OLATHE, Kan. — Olathe Families United says it gathered 7,803 signatures challenging the decision to close six schools. If the petition qualifies for state review, the Olathe school board must hold another public hearing and reconsider its unanimous October vote.
Organizers said they planned to deliver the petition to the Kansas State Department of Education in Topeka on Friday, Nov. 13. As of Friday afternoon, the group’s public update still listed delivery as planned, and state receipt and a verified signature count were unconfirmed.
The group says it needs 6,115 valid signatures from registered voters in the district. If all 7,803 signatures are submitted, up to 1,688 could be rejected and the petition would still reach that threshold. Earlier this month, organizers raised their collection goal to 8,200 after volunteers flagged possible errors in about one in five of the signatures they had checked at that point.
Black Bob Elementary parent Tori Wheeler told the school board Thursday that more than 50 volunteers helped gather signatures. She pointed to the possibility that children assigned to Green Springs Elementary would have to cross Black Bob Road and said families wanted to see the proposed boundaries before the closure vote.
“Thousands of people understand why schools must close,” Wheeler said. “They’re asking you to look again at which ones you picked and to be transparent.”
Superintendent Brent Yeager said district staff work with the city and police on traffic safety. Deputy Superintendent Jim McMullen said specific crossing locations can be determined once the new boundaries are set.
The board held its first public hearing Sept. 22 and voted 7-0 on Oct. 1 to close Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools and Indian Trail Middle School after the 2026-27 school year. The district cited declining enrollment and financial pressures. It estimates the six closures would save more than $12 million a year through staffing changes as employees retire or leave, along with lower building and technology costs.
WHAT THE PETITION COULD CHANGE
Kansas law requires a request for review to reach the Kansas State Board of Education within 45 days of the local board’s decision and carry valid signatures from at least 5% of the district’s registered voters. The state board has 45 days from receipt of a qualifying request to decide whether Olathe’s closure decision was reasonable. Its findings are advisory, and it can recommend changing or withdrawing the plan.
Once the state weighs in, the Olathe board must hold a public hearing even if the state finds the original decision reasonable. Kansas law requires notice in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks. After the hearing, the local board can vote to reaffirm the closures, change the plan or rescind it.
Emporia went through that process this year. A petition prompted a state review of the decision to close Logan Avenue Elementary. The state found the closure reasonable. Emporia held a second hearing Sept. 2, and its school board voted 6-1 a week later to proceed with the closure.
WHAT OLATHE IS DOING IN THE MEANTIME
At Thursday’s meeting, Walnut Grove parent Tony Hanna asked board members to hold off on taking up the school properties until the signatures had been checked and any state review and local reconsideration were complete. He also asked the district to show its repair estimates, transportation costs and projected savings for Walnut Grove.
The board voted 5-0 to declare its intent to part with seven buildings, a step that gives the state an opportunity to acquire them ahead of any sale. Five are schools named in the October closure vote. Fairview and Ridgeview are part of bond-funded consolidations. The district plans to keep the Heritage property after the elementary school closes.
Families at the six schools have seen proposed attendance maps for 2027-28. Administrators expect to bring a boundary recommendation to the board in December, with a goal of having new boundaries in place by January. That work could overlap with a state review if the petition qualifies.
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