29 June 2023
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW) – Hutchinson’s Lincoln and McCandless elementary schools are merging at the start of the 2023-24 school year.
The school board authorized up to $150,000 for transportation, one of parents’ biggest concerns but – that plan isn’t set in stone yet. The school board says they need more feedback from Lincoln parents first.
One parent who has children at Lincoln elementary is happy with this week’s decision.
“Still looking at all the possibilities, but right now we’re just we call it a win, saying that they approved at least for one year,” said Lincoln parent Courtney Posteir.
“This was done in short notice, and so we want to make sure that we are meeting our family’s needs, and so what we did was we authorized some payment for busing so that the administration can work on the appropriate plan to see what we can do,” said USD 308 School Board President Kail Denison.
Posteir said the need for transportation is clear.
“It is a lower income level. We are a Title One school which means that we are we have several families that are in poverty, and so they don’t have the option to take off of work to bring their kids to school,” said Posteir.
Before the school board makes any long-term decisions, Denison said more feedback is needed from parents.
“We don’t want a solution that doesn’t actually help our families, so that’s the most important part for us is we don’t want to commit to a contract or certain number of students to be on a bus and then have our families come back to us and say, we don’t need busing after all,” said Denison.
“I’m hoping that that is the case, that they’re not going to go back later and say no, we don’t feel that that is a need. I would hope that they would say at least that we can give this a one-year chance to see how the families use it,” said Posteir.
While relieved by this move, Posteir says the Lincoln-McCandless school building needs improvements to make it a safe environment for all elementary students.
Superintendent Dawn Johnson said that she expects to get plenty more feedback at enrollment.
Johnson says the $150,000 can be used for multiple buses. The district contracts through Durham to get buses.