[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6141866,"mediaKeyId","5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a","parentId",5570189,"title","Board asks staff to prepare RFP for legal services after noting higher counsel bills","audioSeconds",482,"startMs",3965000,"endMs",4447000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a&start=3965&end=4447","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a/thumbnail_3965000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6141866/Leavenworth/School-Boards/Kansas/Board-asks-staff-to-prepare-RFP-for-legal-services-after-noting-higher-counsel-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141866-76fe1319dea9f577643e60b3e8f517fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199409&Signature=DtW5KXsi8gNOpwNABo9ipiLj5hCm2dxNxqRfQW9JCgPJiM9C2y0-FfPGet5XLEk3iZtAhgxgdZgrB54AH8-RxNvSxVuyvgxfHu5yPrN4G7-FboStK94HmemBIiWHdT~RgSYgbxdiXTnYZO3KtM7sLgQjeLlgRrAtFgkhu4EZchclCDdouzye4AdSV6nOidun5jqQM15kWCDQTS24-Q1DCZYVMQMMcKEYILh4T7EZnT5hkzixLh22vmnO4ksUP3yF3e-39tn-DMLtfMxPD0My~nXf3RWnM8CQld0xSj5tyngQrGHE1RE5jtw1~uPXmo8EmN6Mdl9Fmm2ZfeUvEd9V0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Leavenworth USD 453","date","2025-08-12T22:04:11Z","article","The Leavenworth USD 453 board reviewed a three‑year history of legal fees Monday and asked administration to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) so the board can compare options for outside counsel.
Administration presented a three‑year spending summary showing Polsinelli as the primary firm used by the district and higher legal costs this year tied to a cluster of unusual or high‑demand matters earlier in the calendar year. Polsinelli’s representative said those matters were atypical and cautioned against switching counsel midstream on active cases. He also said firms of comparable size and depth generally charge similar rates, and that because of the district’s relationship he offers the district discounted rates.
Trustees asked for due diligence and a market check. The board directed administration to draft and return with an RFP document for review before issuing the solicitation, with the aim of running the process in mid‑fall and reporting results back to the board. Trustees discussed soliciting proposals from small, midsize and large firms and interviewing finalists; no change in counsel was authorized at Monday’s meeting.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","USD 453 Leavenworth Board of Education Meeting: Monday, August 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees reviewed three‑year attorney fee history, discussed the merits of continuing with the district’s primary firm and asked administration to return with an RFP document for market comparisons.","taxTitle","Leavenworth, School Boards, Kansas","taxId",38767,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6141871,"Leavenworth board keeps five broad goals, asks superintendent for SMART targets on staffing and facilities",2953,63000,3016000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a&start=63&end=3016","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/6141871/Leavenworth/School-Boards/Kansas/Leavenworth-board-keeps-five-broad-goals-asks-superintendent-for-SMART-targets-on-staffing-and-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141871-9dbb1638fae3b126f0534def4b511478/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199409&Signature=LVl3u7IyYeqUdIeQSGloXri02GNFsnA1XFYRtBabQCnkqEAnisC3b1bs-GBgtegB~PRBGfPKgxQVybdliFKGLN1dmPRwsdl0ExL7lICPw4FL~1Nq3f3FrufqtvdZwlBnJDWBKzNg41vPXWLat3nlWcgD3mPY2UQz0PIk7yaJUSH8xoNIUmGGzMj5u~PN64HHsZNA-5z-EcrgK68DgGGeDww41Au5xB4dZI9PHRCGauyxbXFqx38sxQqMXKay0UdIA1xBorNGj9iHkVGzQK~gCSbdI1dsBSjDV20XN4y8d3mUrYclc4Tb97xyJ7utFKb1c4LraW~bGoiadLTwmcXGFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leavenworth USD 453 board members on Monday agreed to keep five broad board goals that align with the district’s strategic plan and asked administration to provide more specific, measurable language — especially for staffing/personnel and capital/operations items.
Board members and Superintendent Dr. Kellen Adams discussed how the five top‑level goals map to strategic‑plan focus areas for teaching and learning, staffing and personnel, family/community engagement, facilities/safety, and finance/operations. Several trustees said broad board goals are useful as umbrella statements and suggested drilling down in the strategic plan and superintendent goals into SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time‑bound) action steps.
Dr. Adams and Dr. Bodensteiner reported that the district has created “instructional look‑fors” (rebranded from nonnegotiables) and rolled those materials into new‑teacher orientation and building professional development. The district plans to begin implementation walkthroughs after the September PD day and will target 10 walkthroughs per administrator per building; data from those walkthroughs will be used to monitor classroom implementation and report back to the board.
Personnel and staffing measures also drew attention. Superintendent Adams said recruitment fill rates recently reached about 91 percent and suggested shifting focus toward staff engagement and satisfaction as a way to ensure retention. The board asked administration to return with SMART‑aligned language for a staffing/personnel goal that emphasizes employee input and feedback, and to prepare a finance/operations goal to capture facility security and maintenance priorities.
Board members also requested that strategic‑plan focus areas be highlighted in monthly briefings and in the Friday board summary so new or incoming board members can see a clear, organized history of decisions and performance metrics.
","Board members agreed to retain five district goals aligned to the existing strategic plan, asked Superintendent Dr. Kellen Adams to produce SMART language for staffing/personnel and capital/operations items, and set a monthly strategic‑plan briefing cadence.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6141876,"Leavenworth board publishes maximum budget ceiling amid declining enrollment, special‑ed shortfall",3445,4675000,8120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a&start=4675&end=8120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a/thumbnail_4675000.jpg","/articles/6141876/Leavenworth/School-Boards/Kansas/Leavenworth-board-publishes-maximum-budget-ceiling-amid-declining-enrollment-specialed-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141876-143d64c83ca17ee6990bf1bf41e08913/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199409&Signature=hcC7Nh0x9285ugWGXuARGRPh2DRFpPGbJeZWlynmj9pP8RpSaPyxudry6I0QeG4~~M~yj7iiAK4muEr41YS2qHx16Cv5EZf2HJueg7~5HuiQ3bC4OhJMDan~BEzzlpYpnOr-u1TbWdSeNhBnFYF-wE6aUIUS5G-AhTyEIoCotHzM8bOYrulYxAYwBOI65nxKvzzut3TUw441uTFEAZ0NMjC5M80yF1VVgQ7eGwPqeE-ULQqDBlDNyIDHjMDZu9BqCKBe8VKOafUIrd311-nFWlQ~udsTiEAPVLjg2qUmuWu8AgftD8wYce1cbYWE4~HPoehm975PrKcf~MkGnxUXYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leavenworth USD 453 board voted Monday to publish the district’s maximum budget ceiling for the 2025–26 notice of hearing after a detailed primer from Superintendent Dr. Kellen Adams and district finance staff on enrollment trends, assessed valuation and special‑education costs.
Dr. Kellen Adams told the board that declining enrollment and rising property wealth per pupil have reduced state aid rates and increased the share of revenue that must come from local taxpayers. \"More students equals more dollars,\" Adams said, summarizing the central leverage point in the funding formula.
Beth Maddox, presenting the proposed 2025–26 budget, outlined three options and recommended publishing the full ceiling (option 1). The board voted to publish option 1 so it could later reduce the published ceiling if desired; state law allows adopting a final budget that is equal to or lower than the published ceiling but not higher. The published ceiling sets the board’s maximum authorized spending and begins the formal public notice period required before the September budget hearing.
Key numbers and budget pressures discussed Monday:
- Enrollment decline: a loss of 368 students from 2021–22 (3,615) to 2024–25 (3,247), with count day set this year on Sept. 22. Superintendent staff said the district has not yet reached the bottom of the decline.
- Special‑education shortfall: projected special‑education expenditures of about $9.7 million versus categorical and federal revenue of about $6.57 million, creating a projected transfer need of roughly $3.13 million from general/supplemental funds to cover required services.
- Capital outlay changes: the district has used capital outlay to pay roughly $600,000 in staff salaries this year (statutorily permissible for certain positions); administration noted that spending sustainably from capital outlay can reduce funds available for bricks‑and‑mortar projects.
- Cash balances and reserves: district cash totals were reported at roughly $27.3 million, but much of that sits in restricted funds (bond & interest and capital outlay) and is not available for general operations. Administration said operational reserves equal about 11% of the combined general and local option budgets, within a typical municipal target band (10–15%).
Board members asked for follow‑up materials, including more detail on capital outlay commitments, the list of special‑ed contracted positions and the RFP process for any significant outsourced services. Administration said it will return with the requested materials ahead of the September budget hearing and that the formal budget hearing and revenue‑neutral discussion will be held on Sept. 8.
The board’s vote to publish the maximum ceiling opens a public comment period and gives the district flexibility to lower the final adopted mill rate or expenditure ceiling when the board adopts the budget in September.","Superintendent and business staff briefed the board on school finance dynamics — declining enrollment, assessed valuation per pupil, and a rising special‑education shortfall — and the board voted to publish the maximum budget ceiling for the 2025–26 notice of hearing.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6141881,"Leavenworth USD 453 board votes to close Nettie Hartnett Education Center",349,3446000,3795000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a&start=3446&end=3795","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570189-ffdc246acc6a60e49107f7a960fecd3a/thumbnail_3446000.jpg","/articles/6141881/Leavenworth/School-Boards/Kansas/Leavenworth-USD-453-board-votes-to-close-Nettie-Hartnett-Education-Center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141881-a7ccaa1c4cf8f3efd528cfce19bdafaf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199409&Signature=itWH6IrH3M9fa6XvbBOXMnWuzXl8Td0UIvK7m~uFp6CJxUuSe8NMsNPxkkNW-OQ1G-nw6MZWyea-Q~xpuAVLw1TlqOlt3Z1p-rY0LFtbSAFSdMpR0BDSylTQaMUBCetqBybXy9ZJCqftSH8YFYhjsIqP4e6Hn~SMJNHXNEwBBkk1FzB7XCiXkjhXRDQZOby5Bvsxgxa6C~tanwUhnckJFetc7SMsjdPC4Z~-aoW8JYEGOLERQKda8wjXzUTl9ASqhNLKTEZ-9EG4XWFuECv2-1XQGl35Vpuvd-noylOc4O~ScQ-xqAFEwGntcRTVV2Tt69bEbjJ0YaFH04t1kPBfhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Leavenworth USD 453 Board of Education voted Monday to close the Nettie Hartnett Education Center at the end of the 2024–25 school year and to move forward with listing the building for sale.
During a public hearing the board opened before the vote, district staff described the building as being used temporarily for storage and said items needed by Warren teachers had already been moved. District administration recommended listing the property for sale and declined requests to permit outside uses so the building could be offered “as is.”
The board heard questions from patrons about whether artwork and fixtures had been removed and whether anyone had inquired about buying the property. Administration said fixtures attached to the building remained in place and that there had been a small number of inquiries; staff will provide a list of inquirers and bring a real‑estate listing proposal to a future meeting. After the hearing, the board adopted Resolution 25‑26‑014, citing Kansas law (KSA 72‑1431), and approved the closure.
The hearing record shows no formal objections or testimony that persuaded the board to change its recommendation. Board members emphasized following an open sale process so any district patron or outside party could bid. Administration said it would present a real‑estate listing plan to the board that would allow broad participation.
The resolution instructs the district to close Nettie Hartnett Education Center at the end of the current school year. Board members and staff said they will bring additional materials — including a list of prior inquiries and the recommended sales process — to a subsequent Friday update and to an upcoming board packet.
Next steps: administration will prepare the building for sale, provide a list of inquirers to the board, and bring a proposed listing and marketing plan for board review. No final sales contract or listing agreement was approved at Monday’s meeting.
","The Leavenworth USD 453 Board of Education voted to close the Nettie Hartnett Education Center at the end of the 2024–25 school year and directed administration to prepare the building for sale in \"as‑is\" condition after a public hearing with no substantive objections.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board asks staff to prepare RFP for legal services after noting higher counsel bills

Leavenworth board keeps five broad goals, asks superintendent for SMART targets on staffing and facilities

Leavenworth board publishes maximum budget ceiling amid declining enrollment, special‑ed shortfall

Leavenworth USD 453 board votes to close Nettie Hartnett Education Center