Four Wichita elementary schools and two middle schools would be closed under a proposal considered by the school board Monday evening.

Clark, Park, Payne and Cleaveland Traditional Magnet elementary schools would be shuttered, along with Hadley and Jardine Magnet middle school.

The closures would affect 2,213 students, 132 teachers and 190 other staff.

Students would be reassigned to different schools as boundaries are redrawn, and employees at affected buildings would be offered other positions across the district.

By law, a public hearing must be held before the district can close buildings. USD 259 also plans to hold a series of community listening and informational sessions for parents next week.

Officials say the closures would save an estimated $16 million, which could be put toward plugging a looming $42 million budget shortfall that coincides with the exhaustion of the district’s federal pandemic relief funds.

All six of the buildings recommended for closure serve a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students (those who qualify for free or reduced lunch) than the district average of 79.2%, data from the Kansas Department of Education shows.

Here’s a look at the schools, including their building utilization — enrollment divided by total capacity — and building condition or FCI, a score ranging from 0 (pristine condition) to 1 (extremely poor condition).

Hadley Middle School

Address: 1101 N Dougherty Avenue

Enrollment: 507 (12th of 15 middle schools)

Building utilization: 51% (14th of 15 middle schools)

Building age: 66 years

Building condition: 0.62 FCI (7th best of 15 middle schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 90.4% of students

Minority population: 65.8% of students (39.2% Hispanic, 14.6% African American)

School reassignment: Hadley students would be distributed between Hamilton, Marshall, Pleasant Valley and Wilbur, based on new boundaries that have not yet been established.

Jardine STEM & Career Explorations Magnet Middle School

Address: 3550 E Ross Parkway

Enrollment: 500 (15th of 15 middle schools)

Building utilization: 71% (3rd of 15 middle schools)

Building age: 67 years

Building condition: 0.55 FCI (6th best of 15 middle schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 94.0% of students

Minority population: 82.5% of students (48.8% Hispanic, 19.0% African American)

School reassignment: As a neighborhood magnet, Jardine currently serves roughly 190 students who live around the school and more than 300 other students from around the city. The neighborhood students would be reassigned to Mead and other magnet students would be allowed to apply to any of the district’s other magnet schools, including Brooks STEM magnet. USD 259 is extending its magnet application deadline to accommodate families affected by building closures.

Clark Elementary

Address: 650 S Apache Drive

Enrollment: 240 (51st of 54 elementary schools)

Building utilization: 51% (53rd of 54 elementary schools)

Building age: 72 years

Building condition: 0.76 FCI (49th best of 54 elementary schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 91.9% of students

Minority population: 76.8% of students (42.6% African American, 17.1% Hispanic)

School reassignment: Clark students would be distributed between Caldwell, Beech and Allen elementaries based on new boundaries that have not yet been established.

Cleaveland College and Career Readiness Magnet Elementary School

Address: 3345 W 33rd St. S

Enrollment: 296 (43rd of 54 elementary schools)

Building utilization: 85% (6th of 54 elementary schools)

Building age: 62 years

Building condition: 0.43 FCI (17th best of 54 elementary schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 81.7% of students

Minority population: 61.8% of students (38.5% Hispanic, 10.7% multiracial)

School reassignment: As Cleaveland is a traditional magnet, its student body comes from all around the district, meaning there is no designated school for students to be reassigned to. Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said Cleaveland parents can expect to receive additional information the week of Feb. 19.

Park Elementary

Address: 1025 N Main

Enrollment: 337 (32nd of 54 elementary schools)

Building utilization: 74% (29th of 54 elementary schools)

Building age: 102 years

Building condition: 0.95 FCI (worst of 54 elementary schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 92.4% of studentsMinority population: 83.6% of students (64.6% Hispanic, 13.1% African American)

School reassignment: Park students would be distributed between Irving, Washington, Harry Street and Linwood elementaries based on new boundaries that have not yet been established.

Payne Elementary

Address: 1601 S Edwards St

Enrollment: 231 (54th of 54 elementary schools)

Building utilization: 59% (50th of 54 elementary schools)

Building age: 71 years

Building condition: 0.70 FCI (42nd of 54 elementary schools)

Economically disadvantaged: 95.3% of students

Minority population: 64.3% of students (36.8% Hispanic, 15.1% African American)

School reassignment: Payne students would be distributed between Lawrence, Stanley and Woodman elementaries based on new boundaries that have not yet been established.

Why closures?

Although there’s enough building capacity to support 63,000 students in Wichita schools, enrollment has declined by 8.4% since 2016 to about 47,000 students. USD 259 has $1.2 billion in deferred maintenance needs.

Over the last few years, the district has used $20 million of federal aid money annually to balance the budget and another $20 million to support positions added to address student behavior and academic deficits, including paraprofessionals, counselors and social workers. Employees and parents who participated in the Wichita schools budget circle expressed an almost unanimous desire to keep those additional student support positions, the district has said.

In January, school board members were advised that they would essentially have to choose between closing buildings and laying off roughly 230 teachers. They asked staff to come back with recommendations about which buildings to close.

Ideas about what to do with the shuttered buildings will be included in the recommended facilities master plan expected to come before the school board in May or June.

Wichita last closed schools in 2012, when Bryant, Emerson and Lincoln elementaries were shuttered and Isely and Mueller magnet schools were relocated, along with Northeast Magnet High.