Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) envisions a new educational facility and campus to expand learning opportunities on the site of the current Woodland Elementary site. Funding for this $68 million project was approved by voters during the April 2025 GO Bond election.

Upon completion, this new campus will consolidate facilities currently offered at two locations, Whittier Elementary at 1012 Bales Avenue and the district’s Global Academy and Early Learning Center at 711 Woodland Avenue.

Following an assessment of building condition and learning environment scores by the district’s design/construction team, KCPS project manager Whitney Morgan stated, “ Whittier and Woodland Early Learning Center have some of the lowest building condition/learning environment scores in the district” and that “Whittier needs about $24.7 million to be invested in the property alone.”

Prior to the April 2025 election, Morgan stated in an email that “The new Woodland Empowerment Campus would include an Early Learning Center, Global Academy, Elementary School, and Family Empowerment Center that would be open to our KCPS families to utilize services such as on-site admissions, counseling, food kitchens, clothing closet, meeting space, and more. This would account for a savings of about $57.3 million.” 

The new two-story structure will contain 126,00 square feet, with outdoor play spaces and additional amenities. The design process will include feedback from current students and faculty at both Whittier and Woodland.

During a November 2024 School Board meeting, Lykins neighborhood residents partnered with parents and students from Whittier Elementary to express their concerns about the consolidation plan, which would leave Whittier vacant as well as causing students trauma to switch schools.

Following that meeting which approved the plan, Shannon Jaxx, the district’s consultant for school repurposing, addressed their concerns and stated, “We’re committed to working with you. We understand the impact, we’re hoping we’re going to be serving kiddos really, really well in a new building families help create and design to make sure it’s reflective of them. I wish we could do this on the Whittier site.”

Whittier will remain open until the new facility is completed.

In 2013, Woodland Elementary transitioned into the district’s Early Learning Center for pre-Kindergarden students. To serve English Language Learners, the International Welcome Center opened in 2021. Both of these programs will continue within the new facility.

KCPS applied for the demolition permit for Woodland Elementary in October and in accordance with City Ordinance #241070, which reviews demolition requests for structures 50 years or older, the City’s Historic Preservation Office requested a 45-day delay. During a hearing on Dec. 19, 2025, the Historic Preservation Commission voted to approve the delay.

Designed by noted Kansas City architect Charles A. Smith, Woodland Elementary opened to students in 1921. Despite additions to this Romanesque Revival-style structure in 1936 and 1989, this school has been identified as a historic property under Case No: CH-DM- 2025-00114 and eligible for the Kansas City Register of Historic Places under Criteria A in the area of education and Criteria C in the area of architecture.

The historic register is a multi-step application that must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission, City Plan Commission and City Council.

At press time, no organization has applied for the designation and the 45-day delay will expire on February 2.

For previous coverage of Whittier Elementary and the International Welcome Center, visit