SJSD board sets Nov. 16 public hearing for potential middle school consolidation
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The St. Joseph School District Board of Education agreed Monday to hold a public hearing next week ahead of a possible vote to consolidate middle schools.
During Monday night’s board work session, members agreed to hold the hearing, required under district policy before closing, consolidating or repurposing schools, at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16.
The decision followed a contentious, hourlong debate over how to address ongoing financial pressure and unused space in the district’s middle schools.
SJSD has four middle schools: Bode, Lafayette, Spring Garden and Truman.
According to data from DLR Group, the firm the district paid $60,000 to help create its long-term facility plan, community and staff groups both discussed reorganizing the middle schools and possibly moving to a two-middle-school model.
Board members on Monday alluded to Bode and Truman as the schools that could be repurposed, with Lafayette and Spring Garden remaining as the district’s two middle schools while existing attendance boundaries stay in place. No final plan has been adopted.
Enrollment figures discussed for the 2026-27 school year show Lafayette with 529 students, about 32% of capacity; Bode with 379 students, about 70% of capacity; Spring Garden with 267 students, about 48% of capacity; and Truman with 239 students, about 46% of capacity.
In DLR’s latest report, none of the four middle schools received an “adequate” score on a four-point building assessment scale. Spring Garden rated highest at 2.89, followed by Truman at 2.65, Lafayette at 2.59 and Bode at 2.45.
Throughout the session, district administrators stressed decisions that would position the district for the future. They told the board SJSD must cut about $4.2 million in expenses to avoid deficit spending in fiscal year 2028.
Consolidating from four middle schools to two could save about $2.3 million in staffing costs, administrators said.
Board members disagreed over whether they had enough information for an informed vote on reorganization.
The board did not vote on any school closures Monday. During the work session, members noted they could vote on consolidation at the regular board meeting Nov. 23 — one week after the Nov. 16 public hearing.
