Parents waiting for the first time with their kids to board the school bus is a time-honored tradition, but policies vary on who can ride the bus and what it costs. Here’s what you need to know about school transportation options. Who in Kansas gets a guaranteed school bus ride? Kansas state law provides free […]
Wichita USD 259
Posted inWichita
How to make sure your kid is eating a healthy lunch at school
Making sure your child has a nutritious meal at school is important for their academic success and health. If you don’t have the time or money to pack a lunch, school lunches are a healthy alternative. School meals as a whole promote a better diet among participants. And eating breakfast at school reduces student absences and […]
Posted inEducation
Where to get school supplies in Wichita
Above all else, Zinab Chahine said, remember to stock up on school supplies early. Chahine came with her first-grade daughter to Earhart Environmental Magnet School on Tuesday for in-person enrollment ahead of Wichita Public Schools’ first day of class, Aug. 14. “Last year we were late to buy them, and that really bit us in […]
Posted inEducation
How the Kansas open enrollment law is playing out in Wichita-area schools
Aaron McCarty sees houses going up everywhere around Maize and thinks of the families who will fill them — and the children who will fill up classrooms. So he believes the Maize school district’s decision to shut off the enrollment of students from other towns makes sense, he said. “Are we going to need more […]
Posted inLocal Government
Why 35,000 Sedgwick County residents will be paying more for internet next month
Jamie Nix regularly sees people turning to the internet to help them answer the most critical questions in their lives. “I’ve had people come to the library with a brand new medical diagnosis,” said Nix, Wichita’s director of libraries. “They are just wanting to use the computer to learn more about what it is.” A […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, DIY Democracy, Education
Wichita parents fight to reverse the school board’s vote to close six schools
Minutes after the Wichita school board voted to close six schools last month, a handful of parents began signing petitions in the hallway outside of the meeting. It was the first skirmish in their battle to reverse the decision. “When we started doing the petition,” parent Ruth Lehman said, “that was the only thing that […]
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
A hiring freeze for Wichita schools? Kansas Senate action could spare USD 259
Takeaways: Kansas lawmakers amended a bill Monday to prevent a possible hiring freeze at the Wichita school district. The bill adjusts how schools get funding. Current state law allows districts to use enrollment numbers from either of the past two academic years. Schools take the higher number because more students mean more state tax dollars. […]
Posted inEducation
Despite some parents’ pleas, Wichita USD 259 board votes for closing 6 schools
Wichita school board members voted 5-2 Monday to close six schools at the end of the academic year. USD 259 faces a $42 million budget deficit due to falling enrollment, the end of federal pandemic relief funds and a $1.2 billion maintenance backlog. Administrators estimate the district will save $16 million next year from shutting […]
Posted inEducation
Attending a school outside your district is getting easier in Kansas. Not everyone’s happy
Imagine you’re a parent and your child goes to Northwest High School in Wichita. The Maize public school district sits nearby, a wealthier community where graduation rates and ACT scores run higher. If you’d wanted to enroll your children in Maize in fall 2023, the school district would have said no. Starting next fall, Maize’s […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education, Elections
Wichita’s first school board election under new system draws more voters
In the first election under USD 259’s new district-based school board election system on Tuesday in Wichita, results show voter turnout went up and moderates won over conservatives. Last year, Wichita voters changed the way school board members are elected in the state’s largest school district. Previously, all school board members were elected citywide. Now, […]