WILSON — The USD 112 Central Plains Board of Education met for its regular monthly meeting March 9. The meeting began with passionate comments from community members following the board’s special meeting Feb. 23 in Claflin, where the board voted 5-1 to close Wilson Elementary School.

The meeting also saw a large number of resignations approved after an executive session, including that of WES Principal Karin Mohr, at the end of the school year.

Community members showed up to comment during the recognition of visitors’ section of the agenda to discuss the board’s recent decision to close the WES at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Each visitor who signed up was given five minutes to speak. Board President Tamara Dody cautioned speakers it was not a question-andanswer session and the board would not be answering any questions.

Linda Bristow was first to step up.

“I imagine you all know me. We were lucky enough to come here; God sent us in ’74,” she said. “My husband taught and coached. He coached track until COVID hit, and he passed away in 2020. He loved the school. He loved kids. He loved coaching and teaching.

“This building is in good shape and you want to close it. Something to think about: Putting kids on a bus in the early morning, putting them on a bus, they have no time to play in the evenings because they are on a bus.

“This school has taught many kids and they’ve done very well. My oldest daughter has been a teacher — she retired a year or two or three ago. My youngest son has been a registered nurse and worked hard in upstate New York. It came from the education he got here. Think about it. This school has a lot of history. All of my kids graduated from here, some of my grandkids.

“It will hurt the town not to have the school. Think about it.”

Charlene Zelenka had some questions for the board.

“I’ve worked for the school here for 18 years as a paraeducator, and I don’t know the numbers for sure of how many of our kids, right now, from the elementary are on buses to go to other schools,” she said. “Has anyone on this board taken the time to find out why? Why are they leaving this school?

“I can speak for my granddaughter. She is a sixth grader. She now goes to Lucas-Luray because of the fifth grade teacher last year. When she went to Mrs. Mohr for help, do you know what she was told? ‘Go ask one of the boys.’ She wouldn’t help her on numerous occasions, and you put her in the principal’s position? Sad. Sad.

“Has anyone on the board even taken the time to find out why there are at least 10 on the bus who go to Lucas? I don’t know how many go to Russell or who goes to Ellsworth, but have you found out why they are going there?

“Our numbers are down, so yay for you guys. Our numbers are down so now you can close our school. Ya’ll ought to be ashamed. That is all I’ve got to say.”

Roberta Meier was the last speaker to talk.

“I’m a retired licensed education professional. I’ve spent my last 15 years serving at the K-State library,” she said. “I am not a registered voter in 112. I reside in the USD 299 school district. I’ve taken multiple opportunities to listen, to observe and to try to understand the complexities of the educational situation you are now in. I’ve invested much time, to my husband’s chagrin, and effort, and I’ve offered my services and advice. I’ve served on the Wilson Site Council and Wilson Education Foundation, and we are happy to be awarding three scholarships annually. The Wilson school closure decreases local jobs by 31. This closure will also harm surrounding communities. Some of you live in them.”

Meier offered to provide the board with a sheet of services generated in Wilson that serve the surrounding communities and towns.

“This is not going to just hurt the Wilson community, but these surrounding ones as those volunteers with their generous helping hands possibly have to go somewhere else,” Meier said. “The education in this rural area is the anchor of the family.”

Meier paused to thank Superintendent Bobby Murphy for his engagement and efforts in the school district on his first assignment as a superintendent.

“Families have chosen other school options than 112. Most of the districts around here are scrambling to recruit students,” she said. “Oddly, this district doesn’t seem to be concerned with the significant number loss. I have three questions. Approximately 90 students left in 2023. Twenty more exited between ’23 and now. If history repeats itself, about 56 more will leave this summer. A few foster children must stay in-district due to legal limitations.

“Question 1: How much money for students has this district received without any expenses. Question 2: What has that money been used for? Question 3: Will Dorrance and Wilson students who remain in this district for ’26-’27 be picked up the same, door-to-door, like the southern students during the planned land transfer negotiations. And I was hoping to see a facility walk-through tonight. I was hoping it would be on the agenda. Are you still planning to do a walk-through? I have some concerns about projects and solutions that are in place. I hope you do a walk-through soon, if not tonight. It matters.”

Following executive session, the following personnel changes were approved: Dereck Hollingshed and Drew Kirmer, school representatives for the Claflin Recreation Commission; Avery Gates, CPJSHS high school assistant track coach Resignations: Kara Potter, CPES third grade teacher; Jennifer Vandenburg, CPES fourth grade teacher; Aaron Dlabal, WES sixth grade teacher; Mandi Griffin, food service coordinator, district office secretary, high school assistant track coach; Joy Hertach, bus driver; Susan Barker, CPJSHS social studies teacher, play director, Scholars’ Bowl coach; Karin Mohr, WES principal, fifth grade teacher; Hannah Dlabal, WES music teacher In other business:

• Invoices to be approved included the following items highlighted by Murphy: Middle school track uniforms, $4,254; Graduation Alliance billable credits, just under $96,000 monthly expense for virtual; gym roof access ladder for the high school gym, $9,439; gravel behind the high school, $4,180.80.

• No administrative reports were presented to the public due to all principals being involved in parent/teacher meetings.

• Murphy presented the board with figures on bills for the Boxx Modular groundwork bids at Central Plains Elementary School. Murphy said they were still on the timeline to have the modular building brought in June.

• The gas bid was $8,996. Kansas Gas will have to extend the meter for $2,500. Dirtwork was $12,750. Sewer hookup was $6,842. Water was $6,382. Additional drainage work $6,500. Playground drainage bid is $12,300.

“We budgeted for all the groundwork to be $300,000 for this project,” Murphy said.

• The board voted 6-0 to approve concrete and electrical bids in the amount of $64,000 for concrete work. The board voted 6-0 to approve electrical bids for $36,745.61 for the CPES project.

• Murphy presented the board with open enrollment numbers. He advised that this week, the numbers at Holyrood increased by five students.

• The board voted 6-0 to approve open enrollment numbers as presented.

• The board discussed the Wilson Day Care.

“It’s not that we’re not addressing it and we’re not thinking about it, it’s just we do have due process,” Dody said. “But we still have to make plans moving forward. One or two kids in the day care is not anything we can sustain as a school.”

The board decided to table the discussion of the Wilson Day Care until next month to get more information.

The next meeting of the USD 112 Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. April 13 in Claflin.