Gardiner Elementary School

Gardiner is a Title I neighborhood school in southeast Wichita that provides a safe, nurturing environment where all students can earn a quality education.
Gardiner is a Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade school. Our building contains 23 classrooms, a gymnasium/cafeteria, media center, and playground area. Gardiner proudly serves a student population of approximately 512.

Gardiner has one full-time librarian, one full-time speech clinician, a full-time counselor and social worker, one full-time nurse, two full-time PE teachers, and two full-time music teachers who serve the students of Gardiner in a variety of ways. Our school has an interrelated special education program with two certified special education teachers, four full-time paraprofessionals, and three part-time paraprofessionals. We are also fortunate to have a Pre-K program and all day Kindergarten program. Our ESOL team consists of two certified teachers and one bilingual paraprofessional who coordinate resources and instruction for our students.

• Staff, parents, and students work cooperatively to ensure student achievement

• Our average daily attendance rate is 94%

• SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) strategies have been implemented across all content areas to improve student achievement

• KAGAN structures are implemented throughout our school to increase cooperative learning opportunities for our students

• Our school made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in both reading and math on the State Assessments

• Students involved in after school tutoring programs showed good progress

• Gardiner recognizes academic and attendance achievement quarterly 

Exit east Kellogg at Central Business District. Go south on Broadway to Mt.
Vernon. Turn left on Mt. Vernon to Ida. Turn left on Ida to school's parking
lot. Gardiner is on the corner. See Maps for all USD 259 locations.

All students will gain skills needed to reach present and future goals in a safe and supportive environment where cultural differences are honored.

With input from all stakeholders we devised a SIP (School Improvement Plan) that focused on increased reading proficiency as well as measurement and real world problems in math.

The Gardiner Site Council is comprised of parents, business representatives, staff, and community members that meet monthly. Site Council identifies, considers, and discusses educational problems and issues in our school. Advice and council are provided for evaluating state, district, and building performance goals and objectives.

Meeting Day: First Monday of every month
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Gardiner Library

• Title I
• Reading First
• ESOL
• Art, Music, PE
• Pre-Kindergarten
• All day Kindergarten
• Arts Partners
• RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
• PTSO
• Interrelated Special Education
• School-wide behavior management
• After school tutoring
• Technology in classrooms

Kindergarten

Pre-Kindergarten Program: 9 - 11:50 a.m.; 1:10 - 4:00 p.m.
Half-Day Kindergarten: None
All-Day Kindergarten: 9 a.m. - 4:10 p.m.

• Student Technology Team
• Vocal and Instrumental Music programs
• Field Day Events
• Kansas Kids Day
• Annual Food Drive
• United Way Campaign
• Red Ribbon Week
• Fun Night
• Safety Patrol
• Student Council
• D.A.R.E.
• Lunch Servers

In 1912-13 a two-room school opened at the corner of Levy and Ida. Due to its location, the building was called Levy Street School. This school served grades one through six and was utilized until 1924 when a new building was constructed on the site.

The new school opened in September, 1924. Built by F.C. Randel, the structure consisted of two stories with five classrooms and the office upstairs, and three classrooms and two rest rooms downstairs. In March 1925 the name was officially changed to the Laura V. Gardiner Elementary School in honor of Laura Gardiner, one of the first women to be elected to the Board of Education of the Wichita Public Schools. She served from 1913-1920.

Student population continued to grow to a point that in 1930 four additional classrooms on the north wing were added. The two classrooms upstairs were divided with a folding door between them and a stage at one end to be used as an auditorium. During this year the school's first library was opened.

Following World War II new homes were being built faster than the school could accommodate the increase in student population, and the overflow was transported to other schools. In 1948 six additional classrooms were added to the south wing of the original building. Three classrooms were upstairs and three were downstairs. This provided adequate room for students until the 1951-52 school year when the enrollment reached 968. Due to this enrollment increase, the school had to go on double shifts, one from 7:45-Noon and the other from 12:30-4:45pm. The double shifts lasted until the end of the first semester of the 1952-53 school year.

In 1984 Gardiner received a media room, multipurpose room, music room, and additional restrooms. The office was also renovated at that time.

In April 2000 with the help of the Bond Issue, Gardiner received a new addition including six classrooms. Renovations were also made including improvements to the 2nd floor restrooms. Through the Bond process, the district purchased four houses and the area was used for a new playground area.

In July 2004 the address of Gardiner Elementary was changed to reflect the new entrance.

Gardiner currently has 23 total classrooms.