On March 4, the Board of Education of Wichita Unified School District 259, the state's largest public school system, voted to permanently close four elementary schools and two middle schools to address a projected $42 million budget shortfall. It was resolved.
In the face of declining enrollment, the looming end of federal coronavirus relief funds meant to stabilize district finances, and an outstanding backlog of more than $1 billion in deferred repairs, the board has plenty of resources available. There were few options. District leaders argued that if they didn't close schools, they would be forced to lay off hundreds of teachers for $259. Even with the closure of these six schools and additional spending cuts in other areas of district management, the hole in the budget would not be completely closed and the district would have to draw down cash reserves to balance the budget. that's right.
From a budget standpoint, it may be true that some school closures were necessary in districts with large numbers of old, unused, and dilapidated buildings. Either way, there is no denying that the closure of these schools will cause significant disruption to children, families, and communities.
Social science research has repeatedly found that school closures negatively impact student academic performance, contribute to increased absenteeism rates, and expose affected students to high levels of stress. They inconvenience families who have to coordinate complicated procedures and tear apart the social bonds that have been built between student peer groups, teachers, and parents to know and care for each other. Masu. Closures also create logistical problems for school districts that need to rethink bus transportation routes and could destabilize host schools where evacuated students are relocated.
Importantly, public school closures disproportionately impact schools serving students of color, English language learners, students living below the poverty line, and students experiencing homelessness; That means it has the potential to exacerbate fundamental inequalities. That is certainly the case in Wichita, where most of the schools targeted for closure are located in low-income and underserved neighborhoods. All six schools included a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students than the district average, with black and Hispanic students making up between 50 and 80 percent of the students enrolled in these schools.
It's not just students who are affected. Schools serve as community hubs, meeting places, community centers, and hubs of activity. As sociologist Eve Ewing has demonstrated, it may seem counterintuitive to protest the closure of schools with poor academic performance, but communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, are often more vulnerable to school closures than school closures. This creates a hole in the neighborhood, and they often fight fiercely to protect their local schools. It cannot be measured simply by registration or test scores.
Wichita has several older, poorly maintained and underutilized school buildings that serve wealthier, whiter communities, but those schools were not identified for closure. . But that doesn't mean wealthy families don't have worries. The broader demographic, economic, and political factors that set the stage for this school closure persist, and anti-public school activists in state legislatures seek to exploit these challenges for ideological purposes.
It took years of litigation and court battles before Congress was able to fulfill its constitutional obligation to fully and equitably fund the state's public schools. Congress still falls short of the legal requirement to fund 92% of the excess costs incurred by school districts to provide special education programs. If that were the case, $259 CFO Susan Willis said Wichita's budget shortfall would be much smaller and these school closures may not be necessary.
The situation could be even worse in the state's public schools, especially in urban areas where disadvantaged students attend. Under a new state law, Kansas will implement a sweeping new open admissions policy starting next school year that would allow students to apply to attend schools in any district that has space, regardless of where they live. However, host districts are not required to provide transportation for these new students.
As a result, this option is likely to be pursued primarily by wealthy families with the means and ability to travel long distances, who use the law to exclude their children from diverse urban schools and They will probably be sent to schools in wealthy suburbs. This will further reduce enrollment in districts like $259, accelerating the budget crisis and requiring more school closures in the future.
Additionally, it could destabilize and overwhelm suburban school districts, causing dissatisfied suburban parents to choose private school or homeschool options. All things considered, this open enrollment plan is likely to cause widespread dissatisfaction and further undermine public support for the state's public schools. (A cynical interpretation is that such an outcome is actually the goal of this bill, as it opens the door to efforts to expand voucher programs and other right-wing education projects.)
Gannon v. Kansas was first heard by the Kansas Supreme Court more than a decade ago, but the state's school finance wars are far from over. Next year, hundreds of Wichita families will be scrambling to adjust to new educational realities for their children. If the state Legislature continues to drag its feet on public education support in Kansas, they likely won't be the last families exposed to such disruption. .
Chase M. Billingham is an associate professor of sociology at Wichita State University. Through our opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of those affected by public policy or excluded from public discussion. Click here for information, including how to submit a comment.
