USD 259 invites over 50 people to special session about future of district buildings
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – USD 259 leaders are trying to figure out what to do with six buildings that will close at the end of the year. It’s part of a larger discussion on how to deal with the long-term needs of a district with aging buildings and declining enrollment.
More than 50 people were invited to a special focus group session on Tuesday. Parents, agency leaders, and a former city councilwoman listened to the data and discussed the district’s future.
Wichita Public Schools is facing a $42 million budget deficit next year. Closing six schools at the end of the school year will save $16 million, but the district needs a long-term solution.
“Where we don’t have to do six building closings a year, we’re looking at an overall plan of how to address our many facilities,” President of the USD 259 Board of Education Stan Reeser said.
Reeser says at some point, the district will likely need to have fewer buildings. Right now, the district is facing a billion dollars worth of deferred maintenance.
Public weighs in on what to do with Wichita Public School buildings and master plan
“The needs are far greater in terms of maintenance than the funding that’s been available historically for us without the help of bond dollars,” USD 259 Director of Facilities Luke Newman said.
A consulting agency says the district now has four options: rebuild, renovate, maintain, or consolidate.
“The basic recommendation that we have overall in districts in your circumstance is to look at newer, fewer, more accessible, more equity,” consultant David Sturtz of Woolpert said.
Community input is key in moving forward with a plan. Long-time educator and former city council member LaVonta Williams says the district needs to make sure any proposal doesn’t create education deserts, including in northeast Wichita.
“That all our schools would be deemed as non-accessible or not up to par, and so our students are all sent out to consolidate in the other schools,” Williams said.
The district could consider a bond issue to address long-term needs but the board will weigh the community feedback on all options.
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