KCKPS starts bond work, targets new schools for 2028-29

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools has begun construction on an addition at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, the first visible project in a four-project building program funded by the $180 million bond voters approved in November 2024.

The district is also preparing to start work on new Argentine and Central middle schools and on a replacement elementary school for Silver City and Noble Prentis elementary schools. Those three projects were scheduled to begin construction in July and August 2026.

The work represents a major step from voter approval to construction for the district’s capital program. The district anticipates the projects will be ready to receive students by the start of the 2028-29 school year, although some could be finished earlier.

One project is underway; three are scheduled next

Construction on the Sumner Academy addition began in spring 2026, according to reporting by The Beacon: Kansas City. That makes Sumner the project currently underway among the four major projects identified in the bond program.

The other work remains on a scheduled timeline rather than a completed construction start. Argentine Middle School and Central Middle School are slated for new school buildings, while the elementary project is intended to replace Silver City Elementary School and Noble Prentis Elementary School.

That distinction matters for families and staff following the program: the district has begun building at Sumner, but the three other sites were scheduled to enter construction in July and August 2026. The available information does not establish that all four projects are already under construction.

A voter-approved capital program

Kansas City, Kansas voters approved the $180 million school bond package in November 2024. The package is now being used for four major construction projects across district facilities.

For the middle-school projects, the program calls for new Argentine and Central buildings. At the elementary level, the district plans one new school to replace the Silver City and Noble Prentis facilities.

The program’s scope means the work is not limited to maintenance or a single campus improvement. It includes an addition at Sumner, two new middle schools and a replacement elementary school intended to serve the students now associated with two existing elementary buildings.

What families can expect next

The next known milestone is the planned July and August 2026 construction start for the three projects beyond Sumner. The district’s stated goal is for the projects to be ready to receive students at the beginning of the 2028-29 school year, with the possibility that some projects could open sooner.

That target is an anticipated readiness date, not a guarantee of a final opening schedule. The packet does not include attendance-boundary decisions, student transition plans or confirmed reassignments. Families should not assume where students will attend until the district publishes those details.

As construction moves ahead, the practical issue for Kansas City, Kansas residents will be how the new and expanded facilities are phased into school operations. For now, the confirmed development is that the Sumner addition has moved into construction and the district has set 2026 start windows for the remaining three bond-funded projects.