Overview:
Key Points:
-- Six Wichita schools, 4 elementary and 2 middle schools, face closure due to budget cuts.
-- Closure would save $16.5 million and affect 2,000 students, redirecting them to other schools.
-- Schools are heavily minority and poor, but so is district as a whole.
Six Wichita schools, four elementary and two middle schools, are facing closure as USD 259 works to figure out how to cut their budget to overcome an anticipated $42 million deficit in the coming year.
The proposed closures are Clark, Park, Payne, and Cleaveland Elementary Schools, and Hadley and Jardine Middle Schools. Cleaveland is a traditional magnet and Jardine is a STEM and career explorations academy.
According to Superintendent Kelly Bielefel, the closures would save about $16.5 million and affect about 2,000 students who would be redirected to magnets or nearby neighborhood schools.
The closure recommendations were made at the Feb. 12 school board meeting, with a final decision to be made by the board on March 4.
In the meantime, the public will have chances to weigh in at public meetings set for:
Wed., Feb. 21, 5:30pm, Marshall Middle School (1510 N. Payne) – Focus on Hadley and Park
Thurs. Feb. 22, 5:30pm, West High School (820 S. Osage) – Focus on Cleaveland and Payne
Feb. 26, 5:30pm. AMAC Administrative Center (903 S. Edgemoor) – Focus on Jardine and Clark
Thurs., Feb. 29, 6pm, AMAC Administrative Center (903 S. Edgemoor). This will be a public hearing of the Board. All those who desire to address the BOE must register in advance with the Clerk of the Board, (316) 973-4553
“This is a sad time and I know that people are facing a loss and have concerns,” said school board member Melody McCray Miller. “I would encourage people to bring their concerns and share them. The more input we have, the better the decision we can make.”
The schools proposed for closing are all heavily minority and all have high populations of economically disadvantaged students.
Miller pointed out that mirrors the district at large.
“Our district overall is almost 70% minority and we have more than 80% of our students on free and reduced lunch,” she said. “I think a lot of people don’t know that.”
The district as a whole is 37.5% Hispanic, 29% Caucasian, 19.7% African American, 8.1% multi-racial, 4.67% Asian and 1% Native American or Pacific Islander.
Clark Elementary, near Lincoln and Woodlawn, is 76.7% minority, 42.6% Black, and 91.9% impoverished.
Park Elementary, at 1025 N. Main, is 93.6% minority, 64.4% Hispanic and 92.4% impoverished.
Payne Elementary, near Harry and Meridian, is 64.3% minority, 36.8% Hispanic and 95.3% impoverished.
Cleaveland Traditional Magnet Elementary, near 31 Street South and Meridian, is 61.8% minority, 38.5% Hispanics, and 81.7% impoverished.
The middle schools up for closure continue the trend.
Hadley, near Ninth and West, is 65.8% minority, 39.2% Hispanic and 90.4% impoverished.
Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Academy, near Pawnee and Hillside in the Planeview neighborhood, is 82.5% minority, 48.4% Hispanic and 94% impoverished.
Former Wichita District 1 Councilwoman Lavonta Williams said she has a number of questions, including the impact on property values in the surrounding neighborhoods when school buildings stand vacant, as past experience shows they often do, sometimes for years.
“I want to know what this does to bus routes, what time these little elementary school kids will have to get on the bus and what time they’ll get home,” Williams said. “And I sure think the public needs to stay on top of what kind of decisions will be made on what to do with the buildings.”
For more info, visit www.usd259.org/transform24.