WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The Wichita school board is moving forward with the closure of four elementary schools, with student enrollment cited as a primary factor in the decision. A possible bond issue on the November 2026 ballot could allow two of those schools to remain open longer.
Pleasant Valley and L’Ouverture elementaries are scheduled to close at the end of the 2026-27 school year. The closure timeline for Woodland and OK elementaries depends on the outcome of a potential bond vote.
District cites enrollment decline
Board of Education President Stan Reeser said declining enrollment drove the decision.
“If our demographic study is correct, we’re looking at 33 thousand in about eight years from now, so we’re gonna have to balance the number of attendance centers that we have with our number of students,” Reeser said.
Bond vote timeline uncertain
Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said the district has not yet confirmed a bond issue but is targeting November 2026…