Three schools will take on new names under the district’s consolidation plan aimed at addressing a projected $14 million deficit.
schools
KCK school board discusses new roadmap for student success
After two years of engagement with students, educators and community members, the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate” framework defines the key skills students should leave school with.
For the first time, Missouri may spend public funds on private school vouchers
Gov. Mike Kehoe and the Missouri House have pushed for $50 million in state funds to go toward scholarships for homeschooled and private-school students.
What vaccine requirements you need to follow before school resumes in Kansas
Kansas requires students to be vaccinated against certain diseases before attending any public or private school. Parents can request exemptions to these vaccine requirements for documented medical conditions or religious objections. Caregivers will need to provide proof that students have all required vaccines before starting school. State law requires school districts to help spread the […]
Why finding enough substitute teachers is a daily challenge for Wichita schools
In the gig worker era of Uber and DoorDash, Wichita Public Schools seeks its own on-demand employees — substitute teachers. COVID-19 pandemic troubles, low wages and licensing hurdles have over the last five years tamped down the number of people signing up to substitute teach. “There’s assignments that don’t get filled almost every day,” recruiter […]
Some Park Elementary neighbors oppose Wichita homeless shelter plan
Bobby Harlan gazed over the shuttered grounds of Park Elementary School, which he attended 32 years ago, and shared his disappointment about its future. “How can it be a homeless shelter?” he said. “This neighborhood needs a school.” First came the news in March that Wichita schools would be closing the school to save on […]
Wichita school district takes heat for not involving more people in its $2.1 billion plan for fixing buildings
Shana Balton expects a bigger say before endorsing Wichita Public Schools’ big buildings plan. “The board needs to be willing to meet the community,” she said, “so that board members can understand how we are feeling.” Balton, a teacher at Pleasant Valley Middle School, learned more about the long-range, $2.1 billion plan for school district […]
Teachers’ union appears on board with Wichita district’s plan to spend big, close schools
The union for 4,000 district teachers and other workers looks inclined to favor Wichita Public Schools’ $2.1 billion plan to remake several schools and buildings. Voters will likely decide this fall if Wichita Public Schools can borrow $450 million to fix up old schools, build some new ones and close 11 buildings. The school board […]
Schools say a lawsuit targeting Jackson County property assessments would be ‘catastrophic’
School districts in Jackson County saw home property assessments leap by nearly a third — and add more heft to their tax bases.
They set their property tax rates lower to reflect the beefier assessments — amid a furor from homeowners and politicians contending the numbers inflated the real value of properties in the county.
That tossed Jackson County into the center of a court challenge from the state that could test who can challenge assessments and how.
School districts in the county claimed in court this week that a win for the homeowners would prove “catastrophic,” costing school districts nearly $1,500 per student.
Kansas City, Kansas, school bond would mean higher taxes, new schools, but only if voters approve
The bond would pay to consolidate six elementary schools into three schools and replace Argentine and Central middle schools.