Four Wichita elementary schools and two middle schools would be closed under a proposal considered by the school board Monday evening. Clark, Park, Payne and Cleaveland Traditional Magnet elementary schools would be shuttered, along with Hadley and Jardine Magnet middle school. Students would be reassigned to different schools as boundaries are redrawn, and employees at affected buildings would be offered other positions across the district. By law, a public hearing must be held before the district can close buildings. USD 259 also plans to hold a series of community listening and informational sessions for parents next week. Officials say the closures would save an estimated $16 million, which could be put toward plugging a looming $42 million budget shortfall that coincides with the exhaustion of the district’s federal pandemic relief funds. All six of the buildings recommended for closure serve a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students (those who qualify for free or reduced lunch) than the district average of 79.2%, data from the Kansas Department of Education shows. Here’s a look at the schools, including their building utilization — enrollment divided by total capacity — and building condition or FCI, a score ranging from 0 (pristine condition) to 1 (extremely poor condition).
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
