Olathe Public Schools plans to hold onto Heritage Elementary even as the district moves to shed seven other closing school buildings.

The school board is scheduled to vote Thursday, Nov. 12, on a resolution to formally "dispose" of seven buildings, according to the Olathe Reporter. Heritage Elementary, which is still closing at the end of the school year, is not included. The district will keep the building.

Erin Schulte, assistant director of communications, told the Olathe Reporter the district believes Heritage offers long-term flexibility for Olathe South High School because the two sit on the same campus. "Heritage is not under consideration for sale at this time," Schulte said.

The district has hinted at keeping one building since closures were announced. At the time, staffers said "a building may be kept for future repurposing needs," the Olathe Reporter reported. The district has used "repurpose" before to describe placing a new program in a school. Westview was repurposed for the 2026–27 school year.

Seven buildings on the list

Five of the seven buildings come from the closures the board approved 7-0 on Oct. 1: Indian Trail Middle School and Black Bob, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools. As KCUR reported, the district cited declining enrollment, rising home prices and chronic underfunding by the state.

The resolution also includes Fairview and Ridgeview elementary schools. Those two are closing as part of the 2026 bond measure approved earlier this year. Fairview is consolidating with Northview Elementary at Northview, and Ridgeview is consolidating with Central Elementary at Central in new buildings.

Indian Trail sits on the same campus as Heritage and Olathe South, and is physically closer to South than Heritage is. Indian Trail is included in the disposal resolution while Heritage is retained.

What happens after a vote

An approval vote would trigger a Kansas law requiring the state legislature to get "first right of refusal" on any closing school building. The legislature would have 45 days to act, beginning at the start of its next session, the Olathe Reporter reported.

Deputy Superintendent Jim McMullen said in a past interview that the legislature may take buildings to house a special education co-op. That mainly happens in western Kansas, McMullen told the Olathe Reporter in November. If the legislature passes, the buildings would be sold through a broker and could become anything the city allows through its planning and zoning process.

The board meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Thursday at the district's education center, 14160 S. Black Bob Road.