SJSD School Board reconsiders high school plans amid community concerns

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The St. Joseph School District's Board of Education held a special meeting Wednesday to revisit two other options for the district’s long-range plan.

Plan 2B would keep Lafayette and Central as the district’s two main high schools, while Plan 7B would pair Benton and Hyde with Central. 

The discussion comes days after the Board unexpectedly pumped the brakes on Plan E — a community-led proposal that would keep all three high schools, after unanimously approving the plan at a previous meeting.

Board President LaTonya Williams said even she was caught off guard by Monday’s turn of events.  

“I would love to choose a plan and stick with it. We can’t keep going back and forth like this, and it's already emotional... We have been doing this for a while now,” Williams said.  

Williams added, she expected to hear plenty of feedback from the community, hoping public input would help guide the Board toward a final decision. 

She admitted the situation is becoming increasingly tense, saying the district can’t afford to move forward without a clear plan for the future.  

“My initial reaction, I was trying not to throw up. Well, because I made it, you know, it was just all action and off the cuff and unexpected and everything,” Williams said.  

Community members once again were given the floor to share their thoughts. Many urged the Board to slow down before making any major decisions.  

“I pray you'll consider the most important subject in this. We ask the kids, 'How will dividing and forcing more kids into classrooms be beneficial for them?'...Please rethink this whole idea,” one speaker said.  

Others spoke in support of Plan E, which aims to keep all three high schools open.  

“Closing multiple schools at every level. Sure, having a large middle school may allow you to keep the cohort plan at the middle school level, but it's not going to work at the other levels,” another community member said.  

Williams said the Board understands the frustrations being voiced and is trying to find the best solution for students, staff and the community. 

The Board will hold another public hearing on Monday, Nov. 17, followed by a meeting on Nov. 24, both planned to take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Troester Media Center, where members are expected to either finalize a plan or pause for a deeper review.