HOLYROOD — After months of anticipation, the 12-member Futures Committee gave its report Monday to the Central Plains USD 112 board of education.

The committee was asked to survey district patrons on their interest in a centrally located attendance center within the district. Two questions emerged to form that survey. First, would you support a bond issue for one school located in a neutral location within the district? Second, would you be willing to send your child or your children to that one school neutrally located within the district?

A total of 300 patrons answered the survey. Out of 300 responses, to the first question, 7 percent of the 300 patrons responded yes, 80 percent responded no, and 13 percent responded maybe.

On the second question, 7 percent of the 300 patrons responded yes, 54 percent said no, and 39 percent said not applicable.

“We’re making an assumption they no longer had children in school,” said Gary Sechrist of the Kansas Assocation of School Boards.“We don’t know for sure.”

Sechrist moderated the four meetings of the Futures Committee, starting in August.

He said the consensus of the committee was that any decision which may be made be best for all students in the district.

“Your group worked very hard,” Sechrist said.

The 300 responses were represented either by community or zip code to include the Wilson/Dorrance area, Holyrood, Claflin, Bushton, Ellinwood, Ellsworth and Lorraine. Sechrist said there was also a certain group of responses that had no zip code or location represented.

He said the committee felt that those who voted no or maybe most likely wanted to know what the cost of the building might be.

“Without knowing the cost, they (the patrons asked) were really afraid to commit,” Sechrist said.

Other patrons had questions on where exactly a neutral location might be.

Sechrist said many of the Futures Committee members would like to be asked to assist the board in the future.

Board member Jacob Charvat said the majority of the 28 patrons who provided comments on the survey were fairly negative. He asked if there were any positive comments made by the patrons to the committee members.

The answer was no. Several patrons wanted more information.

“The big comment I heard was that we’ve got schools that we just got done paying for and now we want to spend a lot of money on a new school,” said committee member Joe Togersen of Lorraine.

After discussing the future of the Futures Committee, the consensus of the board was to keep using the Futures Committee. The committee will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Wilson School to come up with a recommendation on what the committee should be in terms of number of members.

In other business:

• Brad Schiermeyer was elected board president and Tamara Dody was elected board vice president.

• Superintendent Greg Clark said he talked with Dr. Brian Jordan of the KASB about data gathering within the district that is requested by the board. Clark suggested — and the board approved — Jordan and Sechrist giving an overview at a future board meeting on how KASB would do that.

Clark said the Futures Committee would be incorporated into that tasking, if they would be interested.

Clark said the board would probably need to have a board work session with Jordan and Sechrist to determine what questions the board would want them to find answers to.

• Clark briefed the new board members, Dody, Chad Rogers and Josh Hurley, on the status of the former Central Plains Middle School building in Bushton.

Clark said the district has spent $8,000 so far on bills for the building. Last year, it spent $43,000.

He said R&R Street Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning of Lincoln is working on bids to move the air conditioner and boiler out of the building.

“They are going to give us several options,” he said.“I should have the Street bid by February.”

Clark also asked whether the board wanted to list the building for sale with a realtor.

Hurley suggested, and it was the board consensus, to wait until Clark receives that bid information to take further action on the Bushton building.