WEIR — School board officials for USD 247 agreed to close Southeast Elementary School in Weir at the end of the 2025-26 school year, according to the Pittsburg Morning Sun.
A dropping enrollment coupled with projected renovations in excess of $750,000 to the 109-year-old school, prompted the decision. A public hearing Tuesday to discuss the issue was held at the district’s high school in Cherokee. Ten attended.
The population of Weir, which is southwest of Pittsburg, is about 560.
District Superintendent Brad Miner said USD 247 enrollment has been declining by about “11 students per year,” the Sun reported. “Declining enrollment directly reduces state financial aid,” he said.
The state has also reduced capital outlay for school districts’ renovation or building projects, Miner said, further limiting available resources.
The school had an enrollment of 162 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to statistics from the Kansas Dept. of Education.
“The district generates approximately $490,000 annually in capital outlay from local taxes and state aid,” he said. “Any repairs to the 1916 main building would need to be funded through this source, significantly restricting the district’s ability to address other critical facility needs across the district.”
Third- and fourth-graders have been moved to Southeast Middle School in Cherokee, The Sun reported.
