WILSON — Members of the Central Plains USD 112 Board of Education toured Wilson Schools and contemplated the feasibility of adding seventh and eighth grades to the current facility during its Feb. 10 meeting.

Wilson Elementary School Principal Karin Mohr discussed the survey results, but said questions still remain.

“I know maximum number is 20 (students),” she said. “What would be the minimum number? At what point do we say, ‘We can’t do it?’” Board member Cherilee Ward said she heard a lot of questions from residents.

“The community is wondering if we could have another month, if we could have a public meeting,” she said.

Superintendent Bobby Murphy agreed to work on a public meeting date. As of press time Tuesday, no meeting date was set.

Mohr said the original survey, which was sent to fifth and sixth grade families, was inconclusive.

“We’re on that ‘do we go, do we not go?’” she said. “Tonight during conferences, those (surveys) are going back home one more time. I set up a new survey receiving sheet, just to make sure everyone has an opportunity to participate.”

Murphy said more fifth grade families responded to the original survey. Seven of the nine completed the survey.

“Five of those families said they would maybe be interested,” he said. “It’s a little better than 50 percent.”

Murphy said the original survey for sixth grade had seven of 11 complete the survey.

“Four would potentially be interested,” he said. “We’re looking to get feedback from them during parent teacher conferences.”

Murphy said feedback included questions about sports, non-athletic activities.

“We had some parents who think we are opening old wounds with it,” Murphy said of the survey. “That is by no means what we were trying to do.”

He reviewed some answers from the original survey.

“One said land transfer needs to happen to Sylvan-Lucas,” Murphy read from survey responses. “(Another said) No student going to Claflin; it’s time for a change for kids to go to another district; those grades were taken away a couple of years ago because it wasn’t important to the district and now they’re trying to backpedal.”

He also said one parent expressed concern that the experience would not be similar to a middle school experience, where students change rooms and have classes with multiple teachers.

“Give me time to set up the meeting in the next week,” Murphy said.

Not all families responded. The school reissued the survey to coincide with parent/ teacher conferences.

“I know one isn’t returning,” Mohr said. “Another student is because they still have an open wound, they were refusing to fill it out. I asked politely to tell me why. It’s better than no response. Hopefully they’ll do it on the new survey.”

In other business:

• Roberta Meier discussed the possibility open enrollment brings for the district.

“These small communities exist, and they’re a treasure,” she said. “We have to put ourselves out there, advertise ourselves, welcome individuals to join us. That’s what open enrollment allows us to do.”

Meier also said day care programs provide future students for districts.

She also encouraged the board to consider families who shifted from classroom-based education to homeschooling.

“This is the time to entice them back,” Meier said.

• Mohr shared a school report for her building. The other building principals were at parent/teacher conferences.

Mohr said the school is considering a mother/ father/child dance this spring, but no date is set.

The school’s Valentine’s Day fundraier was successful, and should help cover the cost of a yearbook for every student.

The playground fencing is still in progress, and Mohr said there is still a wait-list for the day care. Additionally, she said up to four students could enroll in the next few weeks.

• The board approved 2025-26 classroom enrollment numbers.

• The board toured Wilson Schools for about 35 minutes.

• Following the tour, the board discussed options for the HVAC system in Wilson.

Murphy presented several options to the board. They range from making no changes, going without air conditioning and introducing early dismissal times for heat days to a full system replacement, which could cost upwards of $500,000.

One option is to replace the current roof unit, which could exceed $360,000, but it would not change any internal controls.

“We would have to work through EPM to have rooms turned on and off,” Murphy said.

He also discussed split units with the board.

The board approved spending up to $117,584.50 to have Kirmer Electric install two split units for the day care rooms. This does not address air conditioning needs for any other rooms in the building.

Mohr said she recently learned about another option: chiller rentals.

“They hook up a temporary connection into our system,” she said. “There is an opportunity we might be able to purchase that unit from him. He has four to five units not in use. Cost-wise, it would be cheaper than the alternative.”

More information will be gathered and presented at a future meeting.

“If it got us through April, May, June, it would be a great choice,” Murphy said. “If the chiller rental is a possibility, I want to explore that to give you more options.”

Mohr said staff discussed early dismissals at a recent staff meeting.

“If we have to go to a heat schedule, where are they going to go? Parents work,” she said. “We do what we have to to make sure kids get what they need. We don’t feel comfortable letting them go (early) because there’s nowhere to go.”

• The board discussed the district’s accounting software. Murphy discussed moving to AptiFund.

The district’s current software is tied to a server in the district office. The new system would allow for cloudbased access for staff.

Murphy said the district received a $16,800 grant, which pays for about half of the training. The annual fees are comparable to the current software.

Board Clerk Diane Ney said AptiFund will handle data migration.

“Eventually, the district will have to go to something else because they don’t support (the current software) anymore,” she said. “I suggest (implementing it in the) fall because we can get the budget document all done on what we’re familiar with, teacher con-tracts going, payroll started.”

• Murphy discussed a lease agreement with Advancing Barton County Childcare Department.

“This doesn’t mean 100 percent go,” Board Presisdent Tamara Dody said. “This is just the next step.”

Murphy said he will bring blueprints for the proposed center, which will be in Claflin, to the board.

“Things are going to have to get rolling really, really fast to meet the deadlines for the fall,” he said.

• In tandem with the day care in Claflin, Murphy discussed the position of an executive director for the day care. He said the Barton County group is willing to split the cost of a director’s salary, but that individual would oversee locations in addition to those run by USD 112.

“I have a hard time with that. I think for us, it might be more beneficial to have one person in charge of ours,” he said. “If we have to spend $40,000 on salary, we might as well spend $40,000 on someone we know will be here.”

• Dody reported the Central Plains Roughneck Reinforcers raised more than $77,000 during their recent fundraiser.

“We were able to present you with a check for our half of the fencing,” she said of the fencing project around the football field in Claflin.

• The board went into executive session for five minutes to discuss confidential student information. Following the session, the board approved Joel Schreiber and Adyson Green for work study for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.

• The board went into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss nonelected personnel. Following the session, the board approved Hannah Beran as a high school assistant track and field coach for the 2025 spring season.

The board approved extending Murphy’s contract to a 3-year contract, with salary to mirror the percentage raises of certified staff.

The board hired Shaelyn Sheehy as the principal at Central Plains Elementary School for 2025-26 school year, with salary to be determined later.

The board approved the resignation of Daisy Adams as first grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

The next regular USD 112 meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, April 14, at Central Plains Jr./Sr. High School, Claflin.