LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — On Tuesday night, parents and community members in Lee's Summit demanded answers on a recommended closure of Lee's Summit Elementary School.
"I was blindsided," said Chris Winburn, the parent of a future Lee's Summit Elementary student. "We move from out of state specifically to downtown Lee's Summit — one of the biggest things when we were looking to come back to Kansas City was school districts, particularly elementary schools."
A few hundred people gathered in the Lee's Summit Elementary gym for the parent-teacher association meeting.
The group's president addressed the crowd, detailing the possible closures timeline.
"The LSR-7 District CFMP Executive Summary, dated June 2024, does not state anywhere in the document about closures and consolidations," said Valerie Salazar, the PTA president.
Following a 20 minute presentation from the assistant superintendent of the Lee's Summit School District, the floor opened for questions from the public.
Many were concerned about transparency in the district office, mental health of students, and job security.
"Westview and Lee's summit elementary have been declining for quite some time," said Dr. Dave Buck, superintendent of the district. "They're both in the 200 range — Lee’s Summit Elementary may drop below 200."
During the district's presentation, administration outlined the project's decision making process, following a year-long comprehensive facilities master planning process.
The district and its citizens advisory committee (CAC) will narrow the plan for a proposed $225 million bond issue slated for a vote in April 2025.
LSR-7 admin told KSHB 41 the bond measure would not affect tax payer's wallets.
"We have three choices — we can do nothing, and then as the building continues to climb, we're going to have to pull staff out and put them in other parts of our district, and that means class sizes will go up and the services go down," Buck said. "We can do nothing for now but in a year make this decision, then we won't have one building big enough to take all the families at one spot instead of splitting up among multiple schools, or we do this now to upgrade and expand Westview Elementary to take on both populations."
The largest component of consolidating the schools is enrollment.
According to the district's presentation Tuesday night, Westview and Lee's Summit Elementary have seen a 10% decline in enrollment from 2023-2025.
LSR-7 leaders claim consolidating the two schools would create greater academic achievement among it's student body, better learning spaces, and maintain adequate class sizes.
"We don't want to split up the families, and we don't want to split the community," Buck said. "It's a beloved community."
In a recent report, Salazar told KSHB 41's Claire Bradshaw district administrators did not warn or consult with PTA leaders ahead of its recommended closure.
On Tuesday night, Lee's Summit School District offereed one-on-one interview with local media partners with Buck ahead of the PTA meeting.
KSHB 41 asked why the PTA was involved in the conversation.
"It went straight to citizens' advisory committee, and they made decisions of recommending it to the board," Buck said. "We decided to add extra steps last week and the week prior to engage staff and community."
KSHB 41 asked if the administration's decision would be final, and if families could change the decision of its recommendation.
"Obviously, they have a voice," Buck said. "That's why we're meeting tonight. I'm glad they're passionate. They're glad they love their school."
Buck explained he and other administrators would stay as long as possible to answer questions during or after the Tuesday PTA meeting.
During the PTA meeting, Buck and assistant superintendent Dr. Steve Shelton did not veer from their talking points, leading to several outbursts from the crowd.
The two consistently reassured family member that students are their number one priority.
Many questions from the audience stemmed over the abrupt nature of the school district's decision.
"I'm trying to be as transparent and forthright as possible about a very difficult decision," Buck said.
Remaining Timeline of LSR-7's Proposal:
Nov. 19 - CAC Meeting; will finalize recommendation for the use of funds for the bond.
Nov. 21 - LSR7 Board of Education Meeting.
Dec. 5 - LSR7 Board of Education work session meeting; CAC final recommendation will be presented to the members of the Board of Education.
Dec. 19 - LSR7 Board of Education meeting (final decision on use of funds for the bond issue will be voted on).
April 2025 - General Election anticipated to include the LSR7 bond issues
The district says it will not sell Lee's Summit Elementary and plans to re-purpose the site.
If the plan is not approved, LSR7 anticipates two outcomes: close Lee's Summit Elementary in the future and redistributing families between multiple attendance areas or reducing staff, which would increase class sizes and reduce services.
If it is passed, students would attend school at Westview Elementary in 2028; teachers and staff would go with the students, with a few staff members being placed around the district as a job opening becomes available.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.