LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Last month, the Lee's Summit R-7 School District announced a proposal to close Lee's Summit Elementary School with West View Elementary.
The proposal comes as the two schools had declined in enrollment.
November's PTA meeting had past, present, and future families outraged at the districts decision.
A month later, neighbors near Westview Elementary are sharing their concerns with the district's proposal.
"Leave Lee's Summit alone — it's in an area where it's not as congested as it is here," said James Briscoe, who lives in the area. "We don't like to come out, and watch while getting in your car because you might get hit."
Briscoe is a life-long Lee's Summit resident and has lived near West View for four years. He attended Lee's Summit Elementary as a child.
"There's more history there than there is here," he said.
He and his wife are concerned at Westview's current flow of traffic on Ward Road.
Briscoe says the current roadway can't handle the current student body at drop off and pick up time each day.
He explained parking is limited during regular school days and special events.
"They fill that parking lot up and it's up and down the street," he said. "They have three or four sessions of drop off and pick up, but there's so much traffic going in it defeats itself."
During a November presentation, district leaders outlined the plans for a proposed $225 million bond issue slated for a vote in April 2025.
Portions of the bond issue would be allocated for modifications to student day-to-day learning centers, classrooms, and parking, but it doesn't include updates to Ward Road.
A spokesperson from the Lee's Summit School District told KSHB 41 the city is responsible for Ward Road upgrades.
"The history of Ward Road improvements actually goes back prior to an election in 2017. We identified a number of corridors that could use some improvement, principally some non-motorized improvements," said Michael Park, director of Public Works for the City of Lee's Summit. "Our voters approved Ward Road being one of those projects in 2017, well before we heard any conversations about school closures or school mergers."
On the 2017 ballot, voters renewed a capital sales tax, approximately $6 million from the tax renewal, and $900,000 in federal funding, supplementing the Ward Road Project.
"We're going to add all those other elements of accessibility to the public and surrounding neighborhood so they can have the value of the resource that ward road is," Park said.
Park told KSHB 41 his department was first made aware of proposed school closure or mergers in October.
He says his department viewed versions of the schools' proposed plans and provided minor recommendations.
The city of Lee's Summit says upgrades to Ward Road won't conflict with renovations to Westview Elementary.
The City of Lee's Summit expects the Ward Road project undergo construction in Summer 2025.
"In that area, I'm sure there will be more traffic," Park said. "I do really think it's an opportunity with the school having a new proposed site plan and better use of the overall property to make improvements to the operations on Ward Road safer."
The Citizen's Advisory Commitee will present its final recommendation to the school board Thursday night at 5:30 p.m.
Lee's Summit School District is expected to make a final decision on the use bond funds on Dec. 19.
Remaining timeline for proposed consolidation plan:
- 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
For more information on the Ward Road Project, click here.
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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.