Facility
Master Plan frequently asked questions
During the Facility Master Plan Community Steering Team meetings, several questions were presented to the district to help with the committee's decision making process. Listed below are some of the more common questions. This page will be updated throughout the process as more questions are asked. Click here to submit a written question.
Click here for a Facilities Master Plan fact sheet.
What is the Facilities Master Plan?
The Facilities Master Plan is a comprehensive document that details facilities needs and priorities, and guides facilities improvement work within the district.
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How are we doing maintaining our buildings now?
One of the concerns prior to the 2000 bond issue involved inability of the district to adequately fund maintenance. The situation is much better than prior to 2000. Much of this can be attributed to the new school finance formula in Kansas that provided some weighting to capital outlay funding for districts. This additional capital funding, along with our current maintenance budget, has at least brought the district up to the low end of the recommended annual percentage of funding for building maintenance and improvements. In general, it is recommended that districts have maintenance and improvement funding equivalent to 2.5 – 3.5% of the total insured value of the physical plant of the district. The district is at the low end of this range.
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What is the Capital Improvement Plan?
The 5-year Capital Improvement Plan process attempts to prioritize the facility needs so that the most urgent are addressed first within the limits of available funding.
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How much of what’s on the various schools’ lists can/will be covered through the CIP?
Many of the items requested in certain categories can be funded through Capital Outlay. In reviewing the current list of needs identified by the schools, items such as paved parking lots and drives, technology infrastructure, relocation of playground equipment, and exterior renovation work can be funded through Capital. Given our current level of annual Capital funding, it is anticipated that a comparable level of capital support over a 5 to 7 year period could be achieved.
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What is the current capital budget?
The ’07-’08 Capital Outlay budget is $35 million; this includes $10 million to be set aside for carry over for new building needs. The district expects the Capital Outlay budget to be $26 million in ’08-’09 and following.
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How will the district determine the number of additional classrooms needed in their building evaluations?
The district will establish a total number of additional classrooms required district-wide. The final determination of where those classrooms are located will be established using an allocation process tied to retention of additional teachers, level of need at each school, and other factors related to special programs or other unique needs. This process will ensure that a sufficient number of classrooms are included in the plan, while allowing current variables to be resolved that will ultimately allow the district to better identify where these spaces are actually needed to best serve students.
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Why are some of our schools overcrowded when enrollment is relatively flat?
Overall the district’s enrollment for the past couple of years has been stable, but there is growth in certain areas in the city, especially in the main corridor. Overcrowding at these schools cannot be fixed by simply changing the neighborhood boundaries at these schools.
As the district continuously works to lower class sizes to meet its educational goals, the need for additional classrooms to accommodate smaller classes is significant.
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How much FEMA funding do we receive?
FEMA funding must be applied for on a project-by-project basis. The grants, when approved, only cover the additional expense for the hardening of the space. The base cost for the standard structure must be available from other District funding sources. Currently, the district has two FEMA grants that we applied for and that were approved. The Wichita Public Schools a will receive $325,000 reimbursement from FEMA for the extra expense of hardening the multi-purpose rooms at Earhart Environmental Magnet and Gordon Parks Academy.
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How many elementary schools still need FEMA safe rooms? What is the approximate cost of each?
If FEMA approves grants for safe rooms, the approximate net cost to the district for a typical multipurpose safe room (4,500 sq. ft.) would be $625,000. If approved, FEMA grants pay for the hardening of the room, which is an additional $180,000. Twenty-nine safe rooms at $625,000 would have a total construction value of approximately $18.2 million.
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What do arts and athletics do for academics?
Research indicates that student involvement in the arts is linked to higher academic performance, increased standardized test scores, more community service. lower dropout rates, higher graduation rates and fewer discipline problems. These cognitive and developmental benefits are reaped by students regardless of their socio-economic status. (Sources: Dr. James S. Catterall, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA ; Eric Jensen, Arts with the Brain in Mind.)
The state’s recent addition of a High School Fine Arts requirement, a student's path to graduation will now include instruction in the Arts.
Students who are involved in athletics reap the same academic benefits, are connected in school, have higher graduation rates and fewer discipline problems.
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How many ‘GOOD’ facilities do we need for each sport?
The Ed Spec Committee believes all schools should have facilities on site, much like our neighboring districts. The committee stated the district needs at least one more competition size swimming pool and diving well. The district needs to provide at least one synthetic turf field (with lights and seating) at each high school that would be used for soccer, non-varsity football, band, and PE. The district needs at least three more varsity baseball fields with lights, at least one more district stadium with seating for 5,000 and larger gyms to support PE as well as practice and competition for basketball, volleyball, and wrestling.
Very little has been spent on athletic facilities for the 24 schools providing a program. In the past eight years, the district has one new gym (part of East High’s bond issue project), one new baseball field at South (due to losing two with the Enterprise school relocation), two new baseball fields at Heights (due to encroachment on property lines of Falcon Falls residential neighborhood) and a new track at Heights. Other area school districts have built an entire sports complex to serve its one school (Goddard, Maize, Rose Hill, Haysville-Campus).
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What are the district’s technology priorities (computers, etc.) and should that be included in the Facility Master Plan process?
The district technology plan ensures computers are continually provided to a certain extent at all instructional centers and training is provided for staff at all levels as needed. Schools also recognize the value and need of having an installed projector in every instructional space – neither the projector, wiring, nor mounting hardware are included in any portion of the technology plan. Schools have been encouraged to include such needs in their master plan building evaluation. All other technology/instructional devices are purchased at the discretion of building principals.
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How does the district decide when to build a new building rather than continue to utilize a facility that is either overcrowded or has significant maintenance needs?
In considering any specific facility and the options available, a number of factors are studied. These include the recent annual cost for maintenance and related trend data, estimated cost of replacement vs. cost to renovate and/or expand, long term anticipated use of the facility, neighborhood growth factors and alternative locations that might better serve the neighborhood, historic value of the facility and any applicable regulations related to historic preservation.
In the 2000 bond issue, the district and plan management consultant studied a number of buildings to determine whether to replace, or to renovate and expand. Ultimately, based on these studies, the district decided to replace Washington, Horace Mann, Linwood and Enterprise with totally new, larger facilities.
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What vacant land does the Wichita Public Schools currently own?
The district currently owns 80 acres near 143rd E. and Pawnee, and there are approximately 32 open acres remaining at the Jackson elementary site at 29th & Woodlawn. The only other vacant land consists of a single lot near North High (historical site), a single lot near the former Linwood school site, a lot near the former Riverview school site, and the old Greiffenstein site at Washington & 31st. South (currently used as city park land- approx. 6 acres). The district is currently in negotiations for additional land in the Bel Aire area.
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Can the Wichita Public Schools contract with private providers for space?
This is a very limited solution. Schools have fairly severe/restrictive fire codes and other regulations with which to comply. Most facilities that might have suitable space available do not meet code requirements for regular education school facilities.
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