| Deciding to close or consolidate a school building is one of the most controversial and emotion-filled decisions a school district could ever make. Rarely do all community members agree with the board of education's plan. Kansas Unified School District #321, Kaw Valley Public Schools, experienced first-hand the heartache and pain associated with attempting to reorganize the school buildings in the district. As a result of this attempt, patrons of the community fought the board of education for 18 months to keep "their" schools open. What started as an attempt to do what a majority of the board of education believed was best for the students ended with life long friends never speaking again. This paper chronicles the events that took place during this 18 month period and examines the lessons learned from the school leaders involved. |
