Wichita Business Journal: Where is the Increasing Enrollment in Wichita Schools?

by Bob Weeks on June 29, 2008

In the recent Wichita Business Journal article Passage of 2000 school bond issue highlights Brooks’ legacy in Wichita reporter Josh Heck made this statement: “Enrollment [in Wichita public schools] has increased steadily during the past 10 years and now totals more than 48,000 students.”

Readers, would you please look at the following chart of enrollment numbers for USD 259, the Wichita public school district, holding data I received from the Kansas State Department of Education, and tell me where I should look to see this steady increase?

USD 259 enrollment trend

A larger chart with accompanying data table is available in pdf form here.

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Tagged as: Wichita and Kansas schools, Wichita news media

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Dave June 29, 2008 at 4:25 pm: Cut the reporter some slack. He was probably looking at the district’s trendline. Given Brooks’ flimsy credentials, it was probably as much as he could handle to manage average annual enrollment growth of 0.108%.

The statement from the article that got me was the bond issue from “eight years ago that bailed out a city from a depressed post-9/11 economy while making necessary improvements to the school district.” I don’t see much evidence of a thriving economy on my rare trips up there, and my former USD 259 classmates seem to be buying their houses as close as they can to the city while making sure they’re in the Goddard or Maize school districts.
2 Wayne June 30, 2008 at 1:19 am: It’s all about power and expansion of their domain. The Eagle toes the District line but can’t seem to investigate the legitimate concerns of those against this boondoggle bond issue.

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