Gammon Elementary opened its doors in August, 1984. It was named to honor
Delore O. Gammon who, in 1958 was Director of Elementary Curriculum.
Approximately 475 students attend Gammon. Students engage in a balanced
instructional program focusing on individual progress toward meeting the districts
standards. Technology is used too in each classroom to support instruction.
The school office staff is available from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through
Friday. We encourage parents and community members to visit our school. Just stop by the
office to get a visitor's button.
It was with an eye to the future that the Board of Education, on September 15, 1975,
purchased land in southeast Wichita for a new elementary school. Three years later another
site was purchased in northeast Wichita for the same purpose. August 4, 1980 the
architectural firm of Griffith and Bonham was appointed to design two elementary school
buildings, identical in plan but not in finish, to be located on these two sites.
E.W. Johnson, Inc. was awarded the building contract for both locations in the
amount of approximately $3,250,000 per building. Construction began in September 1982 and
the doors opened for 506 students at the northeast site in August 1984 and named Delore O.
Gammon Elementary School.
Miss Gammon became assistant superintendent in charge of elementary education in 1953, and
in 1958 Miss Gammon became director of elementary curriculum. She retired in 1966. She had
attained the highest position any woman ever had in the Wichita Public Schools system at
that time. She died September 30, 1981.
Already overcrowded, the Gammon pre-kindergarten program was moved to Minneha Elementary
School in 1985-86. That year enrollment reached 563. Kindergartners from Gammon were moved
to Minneha for one year only in 1987-88. The staff was involved in a Mastery Learning
pilot project for five years. The project concluded in the spring of 1987.
Beginning the 1988-89 school year, fifth and sixth graders were sent to the re-opened
Kistler School which was referred to as the Gammon Annex. Both fifth and sixth graders
from the Annex left for the newly created Coleman Middle School in 1989. From 1989-1993,
third graders were sent to the Annex. After four years at the Annex, third graders eagerly
anticipated being on the same campus with other grades. After much thought and planning,
it was decided kindergartners should be the class of choice for the Annex. Parents were
happy with this choice because they did not have to worry about the older students running
over their youngsters.
The Annex was chosen to be the site of the new Leicle Bostic Traditional Magnet School
beginning with the 1994-95 school year. Gammon lost around 60 children to Bostic. For the
first time since Gammon opened in 1984, the facility was able to hold all of the students
K-5.
In April 2000, the voters of the Wichita School District approved a $284.5 million bond
issue. The projects began in the fall of 2000 and were completed over the next five years.
The plan built 19 multipurpose rooms, upgraded science labs, replaced portable classrooms
with permanent construction, improved handicap accessibility to all buildings, rebuilt
five existing elementary schools, added a new elementary and middle school,
expanded seven other elementary schools and provided nine new libraries as
well as the expansion of nine others. Building infrastructure in 82 buildings was
also upgraded, including the replacement of antiquated plumbing, updates and
expansion of electrical systems, replacement of inefficient or broken windows and
doors, upgrades of heating and cooling systems, and asbestos abatement when required.
National Contractors, Inc. was hired to complete the Beech, Gammon and Isely Bond
projects. Gammon's Bond project dedication ceremony was held January 19, 2006.