Dr. Waters, a district staff presenter, told the Olathe Public Schools Board of Education on July 10 that the district received 147 out-of-district open-enrollment applications for the 2025-26 school year, up from 72 in the program's first year. "You will see that we had 72 applications come in our first year with open enrollment. And this year, we have 147," she said.

The increase came across grade levels: Dr. Waters told the board elementary applications included 55 this year at the elementary level (21 of those were kindergarten applicants), middle-school applications rose to 32 from 20 last year, and high-school applications increased to 60 from 29. She said about 20 of the elementary applicants were former Olathe students; 12 of the 60 high-school applicants were former Olathe students.

The district posted "close to, almost 3,000" openings for transfers, Dr. Waters said in response to a board question from Board member Will Babbitt. "We had close to, almost 3,000 is what we posted," she said, adding that was a significant jump from the previous year's roughly 1,000 openings.

Dr. Waters outlined next steps and dates for families. Out-of-district families can begin enrollment by phone on July 21; the district will host an in-person registration support event on July 22 at Olathe Northwest High School from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with translators, transportation staff and food services present. She also said the district reopened the in-district and employee transfer link on July 1 to allow current district families another window to request transfers.

Communications staff confirmed the district sent the information in the June family newsletter, posted it on the OPS website and planned direct emails and social posts ahead of the July 22 event. "We have a communication plan," a district communications staff member told the board.

Board members praised the registration plans and the district's early outreach. Board member Julie Reagan asked whether former Olathe students were present at the middle- and high-school levels; Dr. Waters said there were such students at both levels and described a portion as "former/slash current" students who had moved to neighboring districts but wanted to remain in Olathe schools.

Why it matters: the numbers show heightened demand for seats across grade levels in the district's second year of open enrollment and inform staffing and space planning. The district emphasized that the posted opening count represented the capacity it believed it could manage without materially affecting school operations.

Board members asked operational questions but took no formal action on the presentation; the open-enrollment items described were informational and procedural.

The district encouraged families needing help to attend the July 22 event and to call the registrar beginning July 21 for appointments.