WICHITA, Kansas — Structural repairs to two of Wichita’s oldest high schools have cost nearly $60 million over the past three years — an expense leaders say prevents them from upgrading and repairing other district buildings.
“This is the reality of our situation,” said Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld. “When we have these kinds of expenses going toward two buildings, the other 88 buildings are hard to keep up on.”
About four years ago, crews discovered structural problems in a science wing at Wichita’s East High School, which is more than 100 years old. School officials shuttered 18 classrooms in that wing of the school for more than a year while repairs were completed…