‘Incredible man’: Friends, family remember longtime advocate for Wichita school kids
Growing up, William Polite watched as his mother, Dilce Polite, worked with jail prison ministries, helping inmates and her community for some 40-plus years.
That would lead him down a similar path of helping people, his daughter Eboni Armstrong said in a phone call.
“He watched his mother in action, whether it was in church or whether it was ministering to those in the neighborhood, in the jails,” Armstrong said. “That was his motivation.”
Polite went on to spend his life helping marginalized and troubled school kids, among others. He most recently served as the executive director of diversity, equity and accountability for Wichita Public Schools, a post he held for the last 7 1/2 years.
Polite died Saturday, April 19, surrounded by his family, Armstrong said. He was 58.
“Having him as a dad for me and my brothers, we had to share him with hundreds of people not just in Wichita, but across the country,” Armstrong said. “Daddy worked as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and executive director.”
Polite was born in Wichita in July 1966 and attended Mueller, Hadley and North schools.
He earned a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He went on to earn a master’s in Christian studies and educational leadership, and most recently a doctorate in educational leadership, both from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, according to his obituary.
In addition to working in the Wichita school district, Polite held a number of other roles and helped build ministries. Before moving back to Wichita in 2014 to take care of his mother, he served the communities of Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.
He founded and operated two ministries. Build and Rebuild, an educational ministry that focuses on prison prevention, mathematics and graduation housed in a building in north Wichita. He also started Schools Halls, Not Prison Walls, where he would go into Wichita juvenile detention facilities two or three times a week to mentor incarcerated youth and put plans in place for when they were released, Armstrong said.
“Dr. Polite was an incredible man to work with,” said Wichita schools colleague Tyrone Berry. “We respected him and he wanted to make sure we were serving our students.”
A 28-year-old veteran of the school district, Berry now works as the diversity, equity and accountability program specialist. He said Polite hired him five years ago and Berry served as his right-hand man.
Polite and Berry were in charge of the Better Academic and Social Excellence program, BAASE, an academic program for students who are doing well, and encouraging them to get into honors and AP classes to become leaders. Another program Polite started is the Future Ready Advocates, which provides mentors to work with struggling students.
Berry recalled Polite doing this work while taking care of his mother.
“My fondest memory of Dr. Polite is seeing the way he took care of his 99-year-old mother and his brother that has some disabilities,” Berry said. “Seeing the love, care and concern with his mother and brother, and then be able to give each one of us attention, phone calls and text messages, that’s what I will remember.”
Kelly Bielefeld, who became Wichita schools superintendent two years ago, met with Polite regularly.
“I adjusted Will’s role to directly report to me,” Bielefeld said. “I met with him regularly, and we connected on all levels: educational, spiritual, familial, and we both had a passion for not forgetting about any student in our district.”
Polite is survived by his mother, minister Dilce Polite; mother of his children and life-long friend, Lisa Polite; his four children, Brandon Polite, Eboni Armstrong, William Polite, DeVonna Thomas and bonus son Marquise Bradley along with siblings, nephews and grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3. Armstrong said the location has not yet been set.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM.