HOLYROOD — Bill Lowry, interim superintendent of Central Plains USD 112 school district, answered questions for about an hour June 6 at the Holyrood American Legion regarding the upcoming Aug. 1 primary election vote on whether or not to disorganize the district.

Lowry was invited to speak by the Holyrood American Legion. He spoke to crowd of mostly senior citizens.

“We have a petition filed for disorganization of our school district, USD 112,” he said. “That was verified by the county clerk, and that has been put on the election Aug. 1 for disorganization of USD 112.”

Lowry said that means exactly what it says.

“Probably the two things you want to know are what yes means and what no means,” he said.

Lowry said a yes vote means disorganization of USD 112.

“If it is majority yes, the state board of education will determine how the district is divided up amongst the existing districts,” he said. “There is nothing in state statute that allows new districts — you can’t divide in half and go our separate ways — it will be disorganization. Its territory would be given to other districts.”

Lowry said a no vote would mean USD 112 would stay as it is currently.

“Anybody can request for me to come give information,” he said. “The state board of education has told me that the Kansas Department of Education will be coming out and doing some community meetings also to give informa- tion. As soon as we have dates on that, we’ll get that out to everybody.”

Lowry said he doesn’t have a side in this, and the district doesn’t have a side in this, he is just answering questions.

Lowry said he has received an invitation to speak in Bushton, but no date or time has been set.

Here are a few of the questions asked along with Lowry’s responses:

• Theoretically, if the vote is yes, none of the buildings would be occupied in the future. Is that correct?

“To be determined by the receiving school,” Lowry said. “That’s a debate. I’ve asked the state board and the state department of ed on that. They’re still working on an answer.”

Lowry said if the yes vote means USD 112 no longer exists.

“My interpretation at this time is still waiting on attorneys; that those buildings become closed,” he said. “The receiving district can determine if they receive territory with a building on it, they can determine attendance centers or not. That is my interpretation. That is not legal yet.”

Lowry said the state board of education is going to determine whether the districts want the territory or not.

“They’re going to decide how to divide it up,” he said.

Lowry said it appears that only eight districts actually touch the USD 112 boundary.

“So, all of those could be eligible to receive territory if we were to disorganize and have the state board divide the territory.”

• So, hypothetically, they could close down all the schools, and ... Claflin would be closed down and never open again and Holyrood closed down and never open again?

“Correct,” Lowry said. “I will tell you that very seldom have I seen a building, once closed, is reopened as a public school. Now that being said, I’ve seen schools change into different things. To me, I would interpret, worst case scenario, that no attendance center that is open today would stay open. Now, will it? I can’t say that. It depends upon the receiving district on disorganization.”

• If it does break up, is there any way it can reconsolidate? Because I think some people believe that.

“The only way they can remain open is that receiving district could determine that they need the attendance center,” Lowry said. “No one district is going to take the whole thing. That’s kind of the problem as I look at the map — five counties, almost 60 miles diagonal this way — more square miles than we have students. I could see districts saying yeah, we’ll take this much, or will take this much.”

• Is there still money owed on these buildings?

“No,” Lowry said. “The bonds are gone. The only money we owe is the lease/ purchase when they put HVAC at Bushton; that was on a lease/purchase, in normal terms called a loan. But that’s a lease/purchase. Those things were moved to Holyrood, and I believe I still have at least three years on that lease/purchase, which I’m making payments.”

• If the vote fails, how will it keep the people who filed the petition from going to court for another five years?

“In the statutes, if it fails, it cannot be brought back for two years,” Lowry said. “We know that. That being said, the vote will be the vote. Even if it is drug out in the court, we will continue to function by the vote I would assume.”

Lowry said nothing will happen this coming school year.

“This coming school year is set,” he said. “No matter what the vote is, the vote takes (place) Aug. 1, and the state board has to determine what the case scenario will be. By January, I would assume, of the following year, they will have to make decisions because all of this territory will have to be into the counties to determine valuation. Tax rolls and all that has to be changed. And so, for our budget, our fiscal year is July 1 to June 30, so everything has to be in place.

Nothing would happen until July 1 of 2024, if it was a yes vote. Right now, nothing is going to happen until then.”

Lowry said USD 112 may have some electionrelated expenses, but not as much as if it were a special election.

• Wilson is always complaining about the road between Wilson and Claflin. Would those students drive themselves or would there be a bus available?

“We’ll have a bus available,” Lowry said. “I don’t know if they will take advantage of that, but we’ll bus them over to and from school and after activities.”

A request for Lowry to meet with the public to provide information on the Aug. 1 election can made by calling the Central Plains USD 112 district office, Claflin, at (620) 5884200.