CLAFLIN — A motion to move forward with drafting a policy on random student drug testing failed at Monday’s meeting of the Central Plains USD 112 board of education.

Board members Tony Zink, Tami Schepmann and Joshua Hurley voted for the motion, Brad Schiermeyer, Chad Rogers and Tamara Dody voted against the motion, and Jacob Charvat abstained, which was counted as a no vote.

“I see the merit in it,” Schiermeyer said. “As a parent, if our kids were in a situation where they needed to be tested because we thought there was an issue, we would definitely do it. My concern is that by having the policy and testing the kids of this district, we’re testing for something that is outside of the buildings. I think the options we have of making sure there is not drug use on school grounds, in the district buildings, and there is not drugs in these buildings, I think we as a district need to utilize those resources more than what we are, possibly, but I don’t think I support having a drug testing policy.”

“The tools we currently have at our disposal, we need to do a better job using them more often and effectively,” Zink said. “We need to add tools in addition to what we already have. No drug testing policy is going to be perfect. And it’s not going to be a deterrent for every single student, but right now, no policy is a deterrent to no one.”

“If you are going to do a drug testing policy, and I’ve said the KASB (Kansas Association of School Boards) doesn’t recommend you do it, but if you do, I would ask that if we do something, we don’t try to do it half way,” said Superintendent Greg Clark. “You either do just it and it’s a policy and we’re testing and this is it, or we don’t have a policy.”

In other business:

• Approval was given to sell the bleachers at the Bushton building to the City of Bushton for $1.

“We probably have the opportunity to sell those bleachers for more than that,” Schiermeyer said. “But there are financial gains other than the purchase price. If they stay there, it obviously enhances one of the towns in our district, and any enhancements to any of our towns has the opportunity to bring in people.”

“Nobody likes in their town to lose anything, whether it’s a building or property or any type of structure Hurley said. “It is a benefit to the City of Bushton for multi reasons.”

Earlier in the meeting, during the public forum, Bushton resident Robert Behnke asked the board to remember the word unifled.

“Unified means when people or groups are all on the same page, working for the same goals and doing the same thing,” he said. “This school board and district lost the meaning of unified years ago. Yes, there is some concern about the future and benefits of the school district. But mainly, it all boils down to how will this benefit Claflin. You continue to look for ways to kill Bushton.”

Behnke said the board closed the school in Bushton, then stripped everything from the building without respect for the school or who the new owners would be. He also said the board decided if Bushton wants to have a school building, they could buy it back.

“If the district needs money so bad, why was the ball diamond here in Claflin, the bleachers and the concession stand donated or the board charged Claflin a very small price Behnke asked. ”Why wasn’t the city charged a fair market value for the facility?”

He reminded the board where the majority of the district’s tax dollars come from — Green Garden Township and Oneok in Rice and Ellsworth Counties.

“If they pulled their tax dollars away, what major contributor do you now have in Barton County that could take their place Behnke asked. “This district would be in dire straits. When is enough going to be enough?”

• The board will have a work session at 6 p.m. Monday, March 29, to consider future capital outlay projects.

• Approval was given to board policy JBE, which deals with the wavier of compulsory attendance at school.

• Approval was given to hire Keeley Hipp and Krystyn Kenzie as teachers at Central Plains Elementary School and Daisy Kraus as a elementary teacher at Wilson School.

• Approval was given to hire Fred Smith as the high school assistant track coach at Central Plains and Casey Steiner as a substitute 7-12 grade teacher at Wilson and Central Plains.

• Approval was given to accept the resignations of Gwen Schepmann and Virginia Ptacek.

• Approval was given to the 2021-22 district calendar.

• No action was taken after a 10 minute executive session with board attorney John Sherman to discuss negotiations.

The next regular meeting of the Central Plains USD 112 board of education will be at 6 p.m. Monday, April 12, at Central Plains Junior-Senior High School in Claflin.