KANSAS CITY - The Wichita School Board has approved the sale of Clark and Payne elementary school buildings.
The Clark elementary school building, near Lincoln & Governeour in the southeast part of Wichita, was sold to Wichita Classical School to be used for its upper campus for grades 7-12. Wichita Classical School, located at Kellogg & Woodlawn, plans to begin renovation immediately, using the Clark school building as early as January. The cost of the sale was $600,000.
The Payne elementary school building, located in the southwest part of Wichita west of Harry & Meridian, was sold to Pyxis, Inc., which provides mental health, foster care support, and other support services to children in the community. The sale will allow the organization to expand its services. Pyxis will begin renovation immediately, and plans to move into the building within six months. The cost of the sale was $415,000.
Wichita Public Schools engaged its Real Estate Sale Committee, made up of district employees, business owners and community members from the Clark and Payne neighborhoods to evaluate the proposals for the buildings’ purchases. The committee looked at criteria including community impact, intended use, price, long-term benefits, and project timeline.
Clark and Payne were closed at the end of the 2024 school year to help reduce budget expenditures and a facility-maintenance backlog, while also supporting long-term planning of right-sizing the district as student populations continue to shift and change.