[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6564567,"mediaKeyId","3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc","parentId",3276919,"title","CFO outlines $508 million district budget; operating funds, enrollment and reserves discussed","audioSeconds",3210,"startMs",3168000,"endMs",6378000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc&start=3168&end=6378","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc/thumbnail_3168000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6564567/Kansas/CFO-outlines-508-million-district-budget-operating-funds-enrollment-and-reserves-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564567-8c6ef81ee8a2ac0bbcd4e33a9fc8f051/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984737&Signature=i2CgqBJWcP1CqyCda4vjHdXVZc64DVH0ORu5b3vJQU7fKUrEhC1vOpQ2SlAdWe0nFV~Lb-8Eaz-MaGskz97TLAY~uMfLVm7IyIz43dixt6J5VfedKRPabo4wX6jughd4bsq15IvmCUt7~j54rA25~pDGDHeFTMjcGKQGuLBniDMuYCWw63kYqv5vbrdWmw6lYhq2e0Voet5nM3cc0ZQmKt33Ev7RwtU950H7Wlt-7Cz9V2dstYsByWjFik6FBTiiEpmykFCwe-VYzHJCi3JDNKqYYFU~9wgqRAkC2qtVlKucDk-KpWwfZT3FxVK4O4ZzjOHmZaOdbqAf~7HUXloyhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Shawnee Mission School District","date","2025-05-13T13:18:19Z","article","Russell McNapp, the district chief financial officer, presented the second of two budget workshops to the board, reviewing operating funds that make up about 61 percent of the district’s total $508 million budget.

McNapp said the district projects 26,532 students for 2025–26 (an increase of about 37 students over the current year) and is building the 2025–26 operating budget on the higher of the current or prior year audited enrollment. He said operating funding for 2025–26 is estimated at roughly $316 million, with about 73 percent coming from general state aid and about 24 percent from local taxes.

Key assumptions and highlights McNapp outlined include: a base per‑pupil value of $5,615 (an increase of $237 from the prior base), cost‑of‑living weighting moving to 6.25 percent (reducing that line by approximately $1.1 million), and a projected addition of 41.2 full‑time‑equivalent positions in the proposed budget. He noted health‑insurance renewal premiums are up about 9.8 percent; the district is modeling that increase in its projections, though final contribution levels remain subject to negotiations.

McNapp said the budget currently assumes $3 million in investment interest revenue for next year (down roughly $2 million from this year’s anticipated interest receipts) and that the district has increased a recapture/fallout estimate by $2.5 million based on historical vacancy savings. He also noted the district absorbed 51 positions in recent years that were initially paid from federal ESSER funds and that maintaining those positions in operating funds will be evaluated annually.

On the expenditure side, McNapp reported total operating expenditures of about $306 million in the draft, before any negotiated salary or benefit increases. Major cost drivers included salaries and benefits (about 84–85 percent of operating expenditures), health‑insurance costs, transportation contract increases (about 3 percent), and utility cost increases. The projected ending balance for the current fiscal year was presented at about $49.2 million; under the draft assumptions for 2025–26 revenues were estimated to exceed expenditures by about $9.9 million, not including future negotiated raises or final insurance decisions.

Board members asked about the risk of changing federal funds and the purpose of maintaining reserves. McNapp and the superintendent said the district seeks to maintain prudent reserves so it can respond to funding volatility or mid‑year changes in federal allocations. Trustees also asked how strategic‑plan action teams’ recommendations — for example, proposed additional counseling or program costs — feed into the budget process. Administration said those recommendations are reviewed by cabinet and would be considered during the normal staffing and budget cycle; some timing may require deferral to the next budget cycle.

McNapp said the formal budget process will continue this summer: the board will consider a vote to exceed the revenue neutral rate on June 23 and conclude with budget hearings and final adoption in August. No formal budget adoption vote took place at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SMSD Board Meeting May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","CFO Russell McNapp presented the operating‑fund portion of the district’s $508 million budget, projecting $316 million in operating funds, stable enrollment, added staffing requests, and pressures from rising health‑insurance costs.","taxTitle","Shawnee Mission Pub Sch, School Boards, Kansas","taxId",13093,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6564570,"Shawnee Mission board approves phase‑one world‑languages instructional resources, emphasizing Spanish instruction",4085,3257000,7342000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc&start=3257&end=7342","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc/thumbnail_3257000.jpg","/articles/6564570/Kansas/Shawnee-Mission-board-approves-phaseone-worldlanguages-instructional-resources-emphasizing-Spanish-instruction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564570-ffd803559ed75201236febcd0574a19f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984737&Signature=gsu0k5exSssTqcdd8uBl8pfiI~owBDAfbuXkbjaJvYWiMlLC1rJ2MX4jgF9TKmulpPSjhrl7L3SWWua81tY8R4IylyKhwpod7OMeWe6JXTywtMLQ0U4~c377AvhYtCCz8JnuIVIEcUdLn3VzmenQ515iRpWc7crfXEYjFs2p~RzALRZnQM~H~VDd19fyWzSaImMLmN3q-nIwRpFfXiuZffIZubFOqSRku7xWReV7yUmwcDBTalWWb8ay7zLFIoULEgeEcyBAHLLfoQLSsUWKFVwogLraJ72Qs2cSu5piheP8-smbg2yPrDMRbmLGQPIJ7OR4Y1T7nKzegu3DD56r7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Shawnee Mission School Board voted to approve phase‑one instructional resources for the district’s world‑languages program, focusing initially on foundational Spanish courses and resources to support heritage‑Spanish learners.

Kristen Ridgeway, the district’s secondary curriculum and instruction coordinator, summarized a multi‑step selection process that followed Kansas State Department of Education guidance. The pilot team previewed resources from several publishers and ran classroom pilots; teachers and students provided feedback used in the final recommendation.

Ridgeway told the board the recommendation covers middle‑level Spanish 1 and 2, a middle‑level Spanish for heritage speakers subscription, and high‑school Spanish levels 1–3 — courses that account for roughly 70 percent of world‑language enrollment in the district. The board motion to approve the phase‑one adoption passed on a 7–0 vote.

The team said it previewed materials from multiple vendors during the prescreening and pilot phases, including vendors listed in their report and vendor demonstrations. Teacher feedback and student responses were the deciding factors in the recommendation, Ridgeway said. The selected package includes premium digital licenses and PDF e‑book access for students; the district negotiated print materials and digital access as part of the purchase, and the adoption is planned on a multi‑year cycle with professional learning and onboarding scheduled over the coming months.

The presentation also highlighted the district’s Seal of Biliteracy efforts. Ridgeway and world‑language teachers noted that Shawnee Mission led Kansas in the number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy over the prior three years, rising from 16 students to 56 last year in one referenced example. The Seal recognizes graduates who demonstrate proficiency in English and an additional language at ACTFL‑defined thresholds; the district said earning the seal also provides a market value asset and is aligned with the district’s real‑world learning goals.

Nick Reese, a world‑language teacher, described the Spanish for heritage speakers classes as focused on strengthening literacy skills — reading and writing — to match students’ often advanced conversational ability: “The course is focused, yes, on those literacy skills, so we're gonna build up their reading and writing capacity,” he said.

The board and presenters discussed program growth: the district reported that Spanish for heritage speakers enrollment doubled at the high‑school level and tripled at the middle‑school level over the past five years. Ridgeway said the district split the adoption into two phases because the foundational levels account for the bulk of enrollment and budget constraints required staging. Phase 2 will address remaining French and other language materials and heritage high‑school resources.

Implementation steps include vendor onboarding and professional development this summer, virtual support sessions through the year, and district‑led follow‑up during 2025–26. The district also proposed annual subscriptions for certain heritage resources to allow flexibility as programs grow.

Board members praised the inclusion of student voice in the pilot and emphasized the long‑term benefits of expanded language proficiency for students’ postsecondary and career options. The vote to approve the phase‑one world‑languages instructional resource adoption (Spanish-focused phase 1, with digital and print materials and a heritage‑Spanish subscription) passed 7–0.

No additional budget appropriation was approved during the motion; implementation and textbook ordering will proceed under the district’s normal procurement and budgeting processes.","After a year‑long pilot, the board approved a multi‑year instructional resource adoption for phase 1 that focuses on foundational Spanish courses (middle and high school) and includes premium digital licenses and a subscription for heritage‑Spanish materials.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6564575,"Shawnee Mission: Middle‑school discipline referrals rise while suspensions fall to three‑year low",1708,1621000,3329000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc&start=1621&end=3329","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276919-c65d043ccb4a639f620e2c8229c5c2fc/thumbnail_1621000.jpg","/articles/6564575/Kansas/Shawnee-Mission-Middleschool-discipline-referrals-rise-while-suspensions-fall-to-threeyear-low","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564575-e0703694fa2baa26d2c7b5b268f4c20e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984737&Signature=IhttRhAFNuTnhdZjdhk-2UaZNBz7n3Vb4OVH5GRBTll3tbD48PohabX1Oj3FHpyXKL6eGc63FTbLyIwIGP0zog~A0Rj4REPwl8GYA43kk-S68FjqYz9Bo0KEeoRgPnkDOdsrpVqVHefDVHw~QaXzHVOX473F5x2I1yGiGDcs9zJ5SKLuBl7R5LzGLmdWmsebOCpvSokpPVcptfVBQSCnid2ah7Pz54E-YduLqmP83y93WezvGltxs~vCfQjTBuuCPFY0X1ue~DYTcONU4A0hfqdZQ8gpHwmhMDDpC~VdiG83Yn4wb6HV6ucagGe2cyU~RYImWiaXzlyAHNldxPo18A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shawnee Mission School District officials told the school board that most students receive no formal discipline referrals, but middle school students account for a disproportionate share of entries into the district’s discipline system.

Dr. Dan Grueman, the district’s director of assessment and research, told the board that “almost 80 percent of our students never receive a discipline referral” and that the most serious disciplinary actions remain “extremely, extremely rare.” He said the district’s Skyward discipline module and a district discipline matrix — substantially revised several years ago — are being used to track and respond to behavior trends.

The report said: about 79.8 percent of students had no recorded referrals in 2023, falling slightly to about 78.6 percent this year; roughly 9 percent of students had a single referral; about 3.5 percent had two; and about 6 percent had more than three. Referral frequency rises sharply in middle school and then decreases after ninth grade. District staff also reported that the number of level‑1 referrals (minor classroom incidents) and level‑2 referrals has increased the last three years while level‑3 and level‑4 incidents have decreased. Overall suspension events are at a three‑year low and the average days per suspension has remained roughly 1.5–1.6 days per instance.

Grueman added that the district has introduced a new referral code, added in February, specifically for personal device violations tied to the updated device policy. He described level‑1 increases as partially the result of better classroom‑level documentation: “I view that much of this information optimistically as these are really indicators that staff are working to enforce behavioral expectations,” he said.

The presentation broke down referrals and suspensions by demographic groups. Students with one or more referrals were more likely to be male and economically disadvantaged than the overall student population: among students with one or more referral the presenter reported roughly 15 percent identified as Black, 29 percent Hispanic, 47 percent White, and 54 percent qualifying for free or reduced‑price lunch (compared with district population proportions). The district counted about 40 discipline hearings this school year — hearings are required when long‑term suspension or expulsion is being considered — out of a population of roughly 26,000 students across 50 campuses.

Board members asked whether the district can compare its data with other districts. Grueman said state reporting provides only a limited set of comparable measures and warned that reporting practices vary, which complicates direct comparisons. Pam Lewis, associate superintendent, said the district will prioritize interventions for students with multiple major referrals and noted the work of action teams aligned to the district strategic plan. Lewis said the district’s “wildly important goals” for next year will include targeted support for students who have multiple in‑school or out‑of‑school suspensions.

Board members and staff discussed next steps, including continued emphasis on restorative practices, vertical planning between elementary and middle school to ease transitions, and monitoring the effects of extracurricular engagement on discipline patterns. Several board members praised the long‑running tracking effort as a tool for improving practice and for identifying where individualized supports are needed.

District staff said the discipline data inform work on the strategic plan areas of belonging and social‑emotional supports and that the district will continue to refine definitions, documentation, and interventions to reduce escalations from minor to major incidents.

The update was presented during the May 20 board meeting; no formal board action was taken on the discipline report itself.","District staff told the Board that almost 80% of students had no discipline referrals this year, but referrals spike in middle school. Level‑1 (minor) referrals have increased while level‑3 and level‑4 incidents and suspension events are down, district officials said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CFO outlines $508 million district budget; operating funds, enrollment and reserves discussed

Shawnee Mission board approves phase‑one world‑languages instructional resources, emphasizing Spanish instruction

Shawnee Mission: Middle‑school discipline referrals rise while suspensions fall to three‑year low