Bostic Traditional Elementary Magnet School was housed in the former Kistler Elementary School. Kistler was originally a part of the Kechi School District until Wichita Public Schools took it over in 1963.
The land was part of the Osage Trust Lands in 1873. The Foster family owned the farm that sat on the property.
The original school was completed in 1953, and opened to students in 1954.
Attendance dropped over the years and the school was shuttered in 1984. For four years it was used for storage. In 1988 fifth and sixth graders were sent to Kistler School which was known as the Gammon Annex. Students at the Annex were moved to Coleman Middle School in 1989.
In 1994-95, the old Kistler building was renamed Leicle Bostic Traditional Magnet Elementary School.
Bostic was a former USD 259 principal. I could not find a great deal of information on Mr. Bostic. While serving as Sunnyside Elementary School principal, in 1978, Bostic was named the Reading Teacher of the Year by the Wichita Council of the International Reading Association.
According to a story on USD 259’s website, “Bostic’s family established a foundation that supports education and Mrs. Bostic continues to visit the school every year at Christmas time, reading to kids and donating books to the library.”
Bostic passed away in December 1992. He is interred at White Chapel Memorial Gardens. His wife, Maxine, is still alive.
In 1996, the Bostic School building was closed and everything including the name, moved to Stearman School at 8103 E. Gilbert.
Stearman Elementary opened in 1957 running until 1995 when it was paired with Clark Elementary. The two schools shared one principal.
While we were walking around the school Jeremy kept singing Boombastic by Shaggy, obviously inspired by the school’s name.
Did you go to Bostic? Add a fond memory or talk about your favorite teacher or one of the school’s traditions in the comments.
Check out Wichita’s other schools.
You must log in to post a comment.