New Proposals Presented For Wichita Public School Boundaries

Thu, December 15, 2011

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KMUW / Fletcher Powell

Consultants for the Wichita Public School district met with a focus group Thursday night to present new and revised proposals for school boundaries.

The consulting firm RSP and Associates presented their proposals to the group one month after a November meeting in which they suggested the closure of five Wichita elementary schools. This time, their revised plan involves closing only four schools, Bryant, Lincoln, Mueller, and Woodland. Under this new plan, Payne Elementary in southwest Wichita would remain open.

The firm also presented proposals for new middle school and high school boundary lines. The focus group’s longest discussion centered on the suggestion that the new high school being built in northeast Wichita will house only a relocated Northeast Magnet, rather than a more comprehensive neighborhood student population. That idea seemed to be supported by Superintendent John Allison, who said that creating a new comprehensive high school would mean around $10 million in cuts from other parts of the district as a result of statewide education cuts.

The focus group will meet again on January 5th to discuss this new set of proposals before the district takes public comments in a series of forums next month.