Olathe School Board to Vote on Closing Six Schools

Overview

• The Olathe Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the recommendation at 5:45 p.m. Thursday at the USD 233 Education Center.
• The district’s plan would close five elementary schools—Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove—and Indian Trail Middle School.
• District officials say the recommendation follows a steering committee review of enrollment, class sizes and building age and notes many elementary schools are operating at about half capacity.
• Parents and a group called Olathe Families United say the process feels rushed, are demanding the underlying data and have signaled plans for petitions or legal action if the board approves the closures.
• If approved, the decision would trigger attendance boundary changes and transportation shifts for the 2027–28 school year while the district says the move would protect staffing levels and avoid larger class sizes.