BUTLER TWP — Butler School Board members are expected to discuss a letter urging that they stop the school consolidation plan during a committee meeting Monday before a board meeting.

In a letter dated May 24, two school board members and four candidates who expect to be elected to the board in November urged the board and school administrators to stop the school consolidation process.

Superintendent Dale Lumley said the letter is expected to come up, but much of that discussion could be in private because of possible legal action referred to in the letter.

The board voted 7-2 in May to close five elementary schools, reconfigure grades and open a new alternative school, all to take effect this fall.

The letter is signed by board members John Conrad and Bill Halle, and expected incoming board members Leland Clark, Jennifer Cummings, Suzie Hammonds-Bradrick and Nina Teff.

“It was no surprise to me that they sent this letter to try to stop the plan,” said David Korn, school board president. “Honestly, the public knew of this consolidation almost three years ago. When I was running for the board, that was a hot topic as well.”

He added, “If they wanted to make a difference, they should’ve run two years ago.”

However, Teff, who has spoken at numerous consolidation meetings over the past several months and will likely be on the board in December, said the public only knew potential consolidation details in October. She said she hopes the letter has more validity because six people who will be on the future board are not behind the consolidation plan.

“I try to be hopeful, but after going to a lot of the other meetings ... I don’t know if we’re going to be taken seriously or not,” Teff said.

A portion of the letter said: “... it is our intention, upon taking office, to reverse elements of Plan 4B, should it be fully implemented.

“Specifically, we intend to examine whether it was appropriate, cost-saving or educationally beneficial to close so many of our neighborhood elementary schools. For the same reasons, we will examine the large, centralized middle elementary school.

“The Pennsylvania Board of Education has confirmed that we will have the full statutory authority to reverse, in whole or part, Plan 4B. A ‘super majority’ of the new board will be in favor of utilizing this authority.”

The letter does say the new board members will “focus on decreasing costs through every means possible, including closures and reconfigurations that are clearly beneficial educationally, that are cost-saving and that are in consideration of the preference of the electorate.”

Conrad was one of the two board members to vote against the consolidation plan. He is adamant once the new board takes office, they’re going to make changes to the consolidation plan regardless.

“Is the current school board so arrogant that they will not back down to the voters demands? Will they waste $1 million in taxpayers money because of their arrogance?” Conrad said.

He said the parents who have concerns about the consolidation have not been heard.

He said he urged several of the likely elect members to run for school board to make a difference.

A board majority has the potential to make changes once in office.

Conrad said, “The board brought it on themselves because the board refused to listen. I firmly believe that this wouldn’t have happened if they listened to the parents.”

The board committee of the whole meets at 5:30 p.m. and the agenda meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Harriger Educational Services Center.