At least during election season, some topics are simply too hot for a state task force charged with identifying efficiency measures for Kansas public schools to handle.

The K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission was created by the Kansas Legislature at the end of the 2014 session as part of legislation that responded to the Kansas Supreme Court’s order to increase aid to poorer school district in the state. Before the commission’s first meeting earlier this month, its chairman, Wichita businessman Sam Williams, sent some suggested draft proposal to the group. His proposals included reducing the number of work-related issues over which teachers can negotiate, possibly limiting school bond issues and considering incentives for school districts to merge or cooperate.

However, the item in Williams’ proposals that got the most attention was the idea of realigning “district geographical boundaries in order to facilitate administrative efficiencies.”

It’s no surprise that the idea of having the state adjust school district boundaries was quickly set aside by commission members.

Before the efficiency commission even had its first meeting, a group of Kansas Republicans called for John Vratil to be removed from the body because of statements he made about forced consolidation of schools in a 2011 newspaper interview. Any talk of school district consolidation is guaranteed to raise controversy in rural towns that are desperate to hang onto their schools — and for good reason. Losing schools has been a virtual death knell for many small Kansas towns.

Commission members talked about various budgeting procedures for school districts, discussed whether using the number of students who receive free or reduced-price lunches is the best way to allocate funds to poorer districts and looked at a proposal to change the traditional teacher salary schedule.

The group, which is scheduled to meet again on Oct. 23, also agreed to consider incentives for districts to combine or cooperate, but that other “c” word — consolidation — apparently won’t be on the agenda.

Whether or not a discussion of public school efficiencies in Kansas should include the possibility of school consolidation, it won’t happen in this commission — at least not before the November elections.