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Public speaker urges board to reverse closure plan for ‘Okay’ Elementary; asks for urgent statement before summer
Summary
At the April 7 meeting a resident, Dave Fiske, urged the board to remove 'Okay' Elementary from closure plans, saying the community supports keeping the school and describing structural capacity and history; the board did not act during the meeting.
During public communications at the April 7 Wichita Public Schools board meeting, Dave Fiske urged the board to reverse a prior closure decision for “Okay” Elementary and to remove the school from any closure list before summer.
Fiske told the board neighbors and parents have mobilized and that the school — he said the 1948 building is structurally sound and can serve about 450 students — should remain open. He asked the board to show urgency and to announce removal of the planned closure prior to the summer break. He said the facility has a longstanding neighborhood history and described local support for keeping it open.
The board did not take action at the meeting. Board officials thanked Fiske for his remarks and acknowledged receipt of the public comment. Jessica Carr, another public commenter, spoke separately and urged the board to maintain district messaging and programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, arguing they support all students and referencing federal case law and statutes to frame her appeal.
Public comment is recorded in the meeting minutes and will be available through the district’s public records; no vote or staff direction specific to the “Okay” Elementary request was taken on April 7.
