William Allen White Elementary is proud to serve students in prekindergarten through grade five.  We offer:

• Warm, welcoming atmosphere - our kids are at the center of all we do
• Wireless Internet access, computers, document cameras, and SMART Boards in all classrooms
• Access to mobile, wireless computer labs
• Recipient of the Red Carpet Award
• Full-service library 
• 4 sessions of 1/2 day Pre-K
• Full-day Kindergarten
• Latchkey before and after school

History of White Elementary:

William Allen White Elementary School was previously named South Riverside Junior High School and later was South Riverside Intermediate School. Before South Riverside Junior High School was built, the area was a part of School District 136. This was an elementary attendance area, grades one through eight, with no designated high school attendance area school. Some of the secondary students attended Wichita Public Schools, while others attended Clearwater and Derby Public Schools.

In 1954, the Mona Kay housing area was opened, and approximately 150 houses were built in the next two years. This created an overcrowded situation, and in 1957, South Riverside School District 136 voted to build a junior high school to help relieve the congested classrooms. The South Riverside Junior High School was completed in 1958. This building relieved the overcrowding for the next three years in the elementary and junior high grades.

During this three-year period, South Riverside, Haysville, Enterprise and Oatville Elementary School Districts voted a bond issue for the construction of Campus High School. Campus was opened in 1960 for grades nine through twelve. This caused the South Riverside School District to lose the ninth grade students. At that time, the name of the building was changed to South Riverside Intermediate School and included grades five through eight.

For the next four years South Riverside Intermediate School was a feeder school for Campus High School. Due to annexation of almost all of the school district by the Wichita City Commission, the South Riverside Elementary School District became part of the Wichita Public School System in 1964. The South Riverside Intermediate School was not large enough to qualify as a Wichita junior high school. Because of its location and size, the South Riverside Intermediate School District was divided, and the southern portion of the area was named the William Allen White Elementary School.

The name of the school was chosen to honor the nationally known journalist and writer who was, for many years, the editor of The Emporia Gazette at Emporia, Kansas.

At the beginning of the 1988-89 year, sixth grade students were incorporated into the middle school program. Due to overcrowding and large class sizes at White and nearby Funston Elementary, the school attendance configuration was again changed for the 1993-94 school year. White became an attendance center servicing children in grades PK through 1, with students in 2-5 attending Funston. In 1994, alterations were made to the library, speech room and seven classrooms.

Beginning with the 1995-96 school year, White and Booth Early Childhood Center shared the same principal.

In April 2000, the voters of the Wichita School District approved a $284.5 million bond issue. The projects began in the fall of 2000 and were completed over the next five years. The plan built 19 multipurpose rooms, upgraded science labs, replaced portable classrooms with permanent construction, improved handicap accessibility to all buildings, rebuilt five existing elementary schools, added a new elementary and middle school, expanded seven other elementary schools and provided nine new libraries as well as the expansion of nine others. Building infrastructure in 82 buildings was also upgraded, including the replacement of antiquated plumbing, updates and expansion of electrical systems, replacement of inefficient or broken windows and doors, upgrades of heating and cooling systems, and asbestos abatement when required.

The district utilized the services of architectural firm Wilson & Company, as well as Caro Construction Co., Inc. to complete the project. White received an addition of seventeen classrooms, a new Library/Media Center, storm shelter/multipurpose room as well as remodeling to the existing structure.

In January 2005, Funston Elementary was closed and blended with White Elementary bringing the enrollment to almost 600 students.

Upon completion of the Bond construction, the dedication ceremony was held on November 10, 2005.

In 2008, another Bond Issue was approved, and construction soon began on the latest addition at White Elementary.  White’s addition of approximately 3,300 square feet includes two classrooms and a bank of restrooms as well as a secured entry into the school.  White Elementary celebrated the completion of its bond project on August 21, 2012.