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Parents, residents urge board to revisit facility master plan and oppose Okay Elementary closure after failed bond
Summary
At the March 3 Wichita Public Schools Board of Education meeting, public commenters urged the board to revise the district's facility master plan following a failed bond vote and to halt plans to close Okay Elementary, citing recent renovations, neighborhood stability and alternative uses such as magnet designation.
Dave Fish, a parent and community member, told the Board of Education on March 3 that the district's facility master plan and the bond proposal that voters rejected must be revisited and rewritten with more transparency and community input.
"The time to start revisions is now," Fish said during public comment, arguing the previously approved plan'which proposed rebuilding seven schools and closing four, including Okay Elementary'was "fast tracked" and moved without adequate public involvement. He said Okay had extensive renovations in "February 2008" and remains suitable for continued use.
Jeff Janis, identifying himself as an Okay PTA member, former parent and former site council member, also urged the board to keep Okay open. Janis said Okay has capacity for growth (he cited a capacity of about 450) and that the site allows for bus access and possible expansion into adjacent playground fields. He warned that demolishing a functioning building could open the site to redevelopment that would harm the neighborhood.
Both speakers suggested options other than closure: revisiting the master plan, repurposing Okay as a magnet (math, reading or science magnet were mentioned as possibilities), and placing a higher priority on maintaining existing buildings rather than demolition.
The board did not take formal action during public comments on Okay Elementary; speakers were heard during the public communications portion of the meeting.
Why it matters: Community members said the failed bond vote requires the board to re-engage the public on long-term facility planning and to reconsider school closures that they say would displace students and destabilize neighborhoods.
What the board heard: Public commenters asked the board for clearer communication, slower timelines for closure decisions, and alternatives to demolition, including renovation or magnet redesignation. They also raised the risk that selling a site could lead to dense rental development they said would "kill that neighborhood," a phrase used by Jeff Janis.
Next steps noted by speakers: Public commenters urged the board to start a revised planning process immediately and to provide more opportunities for neighborhood input and transparent cost data.
No formal vote or board direction on the facility master plan or Okay Elementary closure was recorded in the March 3 public-record transcript.
