Wichita’s developing plan to close schools this year: 10 things to know
12 February 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Today, Wichita will hear the names of the public schools that the school district believes should be closed. Wichita Public Schools Financial Director Susan Willis will announce between four and seven schools’ names during the Wichita Board of Education meeting that starts at 6 p.m.
Three weeks ago, Willis told the BOE that the district is facing a $42 million shortfall in the 2024-2025 budget. She gave the BOE two options to save $16 million: close some old schools that need costly repairs or lay off staff.
Willis said the number of staff cuts would be equivalent to 230 teachers. She also pointed out that saving old school buildings could cost the district a billion dollars in repairs over the next five years, putting the district in worse financial shape.
The BOE chose school closures. The board members instructed Willis and others in the administration to meet and return on Feb. 12 with a recommendation of between four and seven schools to close effective this fall.
Willis will name the recommended schools at Monday evening’s BOE meeting. KSN News will update this story as soon as the names have been released.
The BOE plans to hold a public hearing on the closure recommendations on Feb. 29 and then vote on the closures on March 4. The goal is to make the final decision before spring break begins on March 11.
WPS Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said this will give the school district time to prepare students, parents, teachers and staff for the drastic change in their lives.
BOE meetings are held in the Wichita High School North Lecture Hall, 1437 Rochester. You can watch them live on Cox Cable Channel 20 and online at WPS-TV or by searching for “WPS-TV” on the Livestream app for phones, Roku, and Apple TV.