Bartholomew Consolidated Schools are considering having fewer school board meetings. Dr. Jim Roberts, the school district’s superintendent, presented a plan at last night’s school board meeting to reduce the number of meetings to one a month.

The school district had two meetings a month for only seven months of the year last year — January, February, April, May, June, August and  September. During summer vacations and months with spring and winter breaks, the district already holds only one meeting a month. In October of last year there were two board meetings, but one was a strategic planning mission.

Roberts said the change would be about finding efficiencies wherever they might exist. The district moves its meetings to different schools during the course of the year and uses a sound and recording system at the meetings. Which means setup and moving costs each time.

School board members had concerns about the possible change, including whether the reduced number of meetings would make each meeting even longer. And members questioned whether the change would make it harder for the district to pay its bills, while waiting for school board approval of claims. The board also discussed whether they should move the meeting starting time to 6 p.m. in the evening instead of the current 7 p.m. start time.

No decision was required last night. The change, if approved at the next school board meeting on Jan. 23rd, would go into effect in July.

The school board also made its annual appointments to boards and commissions and selected its leaders. Rich Stenner will serve as president of the school board.

Columbus East High School’s football team was recognized for their second-place tournament finish this fall.