SJSD School Board hits ‘pause’ on Plan E, will hold meeting to discuss other options
Praji Ghosh
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Board of Education met Monday night at the Troester Media Center, and after a long discussion, they’ve decided to hit pause on Plan E.
Just weeks ago, the board had unanimously voted to move forward with Plan E — a community-led model which would keep all three high schools in the district. After taking a closer look, board members say they’ve found some issues, making them rethink their decision.
Now, the board is turning its attention back to the two high school options — Plan 2B, which would support a Lafayette and Central High School model, and Plan 7B, which would support a Benton/Hyde and Central High School model.
The Board will hold another special meeting to weigh the pros and cons.
Board President LaTonya Williams said she understands the frustration this back-and-forth can cause.
“What people need to understand is that no matter which plan you choose, there will always be individuals who will say ‘Let’s look at a different plan,’ and then the board caves and we feel kind of stuck, and every year there’s no change,” Board President LaTonya Williams said.
Williams added that her goal this time is to make a firm decision and actually move forward.
She said the board has received many emails urging them to reconsider Plan E, but she believes it’s time to commit to a direction — even if not everyone agrees.
“There are issues with all the plans, and if you pick a plan, people will be upset about it, but that is a change, and it is okay,” Williams added.
Williams also shared her disappointment in having to revisit the same discussion so soon after the last vote.
“It’s like starting over in a lot of ways. It’s a new process for all of us, and I just know that taking a longer time and keep changing our minds about this over and over again will do us more harm than good,” Williams said.
The board will meet again at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Troester Media Center for a special public hearing to discuss how Plans 2B and 7B could impact the community.
KQ2 will have a full report on this story at 5 p.m. Tuesday.