Smaller Wichita school bond vote not on horizon, district says. ‘We have no plans'
Wichita school district officials say they don't have plans now to come back to voters to ask for a smaller bond issue vote.
Voters narrowly rejected a $450 million bond issue earlier this year.
'We have no plans,' the district's Chief Financial Officer Addi Lowell said Thursday at the first meeting of a new citizen financial oversight committee.
That committee could eventually come back with a recommendation for another public vote on a bond proposal, though.
Right after the February election, officials with the district and the Vote Yes campaign had signaled that a smaller bond vote could be a possibility.
The newly formed committee, mostly composed of community members with financial backgrounds and some USD 259 parents and students, is an advisory group that can make recommendations to the district's school board.
It's tasked with finding short-term financial solutions for the district, which is likely to face significant financial challenges as deferred maintenance costs on school buildings continue to increase. The district had hoped to replace a bond issue that falls off the tax rolls in 2029 with a new one to address some of its building issues.
'Today we're focusing on the short-term options,' Lowell said. 'I've got to focus on the budget for next fiscal year and we can engage in future meetings about our long term options, certainly.'
Those short-term options could include finding outside funding, reducing the district's operating budget, or closing schools, among others.
The committee did not signal which direction it planned to go in its first meeting, but it could make some recommendations at its next meeting in May.
'I could summarize school finance in, there's never enough resources to do all the things we want to do for our kids and keep up with our infrastructure needs,' Lowell said.
USD 259 wouldn't be the first district in the state of Kansas to come back and ask for a smaller bond issue in recent memory.
Voters in the Kansas City, Kansas school district rejected a $480 million bond issue in early 2024. The district then downsized its plans to a $180 million bond issue, which passed several months later.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Want to show true patriotism? Challenge Trump's military parade with peaceful protests
On Saturday, while tanks rumble down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., for President Donald Trump's military parade, we must rally against the cruelty and madness of this administration. Perhaps Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young or other great performers can give free concerts, all voices against what is being perpetrated against law-abiding citizens, legal residents and migrants seeking asylum in our country. Come all protesters, music lovers and peaceful people from all backgrounds who are the backbone of this once great country. Let us take back Flag Day from those who have no understanding of what our flag represents and show the world that good, empathetic human beings populate our country. I challenge political leaders and celebrities to organize this quickly around the country to celebrate humanity. There are too many vulnerable people who need to know that we have their backs. Mitchell Goldman, Richmond Kindness amid ugliness Regarding 'How support helped AB Hernandez, trans track and field champ 'with mad attitude,' brave national backlash' (High School, June 9): Thank you for the wonderful story about AB Hernandez; her accomplishments to date, on and off the field, bode well for her aspirations in life. But let's not forget the kindness and affection shown her by her fellow competitors. The decade is only half over, and promises to be eventful, but I already have my photograph of the 2020s — the podium picture of Hernandez and her co-runner-up, arm in arm, glowing in accomplishment and togetherness. In that unforgettable moment, these two young women showed us moral compasses that point true north. Four centuries ago, Shakespeare reminded us that 'when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.' Current events are putting that proposition to a stern test, but when I read about the twisted view of humanity at work in Washington and around the nation, I will remember that photo and feel better. Bill Koopman, Palo Alto Lowell High is elitist Regarding 'These graduating Lowell students were called 'lottery kids.' The stigma never went away' (San Francisco, June 6): 'You belong in every room you walk into,' Lowell High Principal Jan Bautista said at the commencement for the school's class admitted through the lottery system. The sad truth is that students like them will no longer 'belong' at the school even though the data shows they were just as able as students accepted through test scores. Yet, the San Francisco school board has no plans to reconsider Lowell's merit-based admissions policy. This is despite data and evidence that show that such admissions and hiring policies are contributors to class and racial inequality. As a San Franciscan committed to fighting the worsening inequality in this city, I'm grateful to the now-ousted school board members for having made lottery admissions at Lowell possible, if only for a couple of years. Given the data from these graduates, as long as Lowell stays elitist in its admissions policy, it will remain not our star in the school system, but our shame. Dave Madden, San Francisco RFK Jr. is bad for health Regarding 'RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee' (Nation & World, June 9): Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is worse than an anti-vaccine activist or vaccine skeptic. He is a vaccine cynic. He does not understand the scientific method in clinical trials. Real scientists, such as the 17 who were ousted Monday by Kennedy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, are always skeptics. Seeing is believing for them. They want to see data in appropriate clinical trials before they will accept that a proposed treatment is safe and effective. On the other hand, Kennedy is a cynic. He only sees what he already believes, even when repeatedly confronted with properly conducted research that refutes his beliefs. In his position of authority, this obstinacy is a danger to the health of us all and will lead to a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases. Brian Klein, San Francisco
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
HITN and WHYY Announce Acquisition of "Albie's Elevator" at Annecy's MIFA
ANNECY, France, June 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HITN, the leading Spanish-language educational media network, and WHYY, the Philadelphia region's leading public media organization, announced an acquisition today, which will expand the reach of WHYY's acclaimed children's series, "Albie's Elevator." The announcement was made during the prestigious MIFA (International Animation Film Market) in Annecy, France. This collaboration will introduce the beloved original production to EDYE's 14 million viewers across the United States, Latin America, and Brazil, with full Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese language adaptations. "Albie's Elevator is a truly beautiful and enriching series. We are thrilled to bring Albie's unique charm and the program's educational value to a much wider audience," said Erika Vogt-Lowell, Vice President of Content for HITN. "This agreement not only affirms the universal appeal of top-tier productions such as Albie's Elevator, but it also reinforces HITN's unwavering commitment to delivering this caliber of programming to the audiences in Latin America, including Brazil." A key component of this agreement involves HITN's investment in language customization. HITN will complement the Spanish-language adaptations of the series that WHYY has created, including the adaptation of all songs, and will also create a complete Brazilian Portuguese-language version. "We are incredibly excited about this partnership with HITN," said Terri Murray, Chief Content Officer, Vice President of Programming and Production for WHYY. "Announcing this at MIFA, surrounded by the world's leading children's content professionals, highlights the universal appeal of Albie's Elevator. We believe HITN's extensive reach and expertise will allow Albie's positive messages and engaging stories to reach children and families in new and meaningful ways across the Americas." To maximize exposure, HITN will conduct extensive promotional activities for "Albie's Elevator" including local events, premieres, and interactive watch-and-win contests. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in bringing unique, high-quality educational entertainment to children and families across a vast and vital audience. About HITNHITN-TV the leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family. It reaches more than 35 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico through DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, AT&T TV, DISH Network, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Mediacom, CenturyLink, Prism and Altice, Liberty Cable & Claro (Puerto Rico). Download the HITN GO app available on Apple, Android, Apple TV, and Roku® with a subscription. For more information, visit: and follow @HITNtv on social platforms. About EDYE:EDYE is an ecosystem of premium content for preschool-aged children, including an SVOD platform, a linear Pay TV channel, branded blocks for broadcast television, and a hub for various digital games and activities. EDYE offers fun and safe content curated by early childhood development experts. With one of the largest libraries of world-renowned preschool series including characters beloved by children, as well as games, activities, e-books, and guides to help parents learn about the value and benefits of content, Edye is currently available on all major digital platforms and devices and through pay TV, Internet, and mobile operators in the United States and Latin America. For more information, visit Follow EDYE on Instagram and Facebook. About WHYY WHYY, the Philadelphia region's leading public media provider, has served southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and all of Delaware for more than 70 years. WHYY's mission is to engage audiences, expand perspectives and empower communities through lifelong learning, truthful reporting, healthy dialogue and amplification of diverse voices. The station's national production and presentation roster for public media includes Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley, the award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues; the children's arts education series Albie's Elevator and The Infinite Art Hunt; and a variety of documentaries, series, and specials. WHYY also serves as the Local Primary 1 (LP1) station for the Philadelphia emergency alert system (EAS) operational area, acting as the region's primary broadcaster for receiving and relaying emergency alerts to other stations and cable systems—ensuring the public receives timely and potentially lifesaving information. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts For HITN Media Relations:Yaneiza Echezarraga & Claudia Solis, Twin Minds Mediamediainquiries@ For WHYY Media Relations:Gary Bramnick, Senior Director, Marketing Communicationsgbramnick@ +1 215 351 1262 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Trump's deployment of National Guard to L.A. protests shouldn't be a surprise
Donald Trump's playbook seems entirely predictable. If you want to turn a democracy into a military dictatorship, you only need two steps. First, you take actions that will guarantee a large public outcry and protests, and then bring in the military to restore order. Just like Trump did this weekend in deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles after the protests in response to immigration raids. Conversion completed. And if these protests aren't sufficient to declare martial law, no doubt future actions against immigrants will generate the necessary strife. President Trump will not stop until he has destroyed American democracy, and the world can only watch. Steen Petersen, Nanaimo, British Columbia Alarming arrest threat So, President Donald Trump thinks Gov. Gavin Newsom should be arrested. Exactly what laws did the governor break? I'm old enough to remember Alabama Gov. George Wallace standing in the doorway trying to prevent two Black students from enrolling at the University of Alabama in 1963. As much as President John F. Kennedy probably wanted to have Wallace handcuffed and jailed, he didn't. Trump's comments now suggest he is both judge and jury. This is a slap in the face of the greatest of all democratic principles: The rule of law. Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach, Orange County Insufficient CCSF response Regarding ''I do not feel safe': City College of S.F. instructor shaken by union leader's verbal attack' (San Francisco, June 5): I'm shocked about what I believe is an antisemitic attack by union leader Maria Salazar-Colon at a public meeting and upset after reading the City College Board of Trustees' statement in response. The statement shows that the board and the college administration don't take antisemitism as seriously as other forms of hate speech. I would ask readers to consider whether they feel that this response would be acceptable if the speaker had used such hateful language toward other racial or ethnic groups. The board's statement is insultingly vague and short on specific condemnation of antisemitism. This is an 'all lives matter' response to a specific attack on Jewish Americans. I would like the board to issue a new statement that specifically references that a speaker made antisemitic comments, and that it condemns them. When there was anti-Asian hate, we condemned it as anti-Asian, not generalized disrespect or lack of decorum. The board should also commit the institution to include addressing antisemitism as part of any training around equity and diversity. Doug Shoemaker, San Francisco Not Lowell caliber Regarding 'These graduating Lowell students were called 'lottery kids.' The stigma never went away' (San Francisco, June 6): The story says that data shows relatively small academic disparities between students enrolled at Lowell High School by lottery and merit-based admittees. However, every piece of data in the story says the lottery students did worse on average than those who attended based on merit — hardly proof that the lottery kids belonged. Michael Singer, Santa Rosa Stop S.F. warehouse project Regarding 'S.F.'s largest industrial project could get a green light after years of delay' (Real Estate, June 3): The article does not tell the whole story about this planned 2-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center in the Bayview, a neighborhood that is highly impacted by poor air quality and high levels of cancer, asthma and other lung diseases. Residents are concerned about what will likely be a huge Amazon warehouse (nonunion) and the increase in diesel trucks that worsen the levels of particulate matter, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are already high in the area, increasing the risk for asthma, bronchitis, lung irritations and cancers. The effects are cumulative. The pollution from this project will impact the air quality in nearby neighborhoods and beyond. This is a San Francisco issue, not just a Bayview issue, and it is an environmental justice issue.
