Kansas City Public Schools announced Friday it would start a process that could result in a new high school at the Southwest Early College Campus.
The proposal with Academie Lafayette, a French-immersion charter school, would create a new high school to begin in the 2015-16 school year, at the Southwest campus.
The international baccalaureate, foreign-language focused high school would bring together district and charter students. All students would have to apply for the new school, according to a news release, but students throughout the district could apply. KCPS said it would meet with families of current students to discuss their options for the future.
The KCPS board still must make its final approval of the proposal in the fall, a district spokeswoman said.
KCPS will also solicit public input into the proposal in July. The district plans to meet with parents on June 26 at SWECC beginning at 6:30 p.m. Meetings open to the public will be held on July 8 and 22 at Paseo Academy at 4747 Paseo Avenue.
KCMO Mayor Sly James praised the move in a news release.
Undoubtedly, the families of Southwest High School have endured a painful period in the school’s 89 year history. But when I was a young man growing up in Kansas City, Southwest High School was synonymous with greatness. Today begins the school’s journey back to greatness. This is a huge moment for the entire City, for the families of the district and Académie Lafayette, and for the families I work every day to recruit to this community. Having a school with an International Baccalaureate and international language program contributes to my vision of Kansas City being home to world-class education and it is simply the right, smart thing to do.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Previous information in this story was incorrect. While KCPS and Academie Lafayette have agreed to the partnership, the final approval for the new high school has yet to be made. The district must still approve the new high school later this fall after seeking input from the public. We apologize for the error.
