After a discussion that included support for the overall concept of the Downtown Healthy Campus plan, the Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education voted Tuesday not to contribute $2 million toward it.
Board members decided unanimously that they did not want to provide a cash contribution to the building of the community center planned for the healthy campus, according to Kelli Mather, chief financial officer for the school district. Mather was asked by the board to continue to work with the Unified Government on the project, especially in discussions about programming and the use of playing fields that could be built there.
The district had received a request from the mayor for a $2 million contribution to the healthy campus plan. Plans for a community center, owned by the UG and run by the YMCA, include a swimming pool that might be used by schools.
Mather said the district is interested in working with the UG on programming and space for students, but the board felt a $2 million capital contribution was not something the district could do.
“Education is struggling right now,” Mather said. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen with the funding formula.”
She said another consideration of the board was that the district would not have ownership of the facilities, so it would be hard to invest in it.
“We are interested in working with them,” Mather said. “The board is very supportive of the entire project, very supportive of the community center itself and the entire healthy campus project.”
The healthy campus, also called the Downtown Parkway District, is planned for the 10th and State Avenue area, and includes a grocery store, a community center to be run by the YMCA, green space, and play space. It is near Big 11 Lake.
There are other sources of outside financing being pursued by the Healthy Campus initiative, including grants from foundations. Preliminary ballpark figures were $12 million to $14 million for a community center, and $15 million to $18 million for a new grocery store.
Currently, Wyandotte and Washington high schools have swimming pools. Washington’s is the only pool that could be used competitively, Mather said. Washington’s has six lanes, not eight lanes which are usually needed for meets, according to Mather. Sometimes modifications may be made for swimming events, however. The Washington pool does not have diving capability for meets.
Sumner Academy, not far from the healthy campus, has an older pool that is not in use, not filled with water currently, she said. The school board had a lot of discussion about accessibility, manageability, and cost-effectiveness, she said. The board is still open to conversation with the UG about swimming lessons at the community center and other programming, she said, but she is not sure whether plans for the pool will be downsized.
There is also the possibility that playing fields may be part of the healthy campus plan, she said. If so, they might include fields for Sumner Academy and Douglass Elementary.
The school district has improved several playing fields in the past few years, including installing Astro-Turf at Harmon, and renovating Wyandotte’s field, she said. It is currently in the middle of building Schlagle’s new stadium and field near that high school, she added.
Washington has a full-size stadium, but not turf yet, she said. Sumner Academy has only a practice field at the present time, she said.
Mather said the healthy campus project “certainly is something that would enhance the downtown area, and it is a positive thing to enhance any part of the community.”