Community Outreach Process
The Facility Master Plan was developed with several data considerations, including listening to the voices of the community, staff, parents and students. With a commitment to transparency, WPS collected feedback from the community during many outreach opportunities, with both in-person opportunities and through online surveys. Information regarding the feedback we received was shared with the Board of Education.
Below is a summary of the many community outreach opportunities, as well as information that was shared with the community about the Facility Master Plan. Additional information can be found under News and Resources.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 3, 2025 | BOE hears a report on the factors impacting the WPS budget, including how school structural repairs are putting pressure on our capital outlay budget, and an explanation of unencumbered cash balances. |
| February 26, 2025 |
Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld gives a statement and answers media questions about the February 25, 2025 bond issue election, with 49.5% voting yes. |
| February 10, 2025 | The BOE heard an update on the educational effort and planning for the February 25, 2025 bond election, including 9 open house opportunities. The presentation also provided clarity to some misinformation. |
| January 30 - February 13, 2025 |
Open Houses were held at 9 schools to allow the community to learn more about the bond issue election and to ask questions.
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| January 14 - February 24, 2025 | Presentations to civic and community groups about the bond issue, including, but not limited to, Wichita Chamber of Commerce, the Workforce Center Board, Ministerial League, Asian Business Association, Hispanic Business Partners and Wichita Area of Retired School Personnel. |
| December 2, 2024 | BOE hears an overview of the community survey conducted by research firm Creative Entourage during the month of November. Of the 300 telephone calls and more than 2,700 online responses, 89.1% agree that we need school buildings that can accommodate up-to-date teaching and learning methods, and 79.2% agree that upgrading school buildings is essential to improving the city. |
| November 11- 22, 2024 | Research firm Creative Entourage conducts a community survey by phone, email and online to ask the community about their understanding and support of the facilities master plan. |
| October 2024 | Research firm Creative Entourage held online focus groups to get feedback on several issues, including their thoughts on the facility master plan. The participants were chosen from community members who attended previous in-person community feedback sessions who indicated they were interested in participating in future feedback opportunities. |
| September 10, 2024 | Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld holds a news conference to answer questions about the bond issue election after the BOE approved putting it on the February 25, 2025 ballot. |
| September 9, 2024 | WPS Board of Education approves putting a bond issue on the ballot. The BOE also heard a report how we would begin to educate the public about the bond, in partnership with Creative Entourage. During the report, representatives from Creative Entourage shared how they would develop a telephone and online survey to be conducted in October 2024 with questions derived from the plan and from community input sessions. |
| September 9, 2024 | Budget for the 2024-25 school year approved by the BOE, including the lowest mill rate for WPS in 14 years.
The budget was created with feedback of stakeholders by aligning our resources with our needs. |
| August 26, 2024 | Facility Master Plan - Step 1 approved by the Board of Education. |
| August 26, 2024 | BOE receives an update on the Strategic Plan's Student Success Outcomes, and an update on reading scores and increases in reading proficiencies. |
| June 27, 2024 | BOE presentation on bond financing, mill levy rates and how capital funds can't be the sole solution to address facility needs. |
| June 27, 2024 |
BOE hears summary of community feedback sessions conducted by Alloy Architecture.
The survey feedback helped shape the final recommendation of the Facility Master Plan. |
| June 20, 2024 | BOE conducts workshop on the Facility Master Plan - Step 1 recommendation. |
| June 10, 2024 | BOE hears recommendations for Step 1 of the Facility Master Plan. Consulting partner Cooperative Strategies presented recommendations that would occur over the next 5 years or more for new facilities as well as enhancements to current facilities which support educational adequacy, equity and efficiency. The development of the Facility Master Plan included community feedback gathered in April. |
| April 23, 2024 | Community Feedback sessions held at North and West High Schools. |
| April 22, 2024 | Community Feedback sessions held at Brooks Magnet Middle School and Alvin Morris Administrative Center. |
| April 8, 2024 | BOE hears about Facility Master Plan community engagement plan, with feedback sessions scheduled on April 22 and April 23, 2024. |
| March 4, 2024 | WPS Board of Education votes to close six schools to help close the budget gap. The BOE voted 5-2 to close two middle schools and four elementary schools at the end of the year. |
| February 29, 2024 | Public hearing on the closing of six schools was held as required by Kansas law. |
| February 2024 |
Listening sessions were held for families and community members impacted by the proposed school closures.
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| February 13, 2024 | Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld responds to reporter's questions after the February 12 Board of Education meeting where it was recommended to close six schools to help close the budget cap. The recommendation is pending final BOE approval on March 4. |
| February 12, 2024 |
The Wichita Board of Education heard a recommendation to close six schools at the end of the school year in Phase 2 budget reductions. The closures would help increase efficiency:
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| January 2024 | Community survey about the Facility Master Plan conducted by Alloy Architecture. The survey findings were shared with the BOE at the June 27, 2024 meeting. |
| January 22, 2024 |
BOE hears a budget development update for the 2024-25 school year. Chief Financial Officer Susan Willis shared that the district’s desire is to do what’s best for our students and our staff, but we are facing challenges which include declining enrollment, increasing costs, large building maintenance needs, and the loss of COVID relief funding. Topics in the presentation included:
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| December 11, 2023 | BOE members heard initial findings regarding the district’s Facility Master Plan based on data collected over the past couple of years through demographic study, building capacity and building condition assessments. |
| December 11, 2023 | On December 11, 2023, the Board of Education finalized the updated 5-year Every Student Future Ready Strategic Plan, which will guide the work of WPS through 2029. |
| November 13, 2023 | Board of Education reviews recommended goals of the next strategic plan. |
| November - December, 2023 | District staff and school site councils were asked for feedback on budget reductions, including their thoughts on what initiatives and programs they feel should be continued or expanded and what should be reduced or discontinued for cost savings. The response themes were shared as part of the January 22, 2024 budget presentation to the BOE. |
| September 19, 2023 |
Parents and community members were invited to share thoughts and feedback to help shape the new strategic plan at the Alvin Morris Administrative Center. The session was facilitated by KU’s Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership. The feedback received helped develop the district's new strategic plan recommendation that was first brought to the Board of Education on November 13, 2023. The feedback was also considered as the district created its facilities master plan. |
| September 18 - 20, 2023 |
Listening sessions with employee and community groups including teachers, principals, staff, retirees, students, district site council, The Chamber, local college and university representatives, NAACP, Hispanic Chamber, Native American leaders, Wichita Asian Association and district partners. The session was facilitated by KU’s Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership. The feedback received helped develop the district's new strategic plan recommendation that was first brought to the Board of Education on November 13, 2023. The feedback was also considered as the district created its facilities master plan. |
| September 11, 2023 | Chief Financial Officer Susan Willis presents the budget to the Board of Education for 23-24 school year and talks about changes in the needs assessment approach. |
| August 28, 2023 | BOE adopts revised Mission and Shared Beliefs as part of new strategic plan work; these will play a crucial role in the development of goals for the new strategic plan; BOE asked team to rework Vision to place additional emphasis on being future-ready within the larger community. |
| July 31, 2023 | BOE members heard a report about facility planning and capital forecasting, which includes the district's deferred maintenance needs, current initiatives to prolong the useful life of our buildings, and the district's history regarding facility assessments and capital planning. |
| July 1, 2023 | Kelly Bielefeld assumes the role of WPS Superintendent. |
| May 22, 2023 | BOE members heard an overview of the facility planning process and the facility assessment work that WPS has been conducting over the past year. The report included defining what a facility assessment is, defining the term "deferred maintenance," and how the district determines the Facility Condition Index. It was announced that the district will work on a 10-year master plan for facility improvements. |
| March 10, 2023 | WPS Board of Education hires Kelly Bielefeld as the new Superintendent. |
| November 2008 | Bond issue passes that includes these projects. |
| April 2000 | Bond issue passes that includes these projects. |