

Jordan noted moving the central office to Wilson would result in a net reduction of one administrator within the district, as the superintendent could serve as the elementary school principal at Wilson. This would create greater space at CPES for additional classrooms necessary for art, Title support and early childhood programs. The kitchen reconfiguration would allow for more bathrooms to be added in the former kitchen space.

Jordan said the board should take these scenarios and accompanying information and establish a timeline for a decision, preferably a direction is established and acted upon by the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year.

“While the group did not have one definitive solution that solves all the challenges that the Central Plains School District is facing, there are several components of this report that need to be implemented to realize some efficiencies within the district, which in turn frees up resources for improving educational opportunities for students,” Jordan said.

Superintendent Greg Clark said he would like to conduct a board retreat, perhaps in July after harvest, during which the board, superintendent and building administration could spend a day reviewing the information in the study and set up a timeline to see what path the district needs to take.

In other business:

• Approval was given to purchase a new 583-seat bleacher for the CPJSHS football field from DGJD bleacher manufacturers for a cost of $156,500. The purchase will be paid from 2021-22 budget funds. DGID has offices in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Denver, Colo. Also in the motion was a strong recommendation by board member Tamara Dody that the football and track teams do fundraising in local communities to help defer part of the cost of the bleachers.

“It (the fundraising effort) would definitely go a long ways,” said Brad Schiermeyer, board president.

• Approval was given to the resignation of Audria Hanzlick as an English teacher at Wilson School.

• The year-end board meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 30, at CPES.