Kansas City Missouri School District to close schools

Now that the Kansas City Missouri School District board of directors has approved Superintendent John Covington’s “Right Sizing” plan, focus will shift to implementation.

District officials are moving forward with “deliberate speed” on a “transformation plan” that will carry out the closure of about 26 schools, and the move and restructuring of others, Covington said.

The plan will make sure the quality of education and the services the district provides are “of high quality and will provide the kind of education young people need to move forward with their lives,” Covington said.

Parents and their students who will be transferred to another school will be notified soon which school they will attend in August.

About 700 employees, including about 300 teachers, will be informed their contracts will not be renewed.

The plan was approved by the board of directors in a 5-4 vote March 10. Covington said he was thankful for the decision.

“It has been a difficult and painful and very emotional process that affects our entire community,” he said. “No one likes closing schools. It’s hard. It is tough on families and is certainly tough on our community. Closing schools and making the schools much stronger academically is unquestionably the right thing to do.”

Covington said the district was spreading its resources too thin by continuing to operate 61 schools with a total enrollment of about 18,000 students. Students were not learning at a proficient rate and the district was at risk of going bankrupt in about 18 months, he said.

Covington and district officials announced the plan in February. A series of forums were held to allow for public comments and questions. Following the forums, a re-evaluated plan was presented to the board in early March.

Board members Arthur Benson, Duane Kelly, Joel Pelofsky, Derek Richey and Airick Leonard West voted for the plan. Board members Cokethea Hill, Helen Ragsdale, Ray Wilson and board president Marilyn Simmons voted against the plan.

Some see the “yes” vote as a new beginning for the district.

Catriese Johnson, a graduate of the Kansas City Missouri School District, said she was “absolutely 100 percent” behind the plan.

“I’m feeling hopeful and that we are standing on the precipice of a great transformation of Kansas City, Mo., schools,” Johnson said. “… I invite all stakeholders to view this as a transformative change. … I support Covington because he came to town not to dismantle the school district but to get the maximum potential out of every single employee, stakeholder and student.”

Evaline Taylor has a grandchild who attends a school in the district. Minutes before the vote was cast, she said she believed shutting schools down would cause more people to leave the district and that she supports those who make such a decision.

“Pull your kids out of school for a minute and it might get their attention,” Taylor said.

Board member Kelly said with 61 schools there were thousands of possible scenarios. No matter what the structure was, someone would end up unhappy, he said.

“I’ve been on the board 10 years and this will be the most painful vote I ever cast,” he said.

Simmons said she had concerns the plan was too much to implement at once and would drive more people out of the district.

“I surely hope, for the sake of the district, I am wrong,” she said.

Following the vote, Simmons urged the district to work “harder than ever before” to rebuild, and support parents and students.

“I do not see this as something to celebrate, but rather this is a somber moment,” she said.

Even with the split vote, Covington said he felt confident the board and district would move forward in “a spirit of cooperation.” He said he hopes he will be able to continue to work on the plan with any new board members who might be elected in April.

In five years, the community “will beam with pride as to where schools have come,” Covington said.

“I think in a very short time, parents, members of the community, all of our community stakeholders, will see this school district rise from the ashes,” Covington said.

A repurposing team will be formed to help the district sell some buildings, if not all, that have been closed.

“Our plan will not only include the buildings that were on the list … it also will include buildings left standing in the community for years to help the community avoid the blight we heard so many parents talk about,” Covington said.

District officials began work on transformation prior to the vote. Transition teams will be placed in each school that has been approved for closure to help children, Covington said.

Covington said he plans to present the complete transformation plan, which will cost about $25 million, to the board in about one week.

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