The Wichita Journalism Collaborative will partner with the Kansas Leadership Center and the League of Women Voters of Wichita Metro to host a Braver Angels Debate focused on the USD 259 bond issue. The debate occurs at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Ford Rockwell Branch Library, north of Central and Edgemoor.
Braver Angels Debates offer an opportunity for a structured conversation that helps people listen to different perspectives on controversial issues. The national Braver Angels organization was founded in 2016 to bridge the current political divide and encourage thoughtful discussion.
“Some people show up for more information, (to) hear from different sides,” said Dani Gains, the Journal Manager and debate organizer. “People get to be in a room with those they disagree with, and they can leave the room thinking they can now talk to them.”
The $615 million bond proposal is on the Nov. 3 ballot and is split into two questions, with the second contingent on the first passing.
Total cost for the first question is a $407.1 million investment and there would be no change to the current property tax rate. The second question comes with investments totaling $207.9 million.
If both pass, the district says the bond issue would increase property taxes on a $200,000 home by $50 a year. The second question cannot be approved without the first measure being approved.
Faith Martin, a participant at the January 2026 Braver Angels debate on the proposed 1% sales tax, described her experience as being “less about argument and more about discussing the topic to better understand its impact.”
Martin spoke during the January debate. “I did not at the time have much debate experience other than taking a class in high school, but they got me up to speed,” she said of her experience and the instructions that were shared before the debate began.
“The Braver Angels debates are not structured to allow for contentious rhetoric,” Gains said. “We spend 10-15 minutes ahead of the debate framing the rules. We have found that participants want to follow them.”
This formality allows participants to be confident discussing their own beliefs on topics, Gains said.
Registration is encouraged if you would like to attend. You can register here.
The 90-minute debate will start at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Wyatt Barmann is the 2026 Fall Semester intern for the Wichita Journalism Collaborative. He is a senior at Wichita State University studying history and communications.