United Way of the Plains Endorses the Wichita Public Schools Bond Issue

WICHITA, Kan., Oct. 22, 2026 – United Way of the Plains and its board of directors are endorsing a “Yes, Yes” position for the Wichita Public Schools bond proposal for improved learning environments on the Nov. 3 election ballot.

United Way of the Plains works to create opportunities for children to reach their potential and for families to thrive. Supporting a modern learning environment for students aligns with our commitment to youth opportunity and the long-term success of our community.

Strong schools help build a stronger community. When children have access to quality educational environments and the resources they need to learn, they have greater opportunities to develop the skills that support future success. As technology, education, and careers continue to evolve, students deserve infrastructure that keeps up with them. Investing in students today helps lay the groundwork for a skilled workforce and strong local economy tomorrow.

This commitment to helping young people succeed is reflected in United Way’s programs, direct services, and investments across south-central Kansas. From building early literacy skills to supporting students as they pursue higher education, we work alongside schools and community partners to help children build the foundation they need to thrive. Our programs and initiatives include:

• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – The Imagination Library fosters a love of reading and learning by mailing preschool children a free, age-appropriate book each month until they turn 5 years old, regardless of the family’s income. By helping children build early literacy skills, the program supports a stronger foundation for school readiness. United Way of the Plains powers the program locally, serving 10,982 children last year.
• Read to Succeed – Through a partnership with Wichita Public Schools, United Way matches volunteer reading coaches with at-risk second-grade students at 25 elementary schools. Coaches meet with their student weekly to help them improve their reading skills. Last year, participating students demonstrated greater reading fluency growth, reading more words per minute than students who did not participate.
• Champions for Literacy – Wichita State University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams partner with Memphis-based Champions for Literacy to raise funds to support United Way’s childhood literacy efforts. Through this partnership, 2,754 kindergarten through third grade students at 13 Wichita Public Schools received two new books each last spring to help prevent summer learning loss.
• Aaron Joel Smith Youth Memorial Scholarship – United Way annually invests $50,000 in scholarships to support three local high school seniors whose volunteer service has strengthened our community. These scholarships help them further their education.
• Dwane Wallace Youth Venture Grants – The endowment program invests in school-based programs that benefit young people through after-school programs, youth development, character building, tutoring, mentoring, and more. This spring, United Way invested $75,000 in 25 programs across six school districts in south-central Kansas.
• Early Childhood Block Grant – As the backbone organization of the local Early Childhood Block Grant from the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, United Way brings together community partners to support healthy childhood development, strong families, and early learning. This year, the collaborative received $1.16 million to support thriving children and families.

In addition to these initiatives, United Way invested over $1.125 million this year in 27 programs at local charitable organizations and in school programming to foster youth opportunity and develop the next generation of our community’s leaders. Last year, our direct services and investments collectively generated more than 335,483 instances of impact for local children.

These efforts reflect our belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and reach their potential. For these reasons, United Way of the Plains supports the Wichita Public Schools bond issue. Investing in our children is an investment in the future of Wichita and the strength of the community we share.

United Way of the Plains is not providing any organizational funds to support this ballot initiative or any political campaign.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Cole Schnieders, Communications Manager, (316) 267-1321, ext. 4214, cschnieders@unitedwayplains.org

United Way of the Plains mobilizes our community to action so all can thrive. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security, we’re working towards a future where every person in south-central Kansas can reach their full potential. Follow us on these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.