White Elementary School

White Elementary School was the recipient of a 2003-2004 Comprehensive School Reform Grant to implement the Lightspan Network in order to increase literacy skills of all students. Families are able to connect to the network from homes or libraries with a personal password.

• Recipient of the Red Carpet award fall 2005
• Strong parent involvement program

Exit I-135 South at 47^th St. Go east on 47^th. Turn south on Hydraulic, and proceed to 51^st Street South. Turn east on 51^st Street. White Elementary is on the corner of 51^st Street and Kansas. See Maps for all USD 259 locations.

Our primary mission is high student achievement. In order to accomplish this, we will provide an effective instructional program that addresses the strengths, needs and abilities of individual students in order to develop productive citizens who are ready to meet future challenges.

All students will demonstrate progress in reading comprehension, mathematics problem solving and in written communication at all levels throughout the school.

White Elementary's Site Council is very active! We encourage interested parents to join. The Site Council is an advisory board that identifies, considers, and discusses educational issues.  It is a great way to learn the day-to-day operations at White Elementary. The Site Council is made up of parents, staff, and community members.  All members work together to support classroom practice and student learning.  We look at test scores, the Campus Improvement Plan, budget, and many other issues.

Meeting Day: Second Tuesday of each month
Time: 4:45 p.m.
Location: White Elementary Library
Chairperson: Kerri Kuhlman, 316-973-1250

White Elementary is very highly technology based and integrates many enriching activities throughout the year in addition to the regularly adopted curriculum:

• Wireless Internet access, computers and SMART Boards in all classrooms and access to 4 mobile computer labs to support our curriculum
• Palm Pilots in the classroom
• Inquiry Based approach to learning 
• Full-service library with computer lab

Kindergarten

Five sessions of full day Kindergarten

• Red Ribbon Week
• United Way Student Campaign
• Lend-a-Hand after school program for 5^th graders
• Before- and after-school program
• Tutoring Program, which includes community volunteers and WSU Co-operative Students
• Student Technology Leadership Team
• Integrated closed circuit television broadcasting by students 
• Assemblies to recognize student achievements in academics, attendance and Character Education traits
• Reading is Fundamental (RIF) in partnership with the Downtown Rotary Club

William Allen White Elementary School was previously named South Riverside Junior High School and later was South Riverside Intermediate School. Before South Riverside Junior High School was built, the area was a part of School District 136. This was an elementary attendance area, grades one through eight, with no designated high school attendance area school. Some of the secondary students attended Wichita Public Schools, while others attended Clearwater and Derby Public Schools.

In 1954, the Mona Kay housing area was opened, and approximately 150 houses were built in the next two years. This created an overcrowded situation, and in 1957, South Riverside School District 136 voted to build a junior high school to help relieve the congested classrooms. The South Riverside Junior High School was completed in 1958. This building relieved the overcrowding for the next three years in the elementary and junior high grades.

During this three-year period, South Riverside, Haysville, Enterprise and Oatville Elementary School Districts voted a bond issue for the construction of Campus High School. Campus was opened in 1960 for grades nine through twelve. This caused the South Riverside School District to lose the ninth grade students. At that time, the name of the building was changed to South Riverside Intermediate School and included grades five through eight.

For the next four years South Riverside Intermediate School was a feeder school for Campus High School. Due to annexation of almost all of the school district by the Wichita City Commission, the South Riverside Elementary School District became part of the Wichita Public School System in 1964. The South Riverside Intermediate School was not large enough to qualify as a Wichita junior high school. Because of its location and size, the South Riverside Intermediate School District was divided, and the southern portion of the area was named the William Allen White Elementary School.

The name of the school was chosen to honor the nationally known journalist and writer who was, for many years, the editor of The Emporia Gazette at Emporia, Kansas.

At the beginning of the 1988-89 year, sixth grade students were incorporated into the middle school program. Due to overcrowding and large class sizes at White and nearby Funston Elementary, the school attendance configuration was again changed for the 1993-94 school year. White became an attendance center servicing children in grades PK through 1, with students in 2-5 attending Funston. In 1994, alterations were made to the library, speech room and seven classrooms.

Beginning with the 1995-96 school year, White and Booth Early Childhood Center shared the same principal.

In April 2000, the voters of the Wichita School District approved a $284.5 million bond issue. The projects began in the fall of 2000 and were completed over the next five years. The plan built 19 multipurpose rooms, upgraded science labs, replaced portable classrooms with permanent construction, improved handicap accessibility to all buildings, rebuilt five existing elementary schools, added a new elementary and middle school, expanded seven other elementary schools and provided nine new libraries as well as the expansion of nine others. Building infrastructure in 82 buildings was also upgraded, including the replacement of antiquated plumbing, updates and expansion of electrical systems, replacement of inefficient or broken windows and doors, upgrades of heating and cooling systems, and asbestos abatement when required.

The district utilized the services of architectural firm Wilson & Company, as well as Caro Construction Co., Inc. to complete the project. White received an addition of four classrooms as well as remodeling to the existing structure.

Upon completion of the Bond construction, the dedication ceremony was held on November 10, 2005.