[{"_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",6487350,"mediaKeyId","5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d","parentId",5653843,"title","Facilities director reports Bond 21 work nearly complete; Tomahawk rebuild opens, early childhood center planning underway","audioSeconds",1063,"startMs",2297000,"endMs",3360000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d&start=2297&end=3360","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d/thumbnail_2297000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6487350/Kansas/Facilities-director-reports-Bond-21-work-nearly-complete-Tomahawk-rebuild-opens-early-childhood-center-planning-underway","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487350-9026113367a702e9064b0117d8d8a0ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585113&Signature=BXPk~RxnhKOGRSSmaJi7N~LJxx4BZ97TIssfwpiv1N7laVpUwhuMFpkvdoUzXzgtQ908hp4WJE-Th8JiF5Lwk4ucpAuaWQVLPL5zjG9YGBogIsDkRTkPo7muzgJ0KQ4AJvEL5F2lD-pnhK7zFsRKW4g3dsDMHbXvRyNmjHUi5kXTb99IiQruYQe07nOGKbnQD6moJ2PLAoJbRlu8c7y-HqTVw1jIv~4Mg6LQ3cXFRpAO0CaT75iNrnPLhldSK2C3FVC~Tiv1Xx~Ymwjq~93CZzARGPbO4Obq2XgFqce0rzRb4gKc6BoG3waaS4UpFYI~QbtQnro23fwaI6Bc-ofcxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Shawnee Mission School District","date","2025-08-22T10:15:43Z","article","Judd Rimmer, the district's new facilities director, told the Finance & Facilities Committee that Bond 21 construction is nearing completion and highlighted multiple summer projects: roofing overlays, concrete and asphalt repairs, interior flooring replacements, synthetic-turf baseball infields, LED lighting retrofits and HVAC upgrades.

\"We're nearing the end of bond 21, and so much of this summer's work was comprised of cycle capital outlay projects,\" Rimmer said, and listed roofing overlay work at Overland Park Elementary, McCullough, Westridge, South and Horizons; concrete and asphalt improvements at Lenexa Hills, McCullough, North High School and Horizons; and interior flooring replacements at Sunflower, Blue Jacket Flint, West High School and South. Rimmer said the district is replacing older VCT floors with rubber tile in many heavily used public areas to improve acoustics and reduce maintenance.

Other highlights:
- Synthetic turf infields were installed at Northwest, North and South (infields only; outfields remain natural grass) so teams can practice during spring rain and align practice surfaces with varsity competition turf.
- Phase 1 of a district-wide LED lighting retrofit began this summer, covering nearly all high schools (Horizons deferred to Phase 2); staff said the project covers roughly 1,750,000 square feet of the district's approximately 5,500,000 interior square feet. Rimmer said simple payback for the LED investment is about six years, and fixtures carry a 15-year warranty.
- HVAC upgrades (phase 5) included equipment replacements at Ray Marsh, Marion Park, Broken Arrow, Corinth, Oak Park Carpenter, the North High School pool and the Northwest chiller. Rimmer noted pool HVAC (\"pool pack\") replacements are important for maintaining appropriate water and air conditions for swimming and diving activity.
- Furniture refreshes and cafeteria reconfigurations were completed at multiple schools, and several academic-wing and cafeteria refreshes at South and West High Schools were noted.

Tomahawk Elementary: Rimmer described the newly rebuilt Tomahawk Elementary (Bond 21 final rebuild) as having opened for the school year after a community ribbon cutting and a building tour on Aug. 5. He said art installations and murals were completed with help from staff artist Paige Crosswhite and that the building opened to students on Aug. 11.

Early childhood center: staff said they have begun early planning and programming for a new early childhood center on the former Catherine Carpenter site. \"The building has been demoed, and the site's been graded back. So it's a blank canvas,\" Rimmer said. Staff confirmed the district will use remaining Bond 21 funds to begin the project and that exact programming (ages served, hours, mix of school-year preschool versus year-round child care or developmental services) is still under discussion; staff plan to engage strategic-plan action-team members, school staff and neighborhood stakeholders as plans progress.

Upcoming and ongoing work: Rimmer described a plan to relocate a practice baseball field onto West High School's campus this fall, continued LED work focused on middle schools in Phase 2 next summer and ongoing evaluation of district facilities to prioritize future rebuilds. He said staff will present refreshed facility-condition ratings and will convene a strategic-plan subteam to inform any future bond planning.

No formal committee action was taken during the briefing; staff asked committee members to convey any items for the Nov. 6 meeting agenda to district contacts in the interim.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting August 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Judd Rimmer, the district's facilities director, told the committee Bond 21 projects are wrapping up and highlighted work including roof overlays, flooring upgrades, synthetic-turf infields, LED retrofits, HVAC replacements and the opening of the rebuilt Tomahawk Elementary.","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},6487354,"District says withheld federal Title funds have been released; staff urge caution for future appropriations",524,1672000,2196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d&start=1672&end=2196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d/thumbnail_1672000.jpg","/articles/6487354/Kansas/District-says-withheld-federal-Title-funds-have-been-released-staff-urge-caution-for-future-appropriations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487354-875d584d6778828a596daafaf657b6d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585113&Signature=M8N~Q-QD61sILVSAdV8NNkm9gasPWPLAFA9QuiMw9Y26ZIOzX2xAJukrkoaNNEwieKnJg~hcvpwb~kd4RwpxUiqHZJvzqoixgWWkIs1CIYyBfpEI3QoUBr5CbNJzF6E91k-US8O9I7m30~uR7Ob7QhHtX-xVcgWSqliqy5O0T4njHz2ZBKDWwllLU-sXdwckn~6rjDL1lRZmI06QbI-iWmkX~~iPnThBjVylF4vChYSdud1be615ShZKQBrSTkhtolas3J24LIZXVCOLzs7OmvFLuLOFR6ONAv1sIut7spN5cy~Bqja2O~s~sowmJm72lwToCIzFu1TFSkyNbmttkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent (Doctor) Schumacher told the committee that funds Congress had previously appropriated and that had been paused were released to the Kansas State Department of Education and the district has received those funds. \"I would just publicly state that we are thankful for our representatives. I believe that they did advocate on our behalf and on behalf of public schools in the state of Kansas,\" Schumacher said, noting the Department of Education asked the Office of Management and Budget to release the funds and KSDE in turn released them to districts.

Schumacher and Russell M. described how the district uses federal funds and the operational implications. Schumacher said the monies were already budgeted into current-year plans; the district must still draw funds on a cost-reimbursement basis through KSDE. He cautioned the committee that while the immediate pause had been resolved, districts should plan conservatively because future appropriations remain subject to congressional actions. \"We need to be prepared for this to not be a one off,\" Schumacher said.

Programs and amounts discussed: staff identified that the paused funds were not the IDEA (special education, often called 6(b)) allocations, which were not impacted; the paused items included allocations under Title II-A (professional development and recruitment/retention), Title III, and Title IV among others. Committee members and staff said the aggregate of district federal programs (title funds plus IDEA and others) represents material staffing and program support; testimony referenced roughly a $12,000,000 annual reliance for federally related positions and programs that supplement state and local dollars, and that the district typically operates with about 12'$14 million in special-education-related transfers from the supplemental general fund to cover gaps between program costs and state/federal aid.

KSDE and district process: staff explained federal grants are drawn on a cost-reimbursement basis; the district submits monthly justifications to KSDE, which then submits to the federal Department of Education. Staff described a months-long administrative process; at one point the district was asked repeatedly for different versions of justification for payroll-related draws while funds were paused.

Staff recognition: Schumacher publicly thanked the district staff managing federal funds, naming Rebecca Schneblin, Britney Gonzer and Christy Darby for their work during an extensive audit and during the funding pause.

No formal committee action was taken; staff said they will continue to monitor allocations and keep the committee informed.","Superintendent and staff told the committee federal grants that had been temporarily paused were released to Kansas and the district has begun the administrative process to draw them down; staff cautioned districts to plan for possible future funding uncertainty.",{"_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},6487359,"Shawnee Mission staff outline $618.2 million budget, say proposed mill levy will slightly exceed revenue-neutral rate",930,756000,1686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d&start=756&end=1686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5653843-35aa9c904da72e5d7230812001e3208d/thumbnail_756000.jpg","/articles/6487359/Kansas/Shawnee-Mission-staff-outline-6182-million-budget-say-proposed-mill-levy-will-slightly-exceed-revenue-neutral-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6487359-7859deedbbdc75fe105dac0497c3d146/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585113&Signature=SP36kK5znlKAW8ipmqwa2Tok6eqFzN07eFq5lmSyQT8uZpgK8sc4ZlA1BZh4Sr6uOat4KGD3NK5KJlpFj3TUiM9TRSMp6fu0EsAz5GVzgU9PI2of0rAnp2Vk175LlbisAzcGjVWjxHKzYRhZIqGoLvAmE1TDCx1if-nD8uB4fWeki2Scu74k~V2ojpuJN6yL3HO2U1IWEMXo0bbZ5A~HBiJEtQNwb9H64tvNcuFAqKX4MGEtztz8k6qjpD3~lrKxbevsOmmBoWQWp-VO8pIKTL3PDOvLX6smCEFplncTnsfV4DzveFfQi2a4qkDTjuSZAtVpgJ1cE~bwMwkvcDM2vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Russell M., chief financial officer for Shawnee Mission Public Schools, told the Finance & Facilities Committee that the district will take two public hearings on Monday: the revenue-neutral rate hearing and the budget hearing, and that the proposed 2025–26 budget totals about $618,200,000. \"We are at the conclusion of the approval process come Monday night. We will have our revenue neutral rate hearing and our budget hearing followed with, 3 action items that will be presented to the board,\" Russell said.

The district reported an ending fund balance of roughly $49,600,000 for fiscal 2024–25, representing about 18.5% of expenditures, above the district policy DBB target range of 10%–15%. Russell said staff plan a targeted deficit spend of about $4,500,000 in 2025–26 to boost salary packages, which would reduce reserves to roughly $45,000,000 (about 15.6% of expenditures) but still leave a cushion for potential federal funding disruptions.

Why it matters: the committee was briefed that the proposed mill levy calculation will exceed the county's revenue-neutral rate by a small margin. Melissa Rooker, the Shawnee Mission East-area representative, clarified the public-facing numbers: \"If you look at the very bottom line, that is the total amount, 30.835 mills,\" (referring to a particular component line in the mailed notices) and the overall mill levy the district will request is 50.835 mills. County-calculated revenue-neutral rate cited to the committee was 48.525 mills; the staff presentation shows Shawnee Mission's total levy at 50.835 mills, meaning the district will exceed the revenue-neutral rate and thus hold the required hearing Monday.

Budget details and constraints presented to the committee included:
- Proposed 2025–26 budget: approximately $618,200,000.
- Assessed valuation increase used in budget assumptions: 5.6%.
- Proposed total mill levy in the budget presentation: 50.835 mills; county revenue-neutral calculation cited at 48.525 mills.
- 2024–25 closing: revenues exceeded expenditures by about $8,000,000; ending balance about $49,600,000 (18.5% of expenditures).
- Planned deficit spend in 2025–26 to increase compensation: about $4,500,000, lowering the balance to roughly $45,000,000 (about 15.6% of expenditures).
- Local Option Budget (LOB) authority is budgeted at the 33% cap established by voter approval in February 2015.
- Capital outlay levy is at the statutory maximum of 8 mills.

Russell and other staff explained the trade-offs the district is managing: the board wants to improve compensation to attract and retain staff, but the district also budgets conservatively for a recurring vacancy trend (roughly 200 vacancies at times during the year) that produces an anticipated payroll recapture (vacancy savings) called \"recapture/fallout\" in the budget. Russell said salary increases shown on the slides constitute pay and health-insurance increases; positions added earlier in the budget were already built into the May budget and are part of the $4.5 million figure.

Committee members also heard reminders about public process: the notice of hearing has been published, mailed notices went out via the county after July 20, and the district has posted an explainer on the district website under the Budget and Finance tab for residents to review before Monday's hearings.

Less-critical details: the staff presentation referenced several restricted or policy-driven mill-levy components (20 mills tied to the general fund under state law, LOB at 33%, capital outlay at 8 mills, a $2,000,000 target special-liability balance). Staff also noted the district insures roughly $11.2 billion of property value and cited an approximate total building valuation of $1.1 billion when discussing capital needs.

The committee had no formal vote during this briefing; staff will bring final budget action items for School Board consideration following the public hearings Monday.","District staff told the Shawnee Mission Public Schools Finance & Facilities Committee the proposed 2025–26 budget is $618.2 million, the mill levy would be 50.835 (slightly above the county'calculated revenue-neutral rate), and the district plans a controlled $4.5 million deficit spend to increase compensation while keeping reserves above policy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Facilities director reports Bond 21 work nearly complete; Tomahawk rebuild opens, early childhood center planning underway

District says withheld federal Title funds have been released; staff urge caution for future appropriations

Shawnee Mission staff outline $618.2 million budget, say proposed mill levy will slightly exceed revenue-neutral rate