© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Local coverage of education issues, health care, and science and technology.

Wichita Public Schools Considering More Calendar Changes

Wichita Public Schools

The Wichita Public Schools board is considering making more changes to the district’s calendar.

Last year, the board lengthened the school day by 30 minutes and shortened the school year by 15 days as a way to cut millions of dollars from its budget.

The results of a recent survey of parents, staff and students shows mixed opinions on the effect the scheduling change has had. Board members said at their meeting Monday night that different start and end times are being considered, but that any changes would have an impact on the budget.

Board member Mike Rodee said more time is needed to study the effects of last year’s schedule change.

“The first year is always the toughest," he said. "Any change is tough, because we don’t know what we’re coming into. And honestly, I’d like to see it go another year.”

USD 259 is still facing an uncertain budget as Kansas lawmakers work on a new school funding formula. The district says it will need to make an estimated $8.2 million in cuts for the upcoming year.

--

Follow Nadya Faulx on Twitter @NadyaFaulx.

To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

Nadya Faulx is KMUW's Digital News Editor and Reporter, which means she splits her time between working on-air and working online, managing news on KMUW.org, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. She joined KMUW in 2015 after working for a newspaper in western North Dakota. Before that she was a diversity intern at NPR in Washington, D.C.