GRADUATION INFORMATION

May 16 2:00 pm Sr. Convocation at West High Auditorium

May 19 LAST DAY FOR SENIORS!!!

May 20 7:00 am. Sr. Breakfast

May 26 7:00 pm. GRADUATION at Century ll

May 28 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Winston Brooks Promises $250,000 to West High for Technology

by Amy Brown ( From the February Pioneer Gram)

When Kristi Lehrman asked Mr. Winston Brooks about how West could become competitive with other High Schools in the area of technology with the school’s current budget, she hardly expected the response that she got. “ I tell you what, I am giving West $250,000 to improve technology here at West,” Brooks declared, stunning and pleasing his early morning audience of teachers and staff at West.

“ I had several other things that I was going to ask him about, but I figured that I had better quit while I was ahead,” Lehrman stated. Brooks spoke to the West High faculty and staff during a faculty meeting on Tuesday, January 15. His initial purpose was to thank teachers for teaching at West and to encourage teachers to share their ideas with him about how to make West better.

One of the concerns was that West would lose a large number of students once forced busing for integration purposes was discontinued. Brooks had brought along Fabian Armendariz from the administrative offices to assure the West High faculty that the worst case scenario was that West may lose 25 students, and that was, by far, the worst case scenario.

Brooks assured staff that the existing programs, such as High Schools That Work, would remain at West. He shared that there are several ideas on the table that could encourage growth at West, including a possible Technology Center, or the possibility of making West a magnet school. Brooks believes that there are other possible solutions to be explored before the best one can be chosen.

A teacher asked if the boundaries can be redrawn for the city, especially if the bond issue passes and anew high school is built out north. Brooks expressed his caution about redrawing boundaries, citing past experiences where moving the boundaries caused more problems than it was worth. He worries about the reactions of people who are forced to do something that they do not want to do. “ I don’t want to force people to come to West,” stated Brooks, “I want them to come because they choose to.” Consequently, Brooks is urging teachers to put on their thinking caps and come up with ways that West could develop into the kind of school that people want to come to.

There were several questions about how Brooks saw the bond issue affecting West. Besides the regular needs such as a practice field and track, new swimming pool facilities, and general building needs, it was pointed out the desperate need for Fine Arts rehab, not just in the auditorium, but throughout the Fine Arts department. Brooks assured staff that those needs would all be considered should the bond issue be approved.

The main reason that Winston Brooks came to West was to tell teachers that he had noticed the progress that West was making. “ West is making great strides,” Brooks shared, “thank you for teaching here.” Brooks urged teachers to keep stepping in the right direction and that everything that is done for West is done for the city of Wichita. He is enthusiastic about the future of USD259 and of Wichita.

“ The majority of people who are going to work in this community are coming from the Wichita Public School System.”

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