John B. Bryant Elementary School opened to students in January 1957. It was built to help three elementary schools (Dodge, OK, and Black) with overcrowding issues.
Bryant School was named for John B. Bryant, a well-known Wichita lawyer who served many years as a member of the Wichita Board of Education.
I could not find much information on Bryant. He was born in 1882 in Bates County, Missouri. He was married to Alice B. Bryant. They had one son, Buford Mack Bryant. Buford would grow up to be a judge in Wichita.
Alice passed away in 1945, John lived for another nine years. The couple is interred at the Wichita Park Cemetery.
Additions to the school building and remodeling were done in 1976, 1981, 1987 and 2005..
On July 13, 1998, the Board of Education approved a name change effective with the 1998-99 school year. Bryant Elementary was changed to Bryant Core Knowledge Magnet. It would later be changed again to Bryant Opportunity Academy.
Check out Wichita’s other schools.
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