KCPS to repurpose Southwest High School as middle school

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Public Schools recently unveiled plans to revive Southwest High School, which has sat dormant for a decade, as a middle school.

Southwest High School was built in 1924 and closed in 2016. Several additions were made during that time.

Now, the district wants to use the building as its new southern boundary middle school. A district spokesperson said it would be the first middle school for southern KC families, as many have had to go to Central Middle.

In a video introducing the district’s plan, Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier said the idea began after voters approved the $474 million bond in 2025. She said parents challenged district leaders to think bigger as KCPS continues to grow.

With that in mind, Collier said Southwest could become a “health and life sciences launching pad that starts in sixth grade and carries students all the way through high school, college, and into careers with mentors and out-of-school exploration and hands-on experiences from the very institutions this community already has.”

She said KCPS has engaged philanthropic organizations, healthcare providers, post-secondary institutions, research facilities, and civic leaders to “share this vision and encourage them to join.”

According to a KCPS presentation, the project is expected to cost between $76 million and $80 million total. The expected breakdown includes $45 million from the district bond, $19 million from miscellaneous KCPS funds, and $16 million in fundraising. The KCPS Education Foundation, the fundraising arm of KCPS, has launched the Catalyst Campaign to raise the funds.

Collier said while the bond money has helped the district reimagine facilities, the capital campaign will help “maximize what those facilities make possible for our students.”

When complete, the building will house 650 to 750 students from sixth through eighth grade. The school will also offer a specialized medical and health sciences pathway.

The project will preserve most of the historic building. Plans include demolishing the 1962 and 1988 additions, restoring the original south courtyard, general renovations, and new construction (gym and commons). If fundraising goals are met, the plans also include athletic fields and a mixed-use auditorium renovation concept.

More information on the project, as well as renderings, can be found at this link.

Early projections expect the project to be finished by fall 2029.

—