‘When our kids do better, we all do better.’

School supplies, bedtime routines and packed lunches mean one thing — back to school is on the horizon this month. As parents around the Wichita school district prepare their families for the end of summer, USD 259 superintendent Kelly Bielefeld is preparing for his sophomore year. 

“There’s a learning curve with the role,” Bielefeld said. “It will be nice to go through it a second time and not feel like everything is completely new the whole year.”

The 2023–2024 school year was Bielefeld’s first as the USD 259 superintendent, and the first in a superintendent role altogether. Over the last year, the district made headlines for significant changes — some welcome, others made families in the district uneasy, including the approval of a measure in March that permanently closed six Wichita schools. 

Students who attended Clark, Park, Payne and Cleaveland magnet elementary schools, and Hadley and Jardine magnet middle schools, will attend new schools this year. The measure was part of a budget reduction activity that would save the district more than $16 million.

“In the beginning, we said we’re going to prioritize people over places,” Bielefeld said. “I’m not proud or happy that we had to make those hard decisions, but I am happy that we didn’t have to cut any positions to get where we needed to get.”

Due to the closures, an estimated 2,200 students will attend new schools this year, meaning new buildings to navigate, new teachers and classmates, and, for the teachers affected, it means new classrooms to set up. Bielefeld said the district took measures over the last few months to help those affected by the closures. 

“We did a lot of intentional work to provide support for staff — we are moving all their boxes to their new classrooms, they received a bonus for having to relocate, we paid them for some extra days in the summer to come in and pack their classrooms,” Bielefeld said. “Our welcoming schools did a lot of work in the spring to bring in families, get them oriented and meet teachers. Those schools did a lot of engagement.” 

But for some, the school closures could mean longer walks to school and other transportation challenges. The district acknowledges these concerns and is working to resolve them, Bielefeld said, adding the district is committed to not announcing any new school closures, and the recent measure has helped provide some relief to budget troubles. 

Tracking One Year of Success

Bielefeld’s first year as USD 259 superintendent brought significant success, including creating a new strategic plan that has already contributed to a projected improved graduation rate, improved literacy programs, and a second round of Early College Academy students who will finish the program with 60 credits from Friends University. The district also graduated 20 students at the Sedgwick County Corrections Juvenile Detention Facility, more than the last five years combined, according to Bielefeld.

“I talk about every student, and I talk about when our kids do better, we all do better, so Wichita needs every single one of our kids to do better to contribute to our community, so that’s our goal.” Bielefeld said. 

The official graduation rate comes out in October, but through preliminary estimates, Bielefeld believes the 2024 graduates account for the highest number of graduates in the district in the last 15 to 20 years. 

“I talk about every student future-ready, and for me that means every single student — the student with disabilities, the student who’s incarcerated, the student headed to Princeton. We want to get every student across that stage,” Bielefeld said. 

“The support of the Wichita community for our kids and schools has been really humbling. Our community is a special place.” — USD 259 superintendent Kelly Bielefeld

Bielefeld is also working to provide more resources and options for parents, some of which will be piloted throughout the 2024–2025 school year. 

“There are a lot of parents who want something maybe more flexible, maybe more hybrid, maybe more accelerated, maybe something that meets the needs of their student who may be dyslexic, for example, and I think we need to experiment and do things to meet their needs,” Bielefeld said. 

The focus of the district stems from the strategic plan, the facilities master plan and research — looking at other districts comparable in size to Wichita. 

“We’re collaborating with other districts, we’re using research to guide us, and some of it is that we figured out new ways to teach during Covid,” Bielefeld said. “We’re not putting those lessons on the shelf; we’re carrying them forward with how we teach.”

Wichita Public Schools Foundation, Removing Barriers

Another significant announcement, moving into the new school year, is the creation of the Wichita Public Schools Foundation: a 501(c)(3) organization that could help fill financial gaps for students in the district. Bielefeld said the idea came out of the budget cut activities, where the district was encouraged to look for other forms of revenue. The foundation will help provide funding for a number of expenses for students and staff. 

“Supporting students could be anything a student needs, from school supplies to a uniform for an internship, helping students pay for a credential test. And there’s a component of staff support, because without great staff we can’t do any of this,” Bielefeld said. “Really it kind of fills the gaps the district can’t — there are limitations to what we can do with funding, so it’s really about taking care of those barriers for kids.”

The foundation is still in its early stages, and will hold an official kickoff fundraiser in January. Reflecting on one year of leading the district, Bielefeld notes that the remarkable support for kids in Wichita is at the center of the district’s and the city’s successes. 

“The support of the Wichita community for our kids and schools — it’s been really humbling,” Bielefeld said. “Our community is a special place. It’s a really, really, big small town in a lot of ways, so people are connected; they still believe our kids are important and want to support them in achieving success in their lives.”