Olathe board reviews plan to repurpose Westview Elementary as K–8 alternative program; decision set for July

The Olathe Board of Education was presented with a recommendation to repurpose Westview Elementary to host a new K–8 alternative education program and would consider formal action on the proposal at its July 10 meeting.

District administrators framed the proposal as a response to long‑term enrollment declines and to program needs identified through district dialogues. They said Westview — currently the district’s smallest elementary with about 156 students — sits in a tight neighborhood pocket with limited projected growth and that repurposing the site would provide space for the behavioral and social‑emotional program planned for 2026–27.

Superintendent Brent Yeager and district presenters told the board the boundary study group has monitored enrollment for more than 20 years and that the district is averaging roughly a 270‑student decline a year since a 2019 peak. They outlined a multi‑step timeline: staff and parent briefings took place in April and May; the board will be asked to vote on the repurposing recommendation at the July 10 meeting; if approved, staff said they would begin community meetings about new boundaries immediately after the school year begins and seek a boundary decision in November.

Dr. Jim McMullen, who led the presentation, said the district has held in‑building briefings and a parent meeting at Westview on May 19 and has gathered staff and parent feedback to share with the board. He described the timeline as intended to preserve a full year of final activities at Westview and to allow time for careful planning of transportation, staffing and family supports if the board approves the repurposing.

Dr. Liz Harrison, who outlined the K–8 alternative program design, said the program will not introduce new interventions but will deliver existing district tools — such as PBIS, social‑skills instruction and tiered social‑emotional curricula — at a higher intensity and frequency to a cohort of students in one site. “The supports we’re building into the program are not new. The difference is that in this setting these supports will be moved up a tier,” Harrison said. She described staffing that would include increased access to mental‑health professionals and possible community partnerships for additional services.

Board members and administrators repeatedly emphasized two aims: protect neighborhood students by moving as many Westview resident students as possible to one nearby school, and design boundaries that avoid creating new overcrowding problems elsewhere. District presenters said Westview currently enrolls 156 students, of whom about 30 attend under parent‑initiated transfer, and noted the district average elementary size is about 350 students.

Administrators said the district will present multiple boundary options to affected communities and will hold in‑person meetings to solicit feedback before formal recommendations are returned to the board. They also said staff will work with Westview’s principal on transition activities and supports for students and staff if the board approves repurposing.

No final action was taken at the June meeting; trustees were given at least two months to study the recommendation before the July 10 vote.

If the board approves the repurposing, district staff said they expect follow‑on boundary work and community engagement to begin immediately after the school year starts, with recommended boundary changes presented for board action in November.

Community members and staff will have additional opportunities to comment as staff refine boundary options and transition plans; district leaders said they will return to the board with specific proposals and implementation details before any students are moved.