Takeaways
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 repair costs. Then came a plan to sell the school to the city of Wichita for $1. Next came talk of Park Elementary’s likely future as a homeless shelter and social services campus.
“I want to see it open back up as a school, something that’s for the kids of this neighborhood,” Harlan said. “I don’t want to see it as a homeless shelter. If they can raise enough money, it can be for the kids.”
If the plan goes ahead, Park Elementary would become an emergency winter shelter in late 2024. By 2026, it’s slated as a multiagency center.