Members of the Ames School Board met with local parents last Thursday during an appeal hearing after deciding to close two elementary schools in May.

A decision on the appeal is not expected to be announced before the school year begins.

Since the decision to close Roosevelt and Northwood Elementary Schools was finalized, Ames parents like Brian Agnitsch and Rick Hansen have said they believe the Board did not follow necessary guidelines when completing the process.

If a decision is made by an administrative law judge that the Board did not follow the procedure, Agnitsch said he would want them to go back and redo the process correctly.

Agnitsch said 17 days was not enough time, since the community did not have an opportunity to have sufficient input in the decision.

After he found out about the Barker Guidelines, which outline proper school-closing procedures, Agnitsch said he started researching and comparing the Ames School Board’s procedure to how other schools followed the process.

“The only thing the Ames School Board did according to Barker [Guidelines] was make a public announcement that schools were being considered,” he said.

Ames parents also believe the vote to close two schools was intertwined with the vote to support Superintendent Ray Richardson’s budget.

“The vote on May 19 was not a vote to close Roosevelt and Northwood, but to accept the revised budget, which included school closures,” Agnitsch said.

Board Member Roy Cakerice, the only one to vote against the proposed budget, said he found out about the guidelines from a parent on May 12. He said he had the document in his hand on the day of the vote.

“I didn’t even know there is a process that needed to be followed,” he said.

Cakerice also said more time and dialogue was needed to complete the process properly.

“I feel, if given one year’s time, the public would have found a way to save at least one school,” he said. “The superintendent did not accept the possibility of keeping one of the schools open.”

Superintendent Ray Richardson said he was aware of the guidelines before the process began. He has been involved in 18 school closings during his 27 years as a superintendent and a deputy superintendent.

“Is it my responsibility to know every rule?” he said. “I believe we were covered.”

Kurt Subra, chief financial officer for the district, provided information during the budget process and said he saw a significant decline in enrollment—the district lost 600 students in seven years because the classes leaving are bigger than classes coming in.

He said when looking at the situation he needed to find out what is most important to Ames schools.

“What do you need literally for the district to function? That is to retain at least five buildings next year,” Subra said. “You cannot operate with less than five buildings.”

John Powell, attorney representing Ames parents, is planning to submit a brief Friday to Jeff Farrell, administrative law judge.