3 Schools to Add Classrooms Next Summer

Classroom space will be added to three schools next summer to relieve crowding and address their growing student populations.

On Tuesday night, the North Kansas City Schools Board of Education allocated about $3.2 million to add four classrooms each to Linden West Elementary, Topping Elementary and New Mark Middle School. The construction will be paid from protested tax revenues in the capital projects fund, and will not require a tax increase.

The district’s student population grows by about 2% each year. Superintendent Todd White identified these three sites as “hot spots” for growth three years ago. Shifting attendance boundaries was not an option, because neighboring schools are nearing capacity as well.

The classroom additions will provide relief from crowding for three-to-four years. In the meantime, the school board, administration and Demographics Advisory Committee will continue to study longer term solutions to serve our growing student enrollment.