OLATHE, Ks. — KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. She's been covering the closure of Olathe Schools and the impact on families extensively. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Six schools in Olathe are at risk of being closed next year, in addition to four elementary schools being merged into two.
Indian Trail Middle School, Black Bob, Scarborough, Heritage, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove Elementary School were all recommended to be closed next year.
It's a story KSHB 41 News has been covering for weeks, amplifying the voices of impacted families as they call on school leaders.
"The whys aren't making sense," Black Bob Elementary parent Byron McDaniel said.
"This is a lose-lose situation," parent Julie Hartem said.
"We deserve transparency," another Black Bob Elementary School parent said.
Olathe Public Schools hosted a special meeting on Tuesday night at Olathe South High School to hear the concerns of parents ahead of the final vote decision set to happen in two weeks.
The district announced its recommendations on which schools to close earlier this month. Since then, KSHB 41 News has been listening to the voices of parents and educators at the affected schools.
"We do need to realize that this is for the good of the whole," Olathe Public Schools grandma Jerri Sapp said.
"I still don't think we have enough information to feel comfortable to know where our teachers are going and what's happening," parent Jess Lyon said.
Olathe's decision comes as the district is facing significant declining enrollment and a $12 million budget gap.
More than 200 parents, teachers and students packed Olathe South High School's auditorium on Tuesday night, asking the school board to save their school and to call for transparency behind the decision.
"It's just not fair what's happening, it's just not fair," McDaniel said.
"Will the receiving schools have the capacity to absorb all these students?" one teacher asked.
The majority of families on Tuesday night said they understood schools need to close, but felt the district hasn't provided the data to back it up.
"What is the full cost of this decision?" another parent asked the board.
Olathe's youngest neighbors were also in attendance to share their voice on a decision that could change where they go to school next year.
"Please do not close our school," student Kaylyn Bales said. "It is a second home to hundreds of children."
Over the last few weeks, families from all six impacted schools have been calling out for more answers.
"What all went into the criteria to closing these schools?" Heritage Elementary School parent Robert Walther said. "A lot of this has been at a 30,000-foot view, so we don't really have a lot of answers."
Parents concerns range from transportation impacts, changes to their kids' education and moving forward with a vote before a transition plan comes out.
"We definitely want to make sure that we have a voice, if we can," Walther said.
Those concerns don't end with just the parents.
"I thought that maybe coming here I could get more answers to what I was thinking," Heritage fourth grader Claire Walther said. "I was thinking, like, what school would I go to, would I still have my friends there? I want to know the answer to that."
According to filings published by the district, a steering committee voted on their top choices of schools to close after reviewing enrollment data, class sizes and building age.
District staff said at Tuesday night's meeting that if the board doesn't approve these school closures, they will have to come up with another slate of schools or lay off staff.
"We are in a place our district has never been before," superintendent Brent Yeager said. "We are at a crossroad."
The majority of parents at Tuesday night's meeting understood tough decisions have to be made, but feel the board hasn't provided clear reasons behind each school closure and is rushing the decision.
"Publish the evidence, publish the safety projections and publish the metrics," Tomahawk Elementary parent Danielle Summers said.
The district has published the steering committee's presentations that led to the decisions, but families said it's only led to more questions.
"Too much data is missing. This process is being rushed," a Black Bob Elementary School parent said.
Many asked the school board to delay their vote until that information comes out.
"We may not agree on the final decision, but we understand the weight behind this decision," Olathe Public Schools Board president Julia Steele said.
Tuesday night was not the final decision to close the schools. That vote is set to happen at the board meeting in October.
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