The majority of candidates running for the Butler School Board in the May 19 primary are against the district consolidation decision that was approved Wednesday, but most would look for ways to ease the transition before considering revisions to the plan.

That plan will close five of the district’s 11 elementary schools, reconfigure grades at primary and secondary schools and open a district-run alternative and special needs school this fall.

There are five seats open for nine candidates who will be on the primary ballot, including incumbents Bill Halle and Don Pringle. Three other school board members are not seeking re-election: Carmen Bianco, Karen Callihan and Jim Keffalas.

Jennifer Cummings said with the consolidation decision made, looking forward is key.

“I’m running to make sure that, in the future, decisions are made within the framework of a long-term, strategic vision,” she said. “A vision that relies on evidence-based solutions, innovative ideas, and working together with everyone who has an interest.

“The impact of school closures and new grade configurations should be carefully monitored, and keep the school district enticing for parents and students alike.

Cummings added: “We need to lure back families who choose private or cyber schools because of the closings. And, we need to make wise financial decisions, especially since the projected savings from consolidation has already dropped by more than half, and may continue to disappear.”

The consolidation plan is estimated to save the Butler School District $1.5 million. The plan was initially estimated to save $3.5 million.

Bill Halle, who is one of two board members who voted against the plan, said he has many concerns with it.

“The current consolidation plan does not appropriate funds toward the well-known and prior charted exponential increases in pension and health care benefit costs,” Halle said. “It will instead force the district to reduce our most valuable resource, teaching staff, only a few short years down the road.”

If re-elected, Halle said he hopes to establish a committee made up of parents, business and nonprofit leaders, teachers and other residents to develop a strategic education plan.

“This committee will initially help us to work with and do the best with the changes that will already have been made and cannot be reversed,” Halle said.

“However the committee will also help us to decide what components of the current consolidation plan can be changed in order to move forward and actually resolve issues and to address needs for the greater good of the entire community.”

Don Pringle, who voted for the consolidation plan, is confident about the decision he and the six other board members approved.

“The new Butler Middle School will be the gem of the district. K-4 elementary schools will have a more homogeneous education and the intermediate and senior high students will have more course offerings including expanded vocational/technical education along with STEAM programs. It is exciting times for education,” Pringle said.

“Finally, the best part of the plan is the taxpayer does not have to pay for this expanded educational model. We are finally giving the taxpayer a break, what they have been asking for.”

Fifth and sixth graders will attend a newly formed middle school at the junior high building downtown, the intermediate high school will house seventh through ninth grade students, and the high school will house 10th, 11th and 12th graders this fall.

The district currently has a kindergarten through sixth grade, seventh and eighth grade, ninth and 10th grade and 11th and 12th grade configuration.

Some candidates who have been critical of the plan are not convinced the Pennsylvania Department of Education will approve the plan. Candidates Leland Clark and Timmi Longdon are among them.

“I am holding out hope that the PA Board of Education will thoroughly review the current proposal along with the public outcry and will deny the requests put forward by the current board and administration,” Longdon said.

“If, however, this plan proceeds, upon election it will be my responsibility to make decisions based on the current system at that time.”

Clark supports keeping neighborhood schools, and is unsure the state will approve the plan because of how many changes are being made at once.

“If the plan is approved by the state and implemented over the summer, I would not automatically try to reverse it,” he said.

“If I am elected and seated in December, I would survey the public, the teachers, and the administrators. If they are satisfied with the plan, then I would do what I can to make it the best that it can be.

“However, if the plan turns out to be widely disliked by all, then I would be in favor of revising the configurations of the schools.”

Nicole Reigelman, press secretary for the state Department of Education, said in a statement that the state “does not reject or halt planned changes, but checks for compliance with School Code procedures, and to note, for the record, if the district neglected to follow a step. If a citizen wishes to challenge a district’s plan for reconfiguration, they would have to do so in the county court of common pleas.”

Nina Teff has been particularly vocal at school board meetings, having spoken to the board on several occasions. She had the same doubts about whether the state would approve the plan, but she also had concerns because of the ongoing process.

“This is a massive change impacting all 14 buildings and therefore, every student in the district,” Teff said.

“I believe this is based off of the ideology of board members and administrators and not based on sound decision-making skills associated with looking at the short and long-term financial, educational, and community impacts.”

Teff, who said she has been trained in the Stanford-based sound decision-making processes, said, “Sound, proven processes have not been used concerning making this consolidation decision.”

Others hope to find ways to attempt to reverse the consolidation plan.

“If elected to the board, I would certainly seek legal council to see what remedies in law there are to reverse the board’s thoughtless decision,” said Dan Focht.

He wasn’t satisfied with the process throughout the year, calling the public meetings and survey “condescending.”

“The outcome was systematically arranged and controlled in a despicable condescending manner,” Focht said.

“Instead of being open to the public from the start, the board, in a divided vote, contracted a carefully selected outside firm to do a study. To complement the study and provide the illusion of integrity and validity to support their desired outcome, they also conducted a public survey.”

“It has been made clear that the current majority on the (school board) has no interest in alternative views. On May 19th you have a chance to correct and improve the BASD.”

Suzie Hammonds Bradrick said”that the community has been misled and that there has been a lack of transparency.”

She also said, “I disagree with the actions that our school board has taken that have led to Wednesday’s decision. The community deserves a second opinion.

“We have been told that the district is deeply in debt, and that we must consolidate our school system so that we can save $1.5 million per year. At what point in the future will we realize this savings?

“It seems to me that past expenditures on facilities have bankrupt the system. Why do that again? I believe there is a better plan for Butler.”

She also said, “This plan, any plan regardless of its details should have always been a “plan” for the 2016/2017 school year. Why the rush?”

Arthur Haag did not respond to requests for comment.