SJSD School Board moves forward with ‘Plan E’
Praji Ghosh
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School Board decided on Plan E, one of the three plans that would shape the district’s future.
The SJSD School Board met on Monday to make a significant decision. At the last Town Hall meeting at Lafayette High School, administrators shared an impact analysis to show how different reorganization plans could affect students and staff.
Three plans were on the district’s radar. Plan 2B would move Edison Elementary to the North, while Plan 7B would shift Stonecrest Elementary to the North instead. Both 2B and 7B bring changes to SJSD’s high school model.
Plan E, which would keep the district’s high schools as they are, was also a contender.
A public hearing was set for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, where community members had three minutes to share their thoughts before the board moved into a work session.
District leaders said this conversation has been years in the making. With the district’s current financial challenges, administrators are moving to find a more sustainable way to use resources.
Sophomore Abby Kolzer from Lafayette High School shared ahead of the meeting that she hoped the school board would make a decision that benefits everyone — not just teachers and staff, but the whole St. Joseph community.
“My opinion is that option two should pass, and they should vote yes on that. It’s the most financially sound. It affects the least amount of teachers and students,” Kolzer said.
Kolzer said her time at Lafayette has given her opportunities she knows not everyone gets — and it was tough when the district’s initial recommendation didn’t reflect that.
Another Lafayette student, junior Peyton Huff, also shared before the meeting that she supports Plan 2B, believing it’s backed by solid data.
“I think a lot of us are majority plan to not just because we go to Lafayette, but because we also look at the data and we see that it’s given us right here that the plan too is the better option,” Huff said.
When it came time to vote, the majority in the room sided with Plan E.
During public comments, several families urged the board to choose a community-led option — one that puts every student and staff member across the district first.
Community member Andrew spoke in support of Plan E, saying it’s important to preserve the role each high school plays in its neighborhood.
“All three high schools are important to each neighborhood. They’re not everything. These schools are a safe haven for students. They get good meals and protection from the world they have to live in at home,” Andrew said.
Another resident, Maggie Siegmund, agreed, saying Plan E offers a fair solution with minimal disruption to staff and students.
Some board members also called on the district to take a closer look at Plans 7B and 2B, warning that those options could deepen the divide between administrators and the community.
“Uprooting large numbers of students, creating significantly longer communities for numerous students, overcrowding many schools are not the ways to serve our children,” one member said.
In the end, the board voted just before 10 p.m. to move forward with Plan E. They’ll hold a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 10, to discuss how to refine the plan so it best serves district stakeholders.