Lee's Summit R‑VII warns of multi‑million shortfalls, steep Title I cut and hiring freezes

Summary

District finance staff told the Board that a series of late state and federal reimbursements, a county recoupment, and federal reallocation will reduce this year’s reserves and cut next year’s Title I allocation by roughly $840,000; staff recommended recoding positions, limiting replacements and monitoring reimbursements.

Lee's Summit R‑VII district leaders said a cluster of delayed and reduced state and federal payments has created a shortfall that will lower reserves and force program recoding and hiring constraints.

Nathan Holder, the district finance staff member who presented the budget figures, told the Board the district is carrying a roughly $4.9 million recoupment from a 2023 property‑tax reassessment and said DESE (the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) has delayed reimbursements for federal programs. “We will get that at some point… it might be this September. It might be next September,” Holder said of the recoupment funds, describing a total of several recent shortfalls that affect the fiscal year closing on June 30.

The administration said five revenue disruptions arrived in the district’s final eight days of the fiscal year: a $185,000 reduction tied to state K‑12 formula funding; about $680,000 in delayed Title I reimbursements; roughly $1,000,000 in delayed IDEA Part B (special education) reimbursements; a prorated early childhood special education (ECSE) June payment shortfall of about $1.1 million; and the previously noted $4.9 million recoupment from the county. Holder also…

Lee's Summit R‑VII warns of multi‑million shortfalls, steep Title I cut and hiring freezes

Summary

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