Voters in Wichita, Kansas, have narrowly rejected a $450 million bond issue to rebuild and renovate schools, sending the state’s largest district searching for a plan to address aging buildings and declining enrollment.
KMUW Radio reports that final results show the measure failed by just 319 votes with about 28,000 ballots cast.
This was the first bond election for Wichita schools since 2008 and only the third since 1974.
The $450 million bond plan called for building five elementary schools and two middle schools. It also would have provided fund to build an early childhood center, convert two elementary schools to K-8 schools, add a career center focused on construction trades, and add athletic fields to Northeast Magnet High School.
The referendum came about a year after the Wichita school board voted to shutter six schools to help close a $42 million budget gap.
Without new, larger schools, the district will likely redraw attendance boundaries before closing more schools and reassigning students.
About the Author
Mike Kennedy
Senior Editor
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.