KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Public Schools leaders say closing 10 schools will allow the district to expand programs and boost educational offerings for all students.

District leaders said this is simply a problem of having too few students spread around too many school buildings.

Consultants have recommended that two high schools and eight elementary schools be closed or converted for other use.

• Central High — conversion/other KCPS use
• Northeast High — conversion/other KCPS use
• Faxon Elementary — conversion/other KCPS use
• James Elementary — repurposing
• King Elementary — conversion/other KCPS use
• Longfellow Elementary — repurposing
• Melcher Elementary — repurposing
• Troost Elementary — repurposing
• Wheatley Elementary — repurposing
• Whittier Elementary — repurposing

The district said the schools were chosen based on enrollment trends, building conditions, maintenance costs and location.

“When we look at districts that are our size, they don’t have nearly the number of buildings that we have open,” Jennifer Collier, interim superintendent, said. “We looked at a comparison we did with Springfield. They have about 25,000 students and they have less buildings open than we have with 14,000 students.”

Collier said the money saved on shutting down schools would allow the district to expand world language and fine arts programs beginning with kindergartners, implement more career-readiness and project-based learning efforts and add science labs in elementary schools.

District leaders also want to build new schools, even though voters haven’t approved a bond issue for Kansas City Public Schools since 1967.

There will be many opportunities for public feedback on this proposal. The first is an open forum scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at the Southeast Community Center.

The school board won’t vote on a final plan until Dec. 14.