Print edition: 
WICHITA — The best place for the Wichita district's new $10 million south elementary school would be at a current school's site, district officials said today.
They said lack of land availability and preliminary boundary studies led them to consider expanding a current school site.
Administrators will ask school board members Monday to approve a change in the district's $370 million bond plan so the new neighborhood school will be built beside a new building for Lewis Open Magnet Elementary School, 3030 S. Osage. The current Lewis building would be torn down after the new school opens.
Building the new neighborhood school and magnet school together will save money because the district won't need to purchase land and the schools will share a cafeteria and principals, district officials said.
Both schools will provide space for the same number of students. Lewis will keep 200 students, who must apply to the magnet program, and the new elementary will hold about 450 students who live nearby.
Lewis students will remain in the current building as the new schools are under construction.
