While school closures were not on the agenda for the Monday evening school board meeting, residents of Warren County signed up to speak to the board about the issue, expressing concerns about the impending decision.

Common themes throughout the public comments were how students in outlying areas would be limited in extracurricular activities, the possible implications for longer transportation times for students, and the number of administrators the district employs.

April Barr of Sheffield expressed her concern for Sheffield students who do not have transportation to after school activities. Barr stated that while she and her husband could transport their daughter to Warren for softball games and practices, “not all families can do that.”

Zach Sanford, a resident and teacher from Youngsville, asked the board to consider the longer bus rides to school for students in the Youngsville attendance area.

“Beyond just the reality that it will be longer for Youngsville students going to Eisenhower, those longer distances have higher rates of accidents nationwide. Studies have found that longer bus rides lead to chronic rates of absenteeism,” Sanford said. “This is something we cannot afford to add to our district higher rates of absenteeism, which we already struggle with.”

Dave Myers, the Youngsville wrestling coach, challenged the board on the number of administrators the district employs.

“Our fact sheet shows we have 49 administrators on staff. Keystone Central is geographically the largest school district in the entire state. It covers about 950 square miles and has two attendance areas: Bucktail High School and Central Mountain. Thirty-five hundred students, with a $83.2 million budget a year, spend $22,500 per student, with nine buildings and 26 administrators, including their building administrators.”

Many residents from Sheffield and Youngsville attended the meeting. The board listened to the citizens’ concerns and encouraged questions and input from the community.