[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6211597,"mediaKeyId","3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456","parentId",3694506,"title","Olathe board reviews plan to repurpose Westview Elementary as K–8 alternative program; decision set for July","audioSeconds",1074,"startMs",3111000,"endMs",4185000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456&start=3111&end=4185","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456/thumbnail_3111000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211597/Kansas/Olathe-board-reviews-plan-to-repurpose-Westview-Elementary-as-K8-alternative-program-decision-set-for-July","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211597-79437be5bd2aad31c0290a0cf7799908/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744563&Signature=PtVRzwuZtYdICeEOeVOnxHEJZQuxkJo51r19Qt8TMrSg5WPfgi6yjTD-o7HAlofi7nc-TBPIfKpmTIJLsDMjxHD9IiBDzo6PIA1rTWLyWM1ySrJcxCd~lkVSWSuOR5moqbEVKr~49G8osdIu-XCqfpuM998yVdfXVNmQb5ms2SUXtj519OC9skLI68zpi~CqhAc1RfqCfNhcu2tQoj1YxRjum0JSHbDQIxUp2wMAr223i-HK0wNxQpIE1QuBjBSnyvGvECydpZrWO9gBvLfHlcLkf2TN0P1Qb7KosxIuSCx7f72Qh9ecWt4pK4dbZUrjwEAvVn0FL1juPQgFAdOkPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Olathe School District","date","2025-06-06T01:16:04Z","article","The Olathe Board of Education was presented with a recommendation to repurpose Westview Elementary to host a new K–8 alternative education program and would consider formal action on the proposal at its July 10 meeting.

District administrators framed the proposal as a response to long‑term enrollment declines and to program needs identified through district dialogues. They said Westview — currently the district’s smallest elementary with about 156 students — sits in a tight neighborhood pocket with limited projected growth and that repurposing the site would provide space for the behavioral and social‑emotional program planned for 2026–27.

Superintendent Brent Yeager and district presenters told the board the boundary study group has monitored enrollment for more than 20 years and that the district is averaging roughly a 270‑student decline a year since a 2019 peak. They outlined a multi‑step timeline: staff and parent briefings took place in April and May; the board will be asked to vote on the repurposing recommendation at the July 10 meeting; if approved, staff said they would begin community meetings about new boundaries immediately after the school year begins and seek a boundary decision in November.

Dr. Jim McMullen, who led the presentation, said the district has held in‑building briefings and a parent meeting at Westview on May 19 and has gathered staff and parent feedback to share with the board. He described the timeline as intended to preserve a full year of final activities at Westview and to allow time for careful planning of transportation, staffing and family supports if the board approves the repurposing.

Dr. Liz Harrison, who outlined the K–8 alternative program design, said the program will not introduce new interventions but will deliver existing district tools — such as PBIS, social‑skills instruction and tiered social‑emotional curricula — at a higher intensity and frequency to a cohort of students in one site. “The supports we’re building into the program are not new. The difference is that in this setting these supports will be moved up a tier,” Harrison said. She described staffing that would include increased access to mental‑health professionals and possible community partnerships for additional services.

Board members and administrators repeatedly emphasized two aims: protect neighborhood students by moving as many Westview resident students as possible to one nearby school, and design boundaries that avoid creating new overcrowding problems elsewhere. District presenters said Westview currently enrolls 156 students, of whom about 30 attend under parent‑initiated transfer, and noted the district average elementary size is about 350 students.

Administrators said the district will present multiple boundary options to affected communities and will hold in‑person meetings to solicit feedback before formal recommendations are returned to the board. They also said staff will work with Westview’s principal on transition activities and supports for students and staff if the board approves repurposing.

No final action was taken at the June meeting; trustees were given at least two months to study the recommendation before the July 10 vote.

If the board approves the repurposing, district staff said they expect follow‑on boundary work and community engagement to begin immediately after the school year starts, with recommended boundary changes presented for board action in November.

Community members and staff will have additional opportunities to comment as staff refine boundary options and transition plans; district leaders said they will return to the board with specific proposals and implementation details before any students are moved.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 2025 Olathe Public Schools Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Olathe Board of Education was presented with a recommendation to repurpose Westview Elementary to host a new K–8 alternative education program and would consider formal action on the proposal at its July 10 meeting.","taxTitle","Olathe, School Boards, Kansas","taxId",13091,"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},6211582,"Board adopts updated responsible‑use policy; teachers urge a full‑day cell‑phone ban",3769,3281000,7050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456&start=3281&end=7050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456/thumbnail_3281000.jpg","/articles/6211582/Kansas/Board-adopts-updated-responsibleuse-policy-teachers-urge-a-fullday-cellphone-ban","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211582-e3c692b52627d3898c021a2a4530edab/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744563&Signature=OwyfUmeKB5H1~EPm7ToxnJEM3kZo3~~UCFRjB0bwBcyFu6DSdipUi~RYKDPIXxtICnPjyAoT-8SpaBIiKM2~2ufWqWOYJ5UmjkwBEGaJw8nN2uw42oW~e6LoTxq0bV9K1632aPX946GY7Mx5y6NqTCVSqllXpLOkIO-eImWS~nbZOr0Uod5HFXJEik2K8clcy2ltC-e5nD5Gu6xbf80GTevXIdpL28ROj2lqix~4DC4uBCJdhD~MHZz0LMVP5j4W9yIuv~bo45-jtUqV-MrXCXLNg1twcMBUxPKlbjydRYT0t6-1D7h~szOo7fPvo5WxGPOYz4zKQerN-CVdenqSLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Olathe Board of Education approved an update to its student and staff responsible‑use policies at its June meeting. The vote was unanimous.

During the public‑comment portion of the meeting several teachers addressed the board and urged a stronger restriction on personal devices during the school day. John Hale, a math teacher at Olathe South, told trustees he supported the classroom ban and urged the district to extend it to cover the full school day, citing research about notifications and student focus. “Please consider a full ban on cell phones at all levels K through 12,” Hale said. He cited studies showing a single phone notification can take students up to 20 minutes to fully refocus and noted the volume of notifications teens receive daily.

Another teacher, Nick Kraly, spoke in support of Hale’s request and commended the board for recent contract and compensation work as well as summer professional learning offerings. Kraly also raised concerns about the climate for LGBTQ+ students and encouraged board members to engage with student affinity groups.

Board members approved the responsible‑use policy update (item 8.03) by roll call and recorded a unanimous vote. District staff said the policy update follows pilot work and aligns with classroom‑level enforcement the district already uses; the board did not take additional action to extend restrictions beyond the approved policy during the June meeting.

Administrators and trustees acknowledged the comments and said the district will continue to discuss school‑level implementation and supports for staff. The board did not set a new timeline for considering a full‑day ban; any district‑wide change to policy or practice would return to the board for formal action.

","The board voted unanimously to adopt updated student and staff responsible‑use policies. During public comment several teachers urged the district to extend the classroom cell‑phone ban to the entire school day for K–12 to reduce distractions and support student focus.",{"_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},6211587,"Board approves routine consents, contracts and safety upgrades; superintendent contract extended",1291,5989000,7280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456&start=5989&end=7280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456/thumbnail_5989000.jpg","/articles/6211587/Kansas/Board-approves-routine-consents-contracts-and-safety-upgrades-superintendent-contract-extended","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211587-b9ce4768b2fc300cf95b89f3339406e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744563&Signature=mBa51AzPesYOpL3uJKE6tf8yXtBWwK8AxalnAnq9gMJjzBvVkkNqfuGpwTANY4ffdzYm~hT12RH6OPc0s9k5tOR91L4B4NAMcx6TBaT0AIqhFfx~jnmlhrwJAPkB9lSxbTkBD6auWvshLVFnR6dhdjDNCc0N7zd7BAsOcfEmUHf15b1qHTr9yWXGLHVD2I2NHzkJDWamXEaBX7vTBbq0B51z4RjZ~hc00Qm~FURuvZfKym5Fctp4kkAX5AM9Oytd9ljAbyMdblI2kXUaItFk3yUv9~vmdqy78bzp9aAg~McMqnOAVEaGAzUhGwGLyhcmBXbgFfIV4PB5KPjGuM~MuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its June meeting the Olathe Board of Education approved routine consent items, awards and several upgrades to district safety and technology systems, elected board officers for 2025–26 and extended the superintendent’s contract.

Votes at a glance

- Adoption of the agenda (Board item 2.01): Motion to adopt was made and seconded; roll call votes recorded; motion passed.

- Action consent (items 6.01–6.15): The board moved to approve action consent 6.01 through 6.15 as presented. Motion: \"I move to approve action consent 6.01 through 6.15 as presented.\" (Mover: Mr. Boyd; Second: Ms. Reagan). Vote: yes — 6; no — 0. Outcome: approved.

- Bids, contracts and agreements (items 7.01–7.23): The board voted to approve items 7.01 through 7.23 as presented. Motion: (Mover: Mr. Boyd; Second: Ms. Johan). Vote: yes — 6; no — 0. The packet included multiple vendor approvals and curriculum purchases. Two items discussed on the record before the motion were:
• Frog Street curriculum for Head Start (listed as 7.06) — board members who serve on Head Start policy council previewed the curriculum and endorsed its purchase.
• Centegix (crisis alert) hardware and software upgrade — Brent Kyger summarized the district’s experience with the Centegix platform and the planned upgrade. Kyger said the district had recorded “close to over 5,000 alerts a year” on the platform and described improved strobes, removal of legacy hubs, tagging assets for faster response and potential visitor‑management savings with the vendor update.

- Insurance renewal (7.23): The district’s general insurance renewal and property coverage were reviewed by a district administrator. Staff said market conditions limited traditional carrier responses but the district joined a specialized public‑entity property pool (GovPro) that reduced property premium exposure by about $260,000; net result reported as about a 6.4% decrease in overall insurance cost. Motion to approve renewal passed (vote 6–0).

- Student and staff responsible use policy update (8.03): The board approved the updated responsible use policies. Motion to approve 8.03 passed (vote 6–0). The policy update followed district review and pilot policy language already in use.

- Safety/security upgrades (8.04): The board approved upgrades to camera and security infrastructure at remaining high schools to replace aging analog systems. District staff described the work as funded from Bond 2022 and noted the camera upgrade is the final high school conversion to current standards. Motion passed (vote 6–0).

- Election of board officers (8.01, 8.02): The board elected Dr. Stacy Yerkovich as president and Julie Steele as vice president for the 2025–26 year following nominations and roll‑call votes. Both elections passed unanimously.

- Superintendent contract extension (8.05): The board voted to extend Dr. Brent Yeager’s contract through the 2025–26 school year, effective July 1, 2025. Motion passed 6–0.

- Executive session for negotiations: The board voted to enter executive session to discuss employer‑employee negotiations under Kansas open‑meetings provisions, with return to the public meeting at the stated time.

Several motions were routine and bundled; when trustees asked for briefings staff provided supplemental explanations of selected items before the bundled votes. All recorded roll calls in the meeting packet show unanimous approval (6–0) on the items listed above.

","The Olathe Board of Education voted unanimously on a range of consent and contract items, approved safety and technology upgrades using bond funds, renewed its insurance program, elected officers for 2025–26 and extended the superintendent’s contract through the coming year. Several items were discussed on the record before the votes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6211592,"Olathe Public Schools leaders present 2024–25 year highlights: curriculum changes, attendance work and new facilities",1978,938000,2916000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456&start=938&end=2916","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3694506-de414df28c91871629d034e41e038456/thumbnail_938000.jpg","/articles/6211592/Kansas/Olathe-Public-Schools-leaders-present-202425-year-highlights-curriculum-changes-attendance-work-and-new-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211592-0b02f7372a8a178b3709e983ed72b65e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770744563&Signature=E6JeDEFer0MoNWsbWh3Xiy5wmTO3UyWtwiSs7rm4Yq-z9qd3mLQuTm9jjG3eda6aayPWQYTLoO5LrVt~KmKdYNKdw7ZN5g~pBxXRm3Z5uIFDyJyp2TbPvxYpB732LkrvMCt~JyMGWaGqRCxwJZ5KmnQ6TdCu9seoXMYh7Zct1Cv6wIHmY-sgKzsLBVhhLYEvGDe8nGoABSqqNI0kvSOwAU4g9WcA3rmZ85Vu4korbFOkqGeW-EJ83LAVWCEsFFR6cu9BIDdjA4dlRm6wIs4tThVb088c21dw5al4RNkTUEnnjBshvPs3xkV~JnajNY8yLVRhqoZhFRtwDFp57qukyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Olathe Public Schools administrators presented a year‑end review to the Board of Education on accomplishments and changes in instruction, human resources, operations and finance during the 2024–25 school year.

Superintendent Brent Yeager introduced a team of district leaders who highlighted districtwide initiatives: a new K–5 ELA curriculum rollout; a district campaign and multi‑department effort that reduced chronic absenteeism; expanded instructional coaching and a shift in intervention staffing; and the opening of the new Santa Fe Trail Middle School.

Dr. Tim Reeves of Learning Services described a transition of intervention and coaching roles so coaches could provide more focused support to fewer buildings, and said the district began implementation of the Wit & Wisdom K–5 literacy program this year and will continue staff supports into the next one to two years. Reeves also reported the district reached full implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) after a multi‑year rollout that was interrupted by the pandemic.

Human resources leaders reported expanded recruiting activity — more than 34 recruiting events and more than 230 screening interviews — and said vacancies in certified positions had fallen into single digits at both elementary and secondary levels. The district also launched an employee services team to streamline benefits, payroll and retirement support, and implemented PTO for eligible classified staff to replace very limited personal leave.

Operations and finance staff described capital and operational work. The district reported it received the Meritorious Budget Award and the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International; an independent audit yielded an unmodified opinion. The report also highlighted technology upgrades including multifactor authentication rollout and migration to district‑owned dark fiber, standardization of elementary iPad charging, and the opening of the new Santa Fe Trail Middle School with flexible learning spaces and community access features.

Food services and transportation updates noted more than 500,000 breakfasts and over 3 million lunches served this year, and operation of a two‑hour delayed start option on three mornings during cold weather. Communications staff discussed a district rebrand approved last year and a marketing campaign tied to open enrollment.

Board members thanked staff for the reports and highlighted the multiple recognitions and state championships earned by students and staff across the district in athletics, career and technical education competitions, and teacher awards. Administrators said many programs and projects will continue through the summer and into next year.

","Superintendent and administrators summarized the district’s instructional, human resources, operations and financial work for the 2024–25 school year, including rollout of a new K–5 ELA curriculum, reductions in chronic absenteeism, Santa Fe Trail Middle School opening, expanded coaching and HR recruitment events.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Olathe board reviews plan to repurpose Westview Elementary as K–8 alternative program; decision set for July

Board adopts updated responsible‑use policy; teachers urge a full‑day cell‑phone ban

Board approves routine consents, contracts and safety upgrades; superintendent contract extended

Olathe Public Schools leaders present 2024–25 year highlights: curriculum changes, attendance work and new facilities