Wichita Board of Education members received a plan Monday evening for the closing of four elementary schools and two middle schools in order to address a budget shortfall for the next school year.
The plan was presented to the board by the district’s chief financial officer, Susan Willis. It calls for the closing of the Clark, Cleveland Magnet, Park and Payne elementary schools and Hadley and Jardine middle schools.
The plan is being recommended to help address a budget shortfall of $42 million for the 2024-25 school year. The shortfall has been caused by declining enrollment, the end of federal pandemic funding, and significant challenges with staffing and facilities. The district is working to make the cuts without affecting jobs or people in the school district.
Parents in the Cleveland and Jardine magnet schools will have options, including applying to another magnet school or sending their children to the newly assigned neighborhood school.
The plan will affect 2,213 students, 69 elementary teachers, 63 middle school teachers and 190 staff members, and it will cut $16.2 million from the budget.
More feedback and discussion will be held on the closure plan and a public hearing has been scheduled for February 29th at 6 p.m. in the Alvin Morris Administrative Center at 903 S. Edgemoor. The board will vote on the plan on March 4th. Willis said this is a short term plan and a long-term plan will have to be developed. She said the plan did not consider the disposition of the buildings that will be closed, and that will be determined by a master plan for the long-term future of the district.
