The St. Joseph School District Board of Education remains divided over two competing school consolidation proposals after a Nov. 17 meeting ended without a clear decision. Plan 2, which would close Benton High School, offers the greatest cost savings, while Plan 7, closing Lafayette High School, is backed by administrators as the best long-term option for the district.
The board had previously voted on Oct. 27 to pursue a three-high-school model but later reversed course following extensive public pushback. It now expects to select a final plan at its Nov. 24 meeting.
Board member Whitney Lanning urged the board Monday to narrow the options before the vote, warning that entering the meeting with two plans could lead to more indecision. The board will meet again Wednesday night to try to settle on a single proposal.
Administrators, Buchanan County officials, the Chamber of Commerce, and numerous residents have pressed the board to choose a direction and move forward. But in a Facebook post after Monday’s meeting, Lanning said she had little confidence the board would “make any decision at all.”
