If Olathe closes schools, where will students go, and will jobs be cut? What we know
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- A group recommended closing three or four elementary schools and one middle school.
- The board plans to vote on school closures by October and redraw boundaries in January.
- The district will manage staffing after consolidations through attrition and vacancies.
As Olathe Public Schools draws nearer to picking which schools will close in the district amid declining enrollment, it’s unclear how many staff members could lose their jobs or where students will end up after boundaries are redrawn.
A group of parents, teachers and staff recently determined the district should close three or four elementary schools and one middle school to make better use of resources and alleviate budget pressures.
In the coming months, another group will recommend which schools, specifically, should close their doors. A shuffle of students, teachers and staff will follow, in a process expected to span the next two to three years.
Though it’s early in the process, the district has said little about what impacts the closures could have on staff.
There’s no indication yet how many could be left without jobs, because the district hasn’t picked which schools to close.
The goal, district officials have said, is for the board to vote on which schools will close by October, then redraw new boundaries at its January meeting.
Those closures and new boundaries would go into effect later, in a phased process.
Because the district is large, there is a certain level of turnover each year. The district will try to lean on that turnover and unfilled positions to help transition staff to new schools, said Erin Schulte, a district spokeswoman.
“Taking care of our staff is one of our district leadership and Board of Education’s top priorities,” Schulte said.“ As we evaluate potential school consolidations, we will work to manage staffing changes through attrition, such as retirements and resignations, whenever possible.”
New Olathe school boundaries
For at least the 2026-27 school year, all 58 of the district’s schools will operate as normal, a district spokesperson said.
The only planned change for the coming school year is that Westview Elementary School will be repurposed as the new home of the district’s K–8 Compass alternative program. That transition was announced in August last year.
But new school boundaries will be considered by the USD 233 Board of Education sometime after it votes on closures this fall.
Schulte said the district plans to visit with all impacted school communities to talk about what the boundary adjustments mean after they are approved by the board.
“We understand that this conversation around school consolidation, albeit necessary, may cause concern or discomfort,” Schulte said. “We want our community to know that throughout this process we are committed to clear and consistent communication.”
Schulte also said buildings that do not close may also have their boundaries changed to accommodate students from those that did close.
Why is the district closing schools?
For years now, Olathe Schools has talked about its problem of declining enrollment. In the past, the district had over 30,000 students. Now the district sits at just over 28,000 with projected enrollment to land around 25,000 by 2034.
Declining enrollment has been attributed to slower birth rates, families having children later in life, and rising housing costs.
The median home price in the school district is $500,000, which makes it more difficult for young families to move into the area.
At the elementary level, enrollment numbers have plateaued, district officials say. Elementary student enrollment is nearly identical to what it was in 2001. However, the district currently has nine more elementary schools than it did in 2001.
Fewer students mean less revenue, making it more costly to operate the buildings.
For closures, the district is not just looking at elementary schools with the fewest number of students, said Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent in the district. Instead, it is looking at what makes sense geographically, and taking into account other factors like building age and lifespan.
“(A steering committee) will be charged with really digging in and looking at specific buildings in specific areas of our district,” McMullen said.
Apart from these new elementary closures, families at four elementary schools have already been planning for school consolidations.
Using bond monies, the district will demolish four existing buildings and construct two new schools.
Fairview and Northview Elementary schools will consolidate into a new building at the current Northview site. And Central and Ridgeview Elementary schools will consolidate to a new building at the current Central site.
Meadow Lane Elementary will be rebuilt at its current location.
The district began requests for proposals (RFPs) for those projects earlier this year, after voters approved $389 million in bonds. That work is anticipated to wrap up by the 2029-30 school year.
“Our goal is to keep our families and staff informed, answer questions and ensure there is an understanding of both the challenges we face and the decisions ahead,” Schulte said.
