Praji Ghosh
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — After Monday night’s meeting, the St. Joseph School Board has decided to hit pause on Plan E. Instead, they’re taking more time to dig into the details of two other options — Plan 2B and Plan 7B.
The board shifted gears from its earlier decision to move forward with Plan E, now turning its focus toward the two high school models.
Plan 2B keeps Lafayette and Central high schools, while Plan 7B supports a Benton/Hyde and Central High School setup.
Board President LaTonya Williams said while the back-and-forth can be frustrating, the ultimate goal is to land on one plan — and stick with it.
“If you look at the meeting from a couple of weeks ago, our board chose a plan which was unanimous, and that hardly ever happens. It is my goal, actually, to look at a plan and be able to implement it.”
During the work session, community members once again had the floor to share their thoughts — and many voiced frustration, saying they’re eager for the board to settle on a decision that keeps the community’s best interest in mind.
One of the original developers of the community-led Plan E, which proposed keeping all three high schools open as a more financially stable model for the district, also spoke out — urging the board to stay true to the vision that started with local input.
He mentioned that he wasn’t surprised with the Board’s decision, although it was rough being in the room and hearing about the pause in moving forward with plan E.
“I was told by the administration. So, to have to sit there and listen to a lot of misinformation come about. It was tough,” Jeff Leake said.
Leake said many of the board’s concerns about Plan E could actually be addressed. He pointed out that most people in the community have voiced their support for keeping the three high school system.
Leake also said, any push to go back to two high schools has been met with resistance from a majority of St. Joseph and has even failed at election polls in the past.
“The district needs to bring a plan that everyone can accept or work with since they need to pass a tax levy in the near future to extend the sunset or get rid of it,” Leake said.
As the board revisits the two other plans, Leake expects Plan 7B to gain traction, since it aligns with what some groups have been advocating for.
He also pointed out that the model will not be chosen overnight, and warned that whichever plan the board chooses at the next meeting could end up doing more harm than good for the community.
“We really… We should get our finances in order and understand where all our money’s went and why we’ve increased spending so much on staffing and supplies over the last five or six years before we cut any buildings,” Leake said.
For now, Leake hopes the board hits pause and digs deeper into what’s driving the district’s financial strain before making any final decisions.
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