By Lance Patterson
Kids First
Serving on the USD 308 school board is both an honor and a challenge. It’s easy to question decisions after the fact. It’s harder to step into the process, knowing you’ll face criticism and sometimes fall flat on your face. But if we truly care about our kids, we need to engage in the work, not just attack the people doing it.
Take the recent bond issue. This wasn’t something thrown together overnight. The process began nearly five years ago under a previous superintendent and continued because the needs of our students remain urgent.
I wasn’t part of the initial committee, but I followed the updates closely. Early discussions even explored “right-sizing” the district by reducing buildings. At one point, closing Graber Elementary was floated as one of many ideas. The reaction was immediate and intense; my inbox filled with emails questioning my intelligence. That was just one suggestion among dozens, but it showed how quickly conversations can turn personal.
Despite the criticism, the work continued. When I joined the committee, I saw firsthand the diversity of voices involved: parents from every school, teachers, administrators, business leaders, and community members whose kids were no longer in school.
We held over 30 community meetings, sent surveys to every parent, and adapted plans repeatedly based on feedback. Every discussion centered on one question: What’s best for our students?
Two priorities rose to the top:
- •Early Learning and Childcare—These programs are the front door to our district, yet we lacked a clear entry point for families.
- •Stronger Middle School Relationships—Research and experience tell us these years are critical, and we weren’t doing enough to support students during this stage.
Our final plan aimed to address these needs and create something lasting—a solution our community could be proud of. We considered reusing existing buildings, adding on, and other options. Ultimately, the committee felt those approaches didn’t meet the long-term needs. Yes, the cost was high, but we believed the investment was worth it.
The bond failed—soundly. OUCH, that stings!
But what disappoints me most isn’t the outcome. It’s the rhetoric around the issue: words like “sneaky,” “corrupt,” “underhanded,” “tone-deaf,” and some best not repeated. Criticism is fair. Personal attacks are not. The committee members, your neighbors, teachers, and parents, didn’t sign up for hostility. They volunteered to make a positive difference. Instead of thanks, they got insults.
This is the climate we live in: attack the individual, not the idea. Post comments online instead of having a conversation.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve had respectful, productive discussions with people who opposed the bond, like Dan Deming and Representative Paul Waggoner. We didn’t agree on everything, but we listened, shared ideas, and found common ground. That’s how progress happens.
Let me be clear, the needs haven’t gone away. We still need to attract young families and support students during their middle years.
Our first plan didn’t work; now we go back to the drawing board. I hope new voices join us. If you opposed the bond, reach out. Be part of the process. Because, unlike comments made by some on Facebook, I want to focus on the issues, not the individuals.
Our kids deserve solutions. Our kids deserve collaboration. OUR kids deserve a community working for them!
Lance Patterson is the Chief Executive Officer at Boys and Girls Clubs of Hutchinson. He can be reached at lpatterson@bgchutch.com