Boring wins: Surveys taken last fall found a tie between the status quo and a typical elementary-middle-high school structure as the most desired outcomes in a considered Butler School District reorganization.

Perhaps the key difference between the two is the fate of the downtown Butler Middle School, the former high school that is 102-years-old and needs “at least $20 million” in maintenance and repair work, according to Superintendent Brian White. Those who voted to keep the district's schools functioning as-is voted to keep the old building in use, while other responders voted to see it shuttered.

White shared the results of the surveys, which were conducted at a series of community meetings in the fall, during Monday night's school board meeting.

About 23 percent of responders voted to keep the district operating as it currently does. That means splitting kindergarten-through-fourth grade among six elementary schools, sending fifth and sixth graders to the middle school, seventh- though ninth-graders to the intermediate high school and 10th through 12th graders to the senior high school.

Another roughly 23 percent wanted kindergarten through fifth at eight elementary schools — enlisting the currently vacant Broad Street Elementary and converting the Center Avenue school from a special education hub to another elementary building. The middle school would be no more, the intermediate would house sixth through eighth and the rest would go to the high school.

White said he and staff planned to further study those two plans, as well as the third-place option, with practicality in mind. They'll look at academic requirements, class sizes, budget and everything else, he said.

The third-place option White included earned about 17 percent of votes, but its share of written comments was altogether more positive than others according to White's data analysis, earning additional consideration.

“We need to get into the nitty-gritty of those three options,” White said.

None of the six other options garnered more than 13 percent of votes.

The school board's conversation about the buildings' future comes at the early stages of the year's budget talks. Business manager Nick Morelli walked the board through their projected revenues for the year.

“It's about $896,000 more in revenue,” Morelli said. “Pension is going up $800,000. Our health care is going up $200,000. The amount of money I'm projecting is going to be taken up in those two areas.”

School directors continued talks of a formal fund balance policy, but reached no conclusion and resolved to discuss a minimum savings policy again soon. As solicitor Tom King reminded the board Monday, in recent years they've posted an ending fund balance “below zero percent,” far worse than a five or eight percent minimum as has been discussed.