HOLYROOD — The USD 112 Board of Education held a public hearing to discuss the future of Wilson Elementary School Tuesday at Central Plains Elementary School Gymnasium, Holyrood. No action was taken on the closing of the school, however, an additional meeting was scheduled for Feb. 23 for that purpose.

The board sat at a semicircle of tables on the gymnasium floor facing the public in the bleachers. Board members present were: Tamara Dody, Dist. 3, Claflin; Chad Rogers, Dist. 7 at-large; Kayla Cullens, Dist. 1 Wilson; Joshua Hurley, Dist. 5, Bushton; Allison Gonzalez, Dist. 4 Holyrood; and Dalton Wirth, Dist. 6 Claflin. The seat representing Dist. 2, Dorrance still remains vacant after former board member Cherilee Ward turned down being a write-in candidate in December.

Also sitting with the board were Kansas Association of School Boards attorney Lori Kopp, USD 112 attorney Jeff Kuhlman, Superintendent Bobby Murphy and Board Clerk Diane Ney.

As the meeting began, Board President Dody clarified the scope of the discussion.

“I’m just going to start by saying this is a hearing to give the board an opportunity to hear comments from the community regarding the possible closure of Wilson Elementary School,” she said. “This is not a question- and-answer forum, so the board will not be responding to questions during this hearing. Any person who has signed up will have five minutes.

“With that, I would like to introduce Lori Kopp. She is a lawyer from KASB. She will be the chair for the hearing tonight.”

Kopp took the podium and introduced the board members to the sparse crowd.

“Per state law, the board of education, by adoption of a resolution by the majority vote, may close the school building at any time if the board determines the building should be closed to improve the school system of the district,” Kopp said. “However, prior to adopting any such resolution, a hearing must be called on said proposal.”

Kopp outlined the publishing requirements for the hearing, stating they had been met and that the closure was due to low enrollment, resulting in a loss of revenue.

Kopp then turned the podium over to Murphy to outline the enrollment issues and the rationale for the proposed closure.

“I’d like to spend a little bit of time going over our student population K-6 at Wilson Elementary School over the past few years,” he said. “In 2022-23 there were 87 K-6 students, 2023-24 75 students K-6. In 24-25 there were 69 students, and at the beginning of this year there were 66 students K-6.

“When we came back after Christmas break on Jan. 12, we had 58 students K-6. We’re anticipating being close to the 50 number next year for our school enrollment at Wilson Elementary. If we do drop to that 50 mark for K-6 enrollment, that will mean that our K-6 population dropped by 37 students over this span. That is a 42 percent drop in K-6 students, resulting in a estimated revenue loss of over $200,000 in funding.

“After speaking with surrounding superintendents, they are transporting 28-35 elementary school students out of the Wilson and Dorrance area to their elementary schools. That does not count the families that are taking their students out and not getting transportation from other schools.”

Murphy noted the district absorbed two positions in Wilson last year, and still expects to spend an additional $250,000$300,000 beyond state aid and revenue.

Following Murphy’s remarks, the floor was opened to the public.

The first speaker was Michelle Brokes, Wilson.

“I think it is extremely telling and extremely sad that I think I’m the only person from Wilson in this gym,” Brokes said. “It’s a testament to where we’ve come as a district, and that goes both ways, and I think it is very sad.

“I fully understand that this is a closure hearing, not a land transfer discussion, but I think the two go hand in hand, so please bear with me. So the discussion of the land transfer has been ongoing for three-plus years, or to be completely honest, longer than that. So something I’d like you to consider is that is a big deal. That is not a small change; that is a complete realignment to take effect for hopefully decades to come.

“So as we go through this process, whether we pursue a land transfer, I just ask that the time and effort be given to those discussions so we make the best decisions going forward. I would ask that while it affects the entire district, and I fully recognize that, it affects the Wilson and Dorrance communities the most because we are the ones transferring out and realigning elsewhere.”

Brokes encouraged the board to delay the closing of the school due to the uncertainty of the land transfer.

“I don’t want to see our building close,” she said. “I do ask, and this is a big ask, that if that is the direction you decide to go, that rather than close at the end of the 2025-26 school year, I would ask that you close at the end of the 2026-27 school year. That is not me asking you to kick the can down the road, that is not me asking for a last-ditch effort to try something. That is me asking if we do a land transfer, it is going to take time. I don’t know what direction that goes, but as a parent of an elementary student and watching other parents with elementary students. If there isn’t a clear direction at the end of this year, or even in August, where that land may transfer to, it makes it very difficult to decide where to send your child. Because I also have high school and junior high school students that we had to make this decision for when the high school closed, and it is hard to know where to go and you don’t want to do it again.”

Brokes closed her comment to the board by again asking that they give one more year for the right discussions to happen.

Following Brokes, the only other member of the public to address the board was Denise Schmidt, Claflin.

Schmidt outlined both the costs of educating students in Wilson compared to Claflin and Holyrood, as well as the uncertain future of school funding in Kansas.

“Although I do understand Mrs. Brokes’ position, that these are difficult discussions and they are going to take time, I do not feel the state and this district has the time to delay this decision another year,” Schmidt said. “It is a critical time. Moreover, there are more things coming. Districts are in a critical time. Districts across the state are looking at decreased enrollment, low enrollment, coupled with rising costs. I do not think that this district can continue to kick that decision down the road a couple more years. It is a difficult decision, but it does need to be done now.

“The last thing I will say is this. I know that this district seems to have a giant schism in it, and that’s because no Wilson patrons are here tonight besides Mrs. Brokes. I will say that I know these are difficult decisions, but let’s remember that a school does not define your community. The people in your community define your community. If you want to look at the very best example of that, we should look at the community of Bushton. When the teachers in Bushton, the staff members and the students left in May of 2019, they had no idea they wouldn’t be coming back in August of 2019, and that community didn’t fold up. They took initiative. They were resilient, as Kansas people are, and they have developed a strong, vibrant community even with the school closing. I know these are difficult decisions, but I would say the Wilson and Dorrance communities can do the same.”

Following the public comment period, the board approved a special board meeting date to possibly take action on the potential closure of Wilson Elementary School for 6 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Central Plains Jr./Sr. High School cafeteria, Claflin.