JARDINE STEM AND CAREER EXPLORATIONS ACADEMY

Jardine School began its existence as a high school in the Planeview area. At that time the school was known simply as Planeview High School. The City of Planeview was a wartime housing development built by the federal government in 1943 to provide residences for the thousands of workers who moved into Wichita to man the airplane factories. Within the span of one year Planeview had a population of 20,000 and was the seventh largest city in Kansas. Excerpts from “A History of Wichita Public Schools Buildings” Schools were needed to educate the children of the aircraft workers, and four buildings were constructed: three elementary schools and a six-year high school. These buildings, while adequate, were of temporary wartime construction with a lifetime expectancy of about ten years.

In June 1955, the Planeview area was annexed to the City of Wichita, and in 1955-56 the operation of the schools became the responsibility of the Wichita Board of Education. For two years Planeview High School continued to be operated as a six-year high school. However, with the opening of Wichita High School Southeast in 1957, grades 10, 11 and 12 were transferred to that school and Planeview became a regular junior high school with grades seven, eight and nine. At that time the name was officially changed to the William M. Jardine Junior High School.

Construction of a new building to replace the temporary structure was begun in 1957-58, and the new building was ready for occupancy in September of 1958. The building was designed by Hibbs, Robinson and Pettit, architects, and the total cost was $1,281,610. The capacity of the building was 850. During subsequent years a total of nine portable units were added. Dr. William M. Jardine was an educator and author. He was president of Kansas State University and later served as president of Wichita State University. He was affiliated with agricultural research at Kansas State College in Manhattan and served as minister to Egypt. Dr. Jardine was author of numerous papers and bulletins on agriculture, economics and education.

In August 1988, Jardine was selected to house sixth grade students in a pilot middle school program. The following year, the explosion of middle level education emerged in USD 259 and all ninth graders were moved to high schools leaving seventh and eighth graders. In the fall of 1989, all junior high schools became middle schools (6-8). On August 6, 1994, a memorial dedication was held on the campus. During the bicentennial Planeview Alumni Reunion, a granite monument was installed at the flag pole of William M. Jardine Middle School in fond memory of the faculty and students of the old Planeview High School, 1943-1957. At the April 8, 1996 meeting, the Board of Education approved to dissolve the Jardine attendance area at the end of the 1995-96 school year, with students sent to Mead, Truesdell and Curtis, to create an Edison Junior Academy beginning with the 1996-97 school year at the site.