16 May 2023
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW) – In a special meeting Monday, the Hutchinson Public Schools USD 308 Board of Education (BOE) voted to approve the combining of two elementary schools, Lincoln Elementary and McCandless Elementary.
BOE members met Monday evening to determine what to do about a teacher shortage in the upcoming year. District leaders say they could be down 14 teachers next year.
During the meeting, members of the community, including parents, guardians, and taxpayers, had the opportunity to address the BOE in relation to the proposed solutions to the teacher shortage.
Some parents KSN spoke to Monday afternoon expressed concerns about the closure, stating that they were worried about long walks to school for their children.
USD 308’s Superintendent, Dr. Dawn Johnson, followed the public hearing with a presentation of proposed solutions and provided data gathered by district leaders, offering pros and cons for the proposed plans.
“We are building towards excellence, and we know this is not an easy decision, but I think we have worked hard to look at all of the options and choose the best recommendation,” said Dr. Johnson.
Paul Carver, the principal of Lincoln, also had the opportunity to speak to the board and speak about the concerns addressed by the community. He supported the recommendation.
In the end, the board voted to combine the boundaries of Lincoln and McCandless and make McCandless the attendance center. This will also reverse the Graber boundary back to the 2022-23 boundary.
To see the full detailed information on the board’s agenda, click here.
The next regularly scheduled BOE meeting is on Monday, May 22, at 6 p.m. at the USD 308 Administrative Center, 1520 N. Plum St.