BUTLER TWP — A former Butler School District superintendent and community group members are urging school board members to work with that group to help formalize an alternative building consolidation plan.

Robert Paserba, who was superintendent from 1985 to 1994, worked with Pittsburgh Catholic Schools over the past 20 years, dealing with consolidations and expansions of Catholic schools in a six-county area.

He spoke at the Butler School Board meeting Monday night.

“We do have a group that needs to be heard: The Butler Residents for Quality Schools. I’m not a member of the group, and I have not participated in any meetings, but I’m going to argue for a process,” Paserba said.

“Please give an opportunity for Butler Residents for Quality Schools to vet their program” by meeting with administrators and ironing out specifics to make them comparable to the Thomas & Williamson recommended plans.

The consultant firm from Pittsburgh has recommended three consolidation plans to the board, which included closing six or seven of the district’s 11 elementary schools and reconfiguring grades into a kindergarten through 3 or 4, 4 to 5 through 6, 7 through 9 and 10 through 12 model.

Paserba’s son, Kris, is spokesman for the Quality Schools group. He said that his group wants to work with the school board to come up with a plan that keeps the kindergarten through 6 grade community school model intact.

Its alternative plan, which was mailed last week to board members and community leaders, is to close the junior high school and three elementary schools based on geographic area.

“Our proposal, in our opinion, was not given fair treatment at the meeting last Wednesday,” Kris Paserba said.

Jon Thomas of Thomas & Williamson said last week that more than $6.7 million in one-time construction costs were necessary to add more classrooms to remaining elementary schools under the community group’s plan. However, Thomas had not factored in any redistricting plans.

The school board hired Thomas & Williamson to recommend how to make more efficient use of the district’s schools, which have an average occupancy rate of 55 percent.

Another building consolidation meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 24 at the intermediate high school auditorium.