Is plan to close KC schools ‘academic vision’ or ‘death blow’? Neighbors fear fallout

Since Kansas City Public Schools unveiled a proposal to close 10 schools, neighbors have banded together to urge the school board to delay a vote until the district has hired its next superintendent.

Some community leaders worry about the district pushing forward an overhaul of the system before having a new leader in place, concerned that neighborhoods could be left cluttered with empty schools and unfulfilled promises.

“Moving forward with this would put the district in an untenable position based upon the fact that leadership may change. If there’s different leadership, certainly there may be a different focus in terms of servicing students properly,” said Garry Cain, a board member of the Central Alumni Organization. “And the bottom line is that the students are the ones who will suffer the most. I think it’s ill advised to move on a recommendation like this in the absence of permanent leadership.”

The school board is expected on Dec. 14 to vote on the proposal to close under-enrolled and outdated schools, in order to free up money to expand programs and improve district offerings. KCPS officials told The Star that the district will present “revised recommendations” for the board to consider during that evening’s meeting.

Under the current proposal, the district would shutter eight elementary schools and two high schools — Central and Northeast — over the next several years. Central and three elementary buildings could close as early as next fall.

The proposal, officials said, would help the district avoid an expected $25 million revenue shortfall by 2025.

Administrators hope that expanding curriculum and programs will help attract and retain more families to the district that has continually lost students to charter schools and suburban districts. But some community leaders are skeptical, arguing that families will be hurt by neighborhood schools closing and will not want to bus their students miles away.

District officials said in an email to The Star that the strategic plan, called Blueprint 2030, “is, at its core, an academic vision for KCPS. We believe all children deserve to thrive socially, emotionally and academically and want to provide our students with the same enriching experiences offered in nearby districts. We are considering school closure/consolidation in order to achieve this academic vision for our students.”

Meanwhile, the district is conducting a national search for its next leader, a job held by Interim Superintendent Jennifer Collier since former superintendent Mark Bedell resigned this past summer. District officials expect the search to be wrapping up by February.

During Bedell’s six-year tenure — the longest of any KCPS superintendent in 50 years — the district improved academic achievement and graduation rates to regain full state accreditation last January for the first time in two decades.

After Bedell resigned, many were happy with the choice to appoint Collier as interim superintendent, as she has served in the district for more than 20 years.

But several alumni and community leaders are concerned that KCPS is moving forward with a major school board vote before completing its superintendent search.

“The decision to close schools and to try to keep up with the budget, those are the most important things a superintendent does,” said Ray Wilson, a former KCPS school board member who voted against a 2010 plan to close half the district’s schools. “If you have confidence in this interim superintendent bringing forth something this big, then why aren’t you handing her a contract and saving money with the national search? And if not, who is coming in? Who is going to be held accountable for this?”

“This should be tabled until they can make sure that the people who are going to be responsible for seeing this thing forward are going to be there.”

In addition, three of the seven school board seats are up for election in April, adding to community concerns about possibly shifting leadership during a critical time.

Officials told The Star in an email that the proposal, “is not the Superintendent’s plan for KCPS or the Board’s plan. It is a strategic plan built on community feedback to improve academic achievement and enhance the student experience. KCPS must offer students experiences common in other school districts to grow enrollment and maintain accreditation.”

School board members either declined to comment or did not return The Star’s request for comment.

KCPS will hold town halls on the superintendent search this month, starting with a virtual meeting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10 and an in-person meeting at 5 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Manual Career and Technical Center, 1215 E. Truman Road.

‘Save our schools’

For the past couple of months, community members have packed district engagement meetings to make emotional pleas, begging for their neighborhood schools to stay open.

They passed around petitions and held signs reading, “Save our schools” and “No a los cierres” (No to closures). Nearly 800 people have signed a Change.org petition to save Northeast High School from closing.

“Instead of building on the achievements of these schools, Blueprint 2030 implementation is just going to be the death blow to neighborhood schools in this city. It is just going to be over,” Kelly Allen, with the Lykins Neighborhood — where Whittier Elementary is recommended for closure — told the school board last month. “Schools that are walkable, rooted in a sense of place, community and legacy, will be a thing of the past.”

District leaders for months have been clear that they understand closing schools would be a painful, emotionally taxing decision. But they argue that with too many facilities and not enough kids, consolidation is necessary.

Under the current proposal, the district would reduce its number of school buildings from 37 to 27. Four of the shuttered schools would be converted for new district use. And the district is recommending establishing an additional middle school and building two elementary schools.

The district estimates it would save more than $13 million that would be redirected to improve academic programs.

Central High School, as well as James, Longfellow and Troost elementary schools could close as early as next fall. Central could possibly be transformed into a professional learning center for the district. And Central students would transition to Southeast High School, less than five miles away, a concern among some families who worry about students moving into a rival school with cultural differences.

In the 2024-25 school year, the district could close King, Wheatley and Whittier elementary schools. The current King elementary could become the site of a new Paseo Middle School. And plans include building a new King elementary. A new South Middle School also is expected to open that year.

In the 2026-27 school year, the district could close Northeast High School and Faxon and Melcher elementary schools. Northeast would likely be renovated for future district use, and students would be transitioned to East and Southeast high schools. Faxon also would be used by the district in the future, possibly as a parent empowerment center. Students from both elementary schools would transition to the new King elementary.

The schools are recommended for closure based on enrollment trends, building condition, maintenance costs and location.

Over the past couple of decades, as more families have left for growing charter schools and suburban districts, KCPS enrollment fell by half, to where it now sits at roughly 14,000 students.

If the district changes nothing, officials say, KCPS has enough reserves to continue operating its current schools and programs through next school year.

“However, KCPS would not be able to make any new investments in programs or schools until enrollment increases significantly. Without new investments in programs and schools, it will be difficult for us to grow enrollment,” officials said in an email.

Officials say an overstock of aging buildings with shrinking enrollment has led KCPS to spend a higher percentage of its budget on operational costs, including transportation and security, than neighboring districts do. In addition, schools have millions of dollars in deferred maintenance costs.

Maintaining aging buildings has become increasingly difficult due to budgetary issues and the district’s inability to pass a bond initiative since 1967. Neighboring suburban districts, on the other hand, often have bond elections every several years to fund construction and other projects.

In older, under-enrolled schools, officials say students are often missing out on full-time music or art teachers, science labs and extracurriculars.

Money saved from closing schools, officials say, would fund several academic improvements, such as expanding curriculum and extracurriculars, modernizing classrooms, implementing career-readiness programs, adding world language classes, plus ensuring all of the high schools once again have bands and football teams.

Officials are hoping that voters will pass a bond initiative to help fund later phases of the Blueprint 2030 plan, and they are working on building community support in the now-fully accredited district. But some residents are skeptical.

“They want to have a bond approval to help build another school. People aren’t going to vote for that,” said Karole Null Zinger, president of the Northeast High School Alumni Association. “You’re closing their neighborhood school. They’re not going to vote for them to build one somewhere else.”

District officials said that the first phase of projects under the plan are not contingent on passing a bond, “provided we are able to recoup operating costs by closing schools. If we pursue a bond and it does not pass, KCPS will need to work with the community, Board of Education and our business stakeholders on next steps.”

Why these schools?

Alumni, parents and others have been urging the school board to vote against closing their schools, which they feel could be improved to attract more families.

Many Central graduates have questioned why their school was recommended for closure, when in the early ’90s the school was reconstructed with a one-acre field house, theater, swimming pool and more modern classrooms.

“Central High School has been on that corner for 111 years,” Cain said. “And there’s talk about revitalization taking place in the neighborhood. Why can’t Central be positioned to be a part of revitalization of the community? Allow it to be a high school in the community and make it a high school that people who want to move to the area would want to send their students to.”

Fewer than 500 students are enrolled at Central, which has a capacity of 1,140, and officials say that enrollment is projected to continue declining over the next decade. Central also has about $14.4 million in deferred maintenance costs.

Southeast High School also has fewer than 500 students, with a capacity of 880 students. The school has nearly $20.7 million in deferred maintenance costs.

“Even though Central is newer than Southeast, KCPS needs a high school south of Brush Creek to continue to grow enrollment,” district officials said. “Both the Central campus and Southeast campus need a significant amount of work due to deferred maintenance over the years. Given our goal of maintaining a high school south of Brush Creek, it makes more sense to invest in Southeast, which sits on a larger campus where future expansion would be possible.”

Northeast High School has around 600 students, with a capacity of 960. The building has more than $6 million in maintenance costs. East High School is at capacity with around 1,000 students, according to district data, with $10.5 million in maintenance costs.

“KCPS ultimately wants to operate two Signature Schools and two neighborhood schools — one in the north and one in the south,” officials said. “Both East and Northeast are in the north, and East’s campus would be easier to expand in the future. East has robust enrollment and programming we want at our neighborhood schools already, so it makes the most sense to move students to East.”

The district’s signature schools, including African-Centered College Preparatory Academy and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy for high schoolers, offer unique academic themes and extracurricular opportunities, including college readiness and African-centered studies. Students must meet certain academic requirements to attend. Neighborhood schools are traditional public schools open to all students within attendance boundaries.

While many residents say they support plans for KCPS to improve academic and extracurricular offerings, they worry about school closures dealing a blow to neighborhoods working to revitalize.

Empty school buildings have led to vandalism and fires in the past, and some worry that more closures will create blight, said Null Zinger.

“We’re outraged that they would try to do this to such a wonderful neighborhood and schools. Closing those elementary schools and high schools will be devastating to the neighborhood,” she said. “And we intend to use everything at our disposal, including seeking legal action if we have to. We love the high school and the history of it, but we’re really concerned about the students.”

Some fear that more families could flee the district if the alternative is busing students to schools miles away. They worry that student attendance will drop and it will become increasingly difficult for students to make it to class on time. A few students also have voiced concerns about safety if they are sent to a rival high school.

“Southeast is one of the No. 1 rivalry schools for Central. Having those kids go to an environment like that, it’s just not right,” said Cora Lyons, with the Central Alumni Organization. “They’re there to learn. When you have a rivalry going back and forth, it’s not going to be a good situation.”

Alumni worry that students could miss out on all that their neighborhood schools offer, including community gathering spaces, food pantries and other resources, especially provided to low-income families and English language learners.

“Once these kids leave Northeast High School, the parents will probably follow too, and that definitely hurts a neighborhood,” Null Zinger said. “They don’t want their kids bused. And kids won’t come back to the neighborhood because they won’t feel that community spirit.”

KCPS officials said that if schools are closed, the district would establish transition teams to assist families. School counselors, restorative justice coordinators and clinicians would support students. And the district plans to invite neighborhood groups to provide input on transition plans.

“We want to ensure continuation of services. For example, we know our NEHS alumni have been instrumental in starting a food pantry that now serves 100 families. We would love to see that support continue at another school in the Northeast,” district officials said.

“We know families at closing schools will consider all their options. We will be working with students individually to make these placements and address concerns. We are hopeful new programs and investments in KCPS will encourage families to stay in our district.”

Alumni association leaders say that they are crafting plans to present to the school board, with ideas on how to keep their schools open and improve them.

The school board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the Board of Education Building, 2901 Troost Ave.