Olathe families see first proposed boundary maps as 6 schools close

OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) - Families from Heritage and Scarborough elementary schools saw proposed boundary maps Monday night, the first of Olathe Public Schools’ meetings on where students would go when their schools close. Walnut Grove Elementary families will see their maps Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to Gera Netcher, co-founder of the parent group Olathe Families United.

The district showed three proposed maps for Heritage and two for Scarborough. Netcher said Black Bob and Tomahawk elementary schools hold their meetings Tuesday night.

The Olathe school board voted 7-0 on Oct. 1 to close Indian Trail Middle School and Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools at the end of the school year.

How the meetings are being scheduled

The district is telling families school by school when their individual meetings happen, Netcher said. The district has not published a complete list of those meetings. It has posted the larger community meetings.

Netcher said meetings for receiving schools follow next week.

In a written statement, the district said individual meetings are being held for each closing school and are only for that school’s directly impacted families, so they can learn about the boundary process, see their school’s boundary concept maps and ask questions. It said six larger community meetings will review several concept maps and how they may affect every elementary or middle school east of I-35.

At all meetings, district leaders will ask families to pick a preferred concept through an online form. Families who miss the meetings can still give feedback and name a preferred option, the district said.

The statement was sent by Erin Schulte, assistant director of communications for Olathe Public Schools. The district did not make anyone available for an interview.

“While feedback will not be a formal vote, their input is very important and will be shared with the Board of Education and district leadership for consideration,” the statement said. “Final boundaries will be recommended by district administration.”

The district has said it will bring a boundary proposal to the school board in December, with a formal vote expected in January.

The proposed Heritage and Scarborough maps

For Heritage, Concept 1 would send students to Madison Place and Brougham elementary schools. Concept 2 would use Havencroft, Sunnyside and Madison Place. Concept 3 would use Havencroft and Sunnyside.

For Scarborough, Concept 1 would send students to Sunnyside Elementary. Concept 2 would use Sunnyside and Madison Place.

Heritage parent: ‘Little to no input’

Chelsea Medved has three children at Heritage: fourth-grade twins and a first grader. She also attended the school as a child. Medved is also collecting signatures on a petition against the closures.

Medved said she went to Monday’s meeting and left feeling that parents “are going to have little to no input on where we’re going to have our children go to school next year.”

She said district leaders told families several times that the meeting was for feedback, that the administration makes the final decision and that the board then votes on the recommendation. Medved said that when a parent asked about transfers, she heard that the district would not make special exceptions. The district’s statement did not address transfers.

Medved said Heritage students would be split between schools under the maps. “We’re either going to be split up into two different schools or three different schools,” she said.

“We still don’t even know how our school was chosen,” Medved said.

“You’re going to close my school,” Medved said. “At least let me choose where they go within the district.”

Walnut Grove parent waits for her maps

Netcher, a Walnut Grove parent, said she will not see her school’s boundary options until Wednesday.

“As a parent, I am sitting at the edge of my seat,” Netcher said. “I’m waiting to see where my child can be placed.”

Netcher said she expects Walnut Grove students could be split among “two to four different schools.” She said that is based on what she has been told and that it is only a possibility. The district has not confirmed how many schools Walnut Grove students could be assigned to.

Netcher said she will decide as a parent whether to stay in the Olathe School District, go private or switch to a different district once she knows where her child could be placed.

She said families she has talked to while collecting signatures are upset. “They are angry. They are frustrated and they don’t feel like they’re being heard,” Netcher said.

Petition status

Olathe Families United reports 7,777 signatures on a petition asking the Kansas State Board of Education to review the closures. The group plans to submit the petition Friday, Nov. 13, in Topeka.

KCTV5 previously reported that state law requires signatures from 5% of registered voters in the district, a figure calculated at 6,115.