The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has voted to close Custer Hill Elementary School at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.

The vote on the motion was 4-1 with Board member Carolyn Gaston voting no.  Board members Brian Field, Kim Milleson,  LaDonna Junghans, and Dr. Ferrell Miller voted yes. Two Board members were not present for the meeting at Custer Hill Elementary School…..Dr. Anwar Khoury and Tom Brungardt.

The BOE had three options to choose from including closure of the school at the end of the current school year, closure at the end of the next school year, or waiting until after the Department of Defense gave possible approval of funding for one more new elementary school on post in a future year…a development that might be a few years in the making. The second of the three options was the one selected.

Board member Brian Field made the motion in favor of that choice. He explained to JCPost.com in the beginning of discussion on this topic when the focus was on possible closure at the end of the current school year  he had felt rushed. “I felt like we awfully rushed in this decision. We weren’t able to get the information in a timely manner.  I really felt like that was the key here as well.”

Field said the decision that has now been made gives the District time to phase in “an appropriate plan.” Field added, “We can figure out logistically what’s best as far as where the students go, how we’re going to get them to the schools. There were so many unanswered questions.”  He noted safety issues in the current building are being addressed right now, and added the Custer Hill Elementary students have a home right now.

The one year delay in closure of the school means it should coincide with the planned opening of the new Fort Riley Elementary School, which is scheduled  for the 2015-2016 school year.

Carolyn Gaston stated her concern dealt with putting money ( estimated at $543,000 on personnel costs ) into a facility that officials know they will be closing within a year, and moving the students and staff. “I just felt that it was an activity in futility of pouring money into something that we know we’re going to close. Students first always. I just thought it would be a better move to relocate them for this coming year, rather than waiting and prolonging the activity.”

The staff recommendation submitted to the Board for their meeting on Monday suggested that the school be closed following the next school year ( 2014-2015 ).

Three members of the public talked briefly to the Board during a public hearing at Monday’s meeting, with their views ranging from the approval of the small class sizes at Custer Hill Elementary to a request for the Board to make their decision quickly so those families impacted could make their adjustments accordingly.