Consultants hired by the Wichita school board say the district has too many small elementary schools and can’t afford to maintain them all. The consulting firm is developing a proposal that could recommend closing some school buildings. It plans to present options to the Wichita board before the end of this school year. David Sturtz, a partner with Ohio-based Cooperative Strategies, said nearly half of Wichita’s 54 elementary schools have fewer than 350 students, which is inefficient and costly to maintain. Twelve elementaries have fewer than 300 students. “Having a few schools that are that low (enrollment), you can supplement (budgets),” Sturtz said. “Having nearly half of your elementary portfolio under that enrollment? That’s a financial struggle.” Needed repairs across the district are estimated at more than $1 billion. “I will not recommend a scenario that says, ‘You know what? Just keep everything the same and pay $1 billion over the next five years,” Sturtz told board members Monday. “That’s not a real plan. … And it’s not what you should do.” Last spring, the Wichita school board used $1 million in federal COVID-relief funds to pay for a systemwide audit of district facilities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
