The Wichita (Kansas) school board has approved a final timeline to close four elementary schools in the next few years.
The Wichita Eagle reports that at least two of the schools would be shuttered at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. The campuses slated for closing are L’Ouverture, OK, Pleasant Valley and Woodland elementary schools.
The decision to close the schools was made in 2024 as part of a facility master plan. But since then, many community members and district parents have argued against the closures.
The facilities plan called for closing the four schools because of declining enrollment, a budget shortfall and the fact that repairing aging facilities would cost more than replacing them.
But the plan, including the timeline for the school closures, was adopted under the assumption that a 2025 bond vote would pass. When it didn’t, district leaders had to re-evluate closure dates.
The new timeline approved by the board is also based on the outcome of a bond proposal, this one on the November ballot. The closing timeline for the schools now depends on whether voters approve the bond proposal. If it fails, all four--L’Ouverture, OK, Pleasant Valley and Woodland--will close at the end of 2026-27; if it passes, Woodland and OK will remain open until the end of the 2028-29 school year.
