Pleasant Valley Middle School

The Pleasant Valley Middle School faculty and staff are dedicated to creating a tradition of excellence where failure is not an option!

Pleasant Valley Middle School ’s student population is a rich mix of cultures, in a neighborhood school where citizenship and community service are emphasized alongside the expectation of academic success in a rigorous curriculum.

Pleasant Valley ’s faculty and staff are committed to providing a positive, constructive learning environment for all students. In order to ensure student success, Pleasant Valley Middle School has embraced the AVID program school wide. This unique program encourages students to challenge themselves academically to prepare themselves for post-secondary education opportunities. Other programs such as Gifted Education, Special Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are also available.

Exit west Kellogg at I-235. Go north on I-235 to Meridian exit. Go south on Meridian to 29th St. Go west 1.5 blocks on 29th St. to Pleasant Valley Middle School. See Maps for all USD 259 locations.

Pleasant Valley Middle School is a professional learning community that provides students, parents and staff a welcoming, safe and diverse environment where all are successful contributing individuals.

Vision/Action Statements

1. PVMS will provide a rigorous and challenging curriculum resulting in proficient and above-average results in all assessments.
2. PVMS will prepare students to embrace a technological future.
3. PVMS will be a community of learners who respect themselves and others and who strive to be their best.
4. PVMS will provide and promote a diversity of programs that all students, parents and community will be proud of and desire to participate in.
5. PVMS will focus on standard-based instruction that provides different methods of learning for all students.

All students will improve their reading comprehension skills; build mathematical skills and improve math reasoning, communications and problem-solving skills; and improve writing skills across the curriculum.

Each school has a site council, which is a group of parents, community members, business representatives, teachers and other school staff. Site councils identify, consider and discuss educational problems and issues at the school. Councils provide advice and counsel for evaluating state, school district and school site performance goals and objectives. Councils may also recommend methods that may be employed at the school site to meet these goals and objectives.

Meeting Day: Third Thursday of every month
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: School library 
Chairperson: Destiny Hopkins

• AVID (Advanced Placement via Individual Determination) School-Wide Program  
• AVID for the 6th Grade
• After-School Programs
• Character Education Focus
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• ESOL Newcomer Program
• Extensive community service activities
• Gifted Program (resource program)
• Middle School Athletic Programs
• Middle School Leadership Program
• SPED Categorical Program
• America's Choice
• AVID, KAGAN and Advanced Placement Structures and Strategies are taught throughout and across all classrooms. 
• Teacher Mentoring Classes
• 25 Book Campaign
• Vocal and Instrumental Music Programs
• Piano/Keyboarding

• After School Rec Program
• Books and Breakfast Program
• Chess Club (ranked at state level)
• National Academic League
• Several Lunch Groups (including HIP STARZ, Book Club, Reading Club, etc.)
• Student Council
• Peer Leadership
• Peer Mentoring
• Circle of Friends
• Leadership Drill Team
• Yearbook
• Jazz Band
• Pep Band

This school was developed from the original Sedgwick County School District 128, commonly known as the Pleasant Valley School. In 1953, as a result of the growth of the elementary school at 29th and Athenian, school patrons believed it would be to the educational advantage of their children to have their own junior high school. At this time, some ninth graders went to John Marshall Junior High and then on to Wichita High School North; others went to Valley Center.

The district was blessed with a fairly good valuation for tax purposes, and the school board began to plan for the new building. The architectural firm of Thomas, Harris and Calvin were employed. Their preliminary estimate of the cost of the building was $600,000. A bond election was held December 1, 1953, and the bond issue was carried by an overwhelming majority.

The building was ready for occupancy with the fall term in 1955. In the fall of 1956, as the result of continued growth in the area, an additional bond issue of $145,000 was voted to add eight more rooms. These rooms were completed and ready for occupancy by Thanksgiving in the fall of 1956. The architects on the building have been Thomas, Harris and various others who have been associated with this firm since 1953.

From 1956 until 1964, the building housed grades five through nine for District 128. The junior high enrollment (grades seven through nine) averaged 300 to 350 during this period.

The school district was annexed to Wichita in 1962, but the school did not become a part of the Wichita School System until July 1, 1964. In the fall of 1964, the seventh, eighth and ninth grade pupils from Arkansas Avenue School were assigned to this building, and the fifth and sixth grades were housed in the original Pleasant Valley South building.

During the summer of 1966, six additional classrooms were added to the building at a cost of about $375,000. Junior high school pupils from other rural schools in the northwest suburban area of Wichita, which included Bridgeport, Riverview and North Riverside, were assigned to Pleasant Valley Junior High School in the fall of 1966.

In 1973, the capacity of the building was again increased with the construction of an addition that included 18 rooms and an auditorium. The cost of this construction was $1,600,000.

Enrollment for the first year of Pleasant Valley Junior High in 1955 was 168 with 11 teachers. B.E. Terrell served either as a combination superintendent of the Pleasant Valley Schools and junior high principal, or as junior high principal from the time the building was first planned in 1953 until his retirement in 1974.

In the fall of 1988, all ninth graders were moved to high schools leaving seventh and eighth graders. In the fall of 1989, all junior high schools became middle schools (6-8). Enrollment currently averages around 950.

From A History of Wichita Public School Buildings, c 1997