School-district issue
Jesse Howard, Neosho Rapids
Thursday, October 23, 2008
AT THE GENERAL ELECTION on Nov. 4, the patrons of USD 252 will be presented with the question to change the present representation of the district from the three districts of Neosho Rapids, Hartford and Olpe. Each of the three districts consists of two member seats and one member at large open to the whole district. The board proposes to change to a two-district form consisting of Neosho Rapids and Hartford for one district and Olpe as one district. Each district consisting of three member seats on the board and one at large seat open to the whole district.
By state statute, the board is required to equalize the number of registered voters in each district according to the number of voters registered in each district. This does not require the changing of the districts from three to two. All that is required by statute is the equalizing of the number of voters in each district by moving the boundary.
I attended the first of three meetings scheduled for informing the public about this ballot question in Neosho Rapids on Oct.15, 2008. Only two patrons showed up for this meeting.
District USD 252 was created in the 1960s by the consolidation of three smaller districts to form one. These schools all were in three separate cities, each having their own distinct personalities. Let us continue to progress and leave the board makeup as it originally was.
Patrons of USD 252 need to be informed of the facts before they vote.