Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School rossville-st.marys or kaw valley?

Just been wondering what the latest is in ol' rumor mill. Here out east we've been hearing that the creation of Kaw Valley High School (next year's planned merger of Rossville and St. Marys) was about to fall through. Has anyone heard anything lately?

Big article in todays Sunday topeka paper. It basically says the 4 new board members are definitely committed to keeping both Rossville and St. Marys open. The present board which leaves office june 30 is not cooperating at all and are proceeding with one school including buying new uniforms etc. The administration is caught in the middle. Reading between the lines I think both schools will be open. I am a school board member and after all the 4 new board members will have the final say no matter what happens prior to then.

Thanks for the reply Fanatic. I read the article — amazing, simply amazing.

On a 5-2 vote, the Kaw Valley school board voted to "undo" the merger. Rossville and St Marys each will have a high school this year.

You could just see that train wreck coming, couldn't you? Wonder what they're going to do with all that Kaw Valley stuff?

Hang on to it, my guess it will still happen, maybe not this year or next, but the state wants fewer schools and the state will force those school to close. This will happen all over the state unless we see more help from state funding. I must add though I really dont understand the whole thing, I do understand that closing school in community's is tough but this wasnt a bad thing they are 7MILES apart my god what a waste close 1 and win several state championships and people will soon forget/lol

Going on 20 years ago, Iowa's department of education (Fanatic, let me make my point) went to the school districts and basically told them that if your district is too small to generate enough property tax to stay open, you closed or consolidated. This caused a lot of hard feelings for a while, but the consolidated districts that have been created since then are strong in every way. Sure, some small towns lost their high schools out of the deal, but what's more important, education or "identity?"

Rest assured there is no chance this merger will happen any time soon. The battle was too bloody. Only a fool would bring the issue up again. It is not a matter of merging school districts, they are already one district. There are lots of smaller schools and just as close (Doniphan and Jefferson counties for example) which the state would focus on first. Yes, I think educationally and financially the schools would benefit by merging but...........schools are owned by the patrons who elect school boards....The politics of what the community wants (and the school board election was a landslide) does rightly dictate the issue.

Point well-taken. That's why they call it "the will of the people."

I will agree on the will of the people, BUT, the will of the people the first time said combine, who is to say it wont happen again,I know, Im sure there are people who say that it wont or wouldnt vote someone in like that but poloticians do lie or I think some do/lol which brings me to my next point, I think you are wrong when you say it wont happen anytime soon, It will and it wont just be your district, It will be all over the state, they are going to FORCE schools to combine(consolodate), this is sure to happen in the county that I live in where we ahve just 2 schools in the county a 2A and a 1A and a population of less that 10,000 for the county it will happen here, it will happen there as well as the Western part of the state.

Consolidation in western Kansas is hindered by the distance/travel time between schools.

Many, if not most, northwest KS counties only have one high school.

And the counties that do have more than one school usually have a 2A or 3A or 4A school and a small 1A school.

There are exceptions (Gove County has three 1A schools), but most high schools here are situated 30 miles apart.

What are the odds that high schools in these county seat communities will one day merge?

That's probably the Catch-22 in this whole matter Les. Those districts you talk about are probably the ones who could most benefit — at the very, least educationally — from consolidation and the very fact that you bring up is one of the major sticking points against it. Taking two or three of those districts and combining them would be logistical nightmare and the travel would be almost cost prohibative.
It's a sticky situation to say the least.

Mr. Jim:
In reality, iy was not the will of the people who decided to consolidate. It was done at a schoolk board meeting where under 5 outside people attended and the issue was not even on the agenda. Someone (an ousted board member, cannot remember name) moved for a vote on consolidation. It was seconded and the vote took place. The votes were 4-3 I believe for consolidation. No one in the USD 321 district knew of this vote until the minutes were prited in the next edition of the St. Marys Star community newspaper. This caused widespread anger among the patrons of the district and was a headliner in the Topeka Capitol-Journal and on three Topeka newscasts.

Personally, I grew up there, moved to Lawrence after 8th grade, my siblings stil attend school there and I still have many friends there. EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have talked with, was and is OPPOSED TO CONSOLIDATION. There is extreme community and school pride in not only Rossville but St. Marys as well. (see below)

I don't mean to sound like a di*k, but if one is so interested in it, do an archive search at cjonline.com.

Plus, everone I know from Rossville hates St. Marys and vice-versa. How could they get along in the classroom and the playing surface. (hahahahahaha)

Brett Shoffner

I am not saying that all that didnt take place I take your word for it on that because that is totaly out of my logistics. But... I am saying that consolidation WILL happen if the state does not do something fast about our present educational situations ALL across that state... as far as not likeing each other talk to some of the people that grew up in the 50's, 60's and 70's when the FIRST ( this will be the second, history does repeat itself) major school consolidations took place those kids now our grandparents and parents didnt like one another then either and sometimes schools were 10 miles apart due to the railroad. They learned to get along and when stae championships were won some towns learned quicker than others. There are alos those towns that STILL do not get along as far as the "adults" go because of the consolidations, but ask yourself this... when a kid in kindergarten starts school he doesnt know any different it takes a while but those kids will get along with others forom another town


and buy the way I didnt take it as you were a d*&k just good talk during the lul of the summer.

Thanks for understading.

I agree with you totally on that schools and districts are going to have to consolidate because of our wonderful political leaders (cue snickers).

On this note, I see schools in low-populated areas being consolidated first, ie western Kansas is going to have to travel farther and the creation of "county" high schools. Rossville, and St. Marys will definatly be in there, but towards the end.

Also, I can see districts consolidating to save money. I could truly see in 20 years perhaps (if the state does nothing good) not only Rossville and St. Marys combining, but adding Silver Lake in there with a school in Rossville.

Silver Lake is easily one of the smallest districts in Kansas because it runs only a grade school and JR/SR high. Consolidating the Silver Lake/Kaw Valley district is a very forseeable prediction. I mean, with a centered school in Rossville, St. Marys travels 7 miles and Silver Lake goes only 5 miles.

Not meaning this would happen, but it could soon if the state does not pull their heads out of their asses.

On another note, imagine the sports power that a Rossville/Marys/Lake school would create. Wrestling would be insane, while others like golf, softball, baseball, football, hell about every sport would whoop some fools. The three schools split already bring a lot of State Championships (or close to) being seperate.

Just a thought.

Brett Shoffner

On the subject of rival schools combining i know of one example of the sort. in 1991 two unknown hicktowns, Montezuma and Copeland Kansas, having depleted numbers in their sports programs began exploring consolidation to jointly strengthen their programs. As the board viewed the possibilities brought on by the consolidation talk soon escalated from the sports being combined into the two schools being entirely merged.

Of course former students, parents, and students (who i am told absolutely hated each other) were immediately outraged by the mere suggestion. The board decided the financial benefits outweighed the rivalry and continued exploring the consolidation(after serveral quote "blood thirsty" town meetings). Parents even threatened to move the kids away if the consolidation took place. The board was smart though, instead of continuing debates and meetings, both boards held the vote(avoiding the political mess the next elections would have been)and created the new school system South Gray.

Toward the end of the year the students picked out a new mascot (the rebel) and school colors(blue and black). Over the summer the schools were repainted and the consolidation completed.

Upon the opening season of the consolidated sports, the plan had worked. girls volleyball qualified for the state tournament (and has done so several times since), and three years in a row boys basketball(though i hate to mention the sport) earned runner-ups and one state championship(they have dropped off in the last couple of years though). The school remained 1A so they still competed in 8man football, surprisingly enough, two teams, each w/ a great history of domination, combined have never done well enough to bring home a state title. In track South Gray started out w/ and has consistently placed competitors on the state finals podium(but then again its track, so no one cares)

The rivalry between Montezuma and Copeland died quite quickly the first year(in the kids anyway). Personally, based on this example, i dont think rivalry between two towns quite holds up against the benefits of the consolidation of two financially burdened schools.