OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) – Olathe Public School district leaders are recommending six schools close at the end of the 2026-2027 school year, affecting roughly 2,200 students, as the district works to align its buildings with shrinking enrollment.
The recommended closures include:
- Indian Trail Middle School (about 560 students)
- Black Bob Elementary
- Heritage Elementary
- Scarborough Elementary
- Tomahawk Elementary
- Walnut Grove Elementary
The five elementary schools have a combined enrollment of roughly 1,700 students. As part of the plan, the Spanish Immersion program at Black Bob would relocate to Arbor Creek, while the program at Manchester Park would continue as is.
The recommendation adds to closures already approved. Westview will be repurposed into Compass in 2026, and Fairview/Northview and Central/Ridgeview elementaries will each consolidate into new schools, closing in 2028 or 2029.
What’s next:
- A parent input night on the recommended closures is set for Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Olathe South High School auditorium
- The Board of Education is expected to vote on the closures at its Oct. 1 meeting
- Boundary adjustment meetings will run from October through December
- Proposed boundary changes go to the board in December as a future action item, with a vote expected in January
The push to consolidate follows nearly two years of warnings from district leaders. Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager has said Olathe’s enrollment has dropped from more than 30,000 students to just over 28,000, and is projected to settle north of 25,000, citing declining birth rates, rising housing costs and the financial strain of special education funding, which required shifting $44 million from the general fund last year alone.
Voters approved Bond 2026, the largest in district history at $389 million, to help fund new construction and consolidation, including three new schools.
Shrinking Enrollment
District officials state that despite the increased number of campuses, they serve roughly the same number of elementary students now as they did 25 years ago. Officials point to lower birth rates and rising home prices within the district’s boundaries as the main reasons behind the declining student numbers…