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Reopening Riddle Boys Ranch concerns Wichita schools

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita school officials say they are concerned Sedgwick County is considering reopening a reform program for juvenile boys.

School officials say the district would have to make a significant investment if the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch reopens.

The ranch closed last summer after county officials said the county could no longer afford to subsidize it without increased state funding.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Sedgwick County commissioners last month instructed staff to include money in their 2016 spending requests to reopen the ranch or to fund a similar program.

The Wichita district is required by law to provide educational programs at the facility. School board member Lynn Rogers said he is concerned the county didn’t contact the school district about the possibility of reopening the ranch.

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