Plan 2B or Not Plan 2B? SJSD School Board to iron out potential plan in work session

By: Chris Roush, News Director

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Plan 2B or not Plan 2B? That is the question the St Joseph School District's Board of Education now has to answer.

For the last several weeks, the board has been in a constant debate regarding the future of the school district.

"I'm trying, before we make a motion and direct the admin for the umpteen time to do some work on a request, I'm trying to feel the board out for what are we going to get behind?" SJSD Board member Mike Moore said. "Because that's what I am about."

Ever since the April 2025 bond issue failed at the polls, it has been quite the issue for the Board of Education. What plan for the district-wide model will they choose?

"Population is going down, staffing is becoming more and more difficult, and our money is going down as well," Board member Whitney Lanning said.

When the voters decided to go against the April bond issue and the plan to build a new high school south of US 36. The plan, on paper, appeared to be for Central and Lafayette to become the two high-school models moving forward, if that bond failed.

Although the bond did fail, plans changed, with the board asking school district administrators to come up with several potential options for the high school model, the number of middle schools and the feeder patterns from the elementary schools. 

Public hearings have been held at each high school. Different plans have been tweaked and also trashed.

Plan E, a community-based plan to keep all three high schools, while still fixing the feeder patterns and right-sizing the district, was a big contender for the St. Joseph community and the school board.

Once directed to make the plan work, district administration said the plan had some good pieces to it, but it didn't help with right-sizing, staffing or finances.

The board spent hours last week debating the next step.

"I do think if we can't come together today (Wednesday), and we can't agree," Board member Jennifer Kerns said. "I think we deserve to pause this. I don't think that's mindless. I don't think that's not responsible. I think it is responsible. I think we owe it to everybody to make a decision."

During Wednesday night's meeting, each board member talked about their thoughts and concerns about the potential plans.

"I really do want us to move forward," Board member Ronda Chesney said. "And progress creates pain. It creates discomfort. But here's what I know in my personal life, when I've been through pain and discomfort, and I work through that pain and discomfort on the other side, I'm a better person."

Another Board member, Kim Miller, said that she wasn't ready to make a decision on Wednesday about which plan she agrees with.

"I do agree we have to move in one direction or not, and at this moment, I can't tell you what that is for me, but I know there has to be movement," Miller said. "You've (district administrators) done so much work that we have to give you direction by the end of the night."

On Wednesday, it appeared at least four board members supported the plan to use Central and Lafayette as the high schools for a variety of reasons, including the financial savings; however, the Board still has work to do if it wants to get all members on board.

The district model and feeder system issue is not new. It's been handed down from Board to Board for several years.

"In the past, every year, it's a pause," Board president LaTonya Williams said. "And the reason being, is because it's hard."

This group of seven all agree, to an extent, that the district must change. But the question remains, though, can they all agree, or at least the majority agree, to a decision next Monday, Nov. 24?

The date has already become the self-imposed decision day.

"Not everyone in the community is going to like every single part, but we as a board and administration, don't just nod our heads, don't just cave in or have a four to three vote, but as much as possible, we have a unanimous consensus that says this is what we're going to do, and we're going to do it to the best of our ability," Board member Tom Richmond said.

The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the Troester Media Center, located at 3401 Renick St., for a special work session.