KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lincoln Middle in Kansas City, Missouri, closed its doors in 2010, but soon students will once again walk the hallways when it's reopened as Lincoln College Preparatory Middle School.
Friday afternoon, construction dumpsters blocked the front door of the school located at 2012 East 23rd St., but once the school is transformed into Lincoln College Preparatory Middle School it will include new learning commons and interactive classrooms.
Trinity Wilson attended Pembroke Hill Middle School before applying and getting into Lincoln as a high school freshman. Her cousin was placed on the waiting list, which is why she supports the new middle school.
"She was qualified. Good test scores, good attendance, good behavior. Just not enough room. She ended up going to Sumner Academy in KCK," Wilson said.
The new middle school is expected to help eliminate the waitlist by housing 545 students and making room for 400 additional students at the high school.
District leaders are hosting gallery walks to introduce new parents to Lincoln before renovations are complete.
Marla Sheppard is the deputy superintendent of KCPS schools.
"The exact same rigor, the exact same expectations, will still be there. We'll just be moving in our own building. They'll have their own building and they'll be able to matriculate across the street to the high school," Sheppard said.
Lincoln parent and graduate Josepha Lara Smith said she fully supports the decision.
"I know the middle school experience is very valuable, and that's one of things that was a hindrance for my children attending Lincoln, because they were all together 6 through 12. So I'm very glad that they're opening up the middle school, and we've been pushing for this for a long time," Lara Smith said.
Lincoln College Prep is still enrolling students for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.
The new middle school will open in the fall of 2019.
—
