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Former superintendent urges board to probe proposed large data center near Tonganoxie
Summary
Former superintendent and ex-state lawmaker Jim Karlskin urged the Tonganoxie USD 464 board to seek detailed public information about a proposed hyperscale data center at Tailgate Ranch, citing potential impacts on utilities, air quality and nearby schools.
Former Kansas House member and former superintendent Jim Karlskin told the Tonganoxie USD 464 board on April 13 that a proposed large‑scale hyperscale data center on more than 200 acres at Tailgate Ranch near I‑70 could have major public‑health and infrastructure implications for district families and students.
Karlskin said the site under discussion could place “substantial demands on electric power, water, wastewater, roads, and other public systems” and urged the board to press for clear answers about air‑quality safeguards, noise and lighting protections, and the project’s long‑term utility demands. He noted the property is adjacent to Tonganoxie city limits and said reports place the site within about three miles of the district’s elementary and middle schools.
The concern, Karlskin told the board, is not an assertion that harm has been proven but a call for early public review: “Before the community moves forward down the road, people deserve clear answers,” he said.
The board did not take action on the land‑use issue during the meeting. No city or county zoning decision was before the school board, and board members did not indicate any formal role in local annexation or permitting processes during the session.
Next steps: Karlskin urged the board to stay informed and to ask local officials and developers for data on air emissions, generator use, water and wastewater needs, and mitigation plans; the transcript records no response from a developer or local permitting authority during the meeting.
