Kansas City, Kansas school board accepts audit, approves low bids and several policy changes; debates consultant evaluation, emergency-medication funding

The Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education on Feb. 11 accepted its fiscal 2024 audit, approved nearly $1 million in low bids for labor and moved multiple district policies forward while continuing discussions about a proposed consultant-evaluation threshold and funding for school emergency medications.

The board voted to accept the auditor—s report after a presentation by Jason Moses of AGH CPAs. Moses told the board the firm issued "an unmodified opinion under the regulatory basis of accounting," and summarized a single federal finding: a material weakness tied to procurement controls for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant. He said the district has a corrective-action plan in place and auditors will retest the control next year.

Board members also approved two low bids for labor totaling $951,775 as recommended by district staff.

Why it matters: an unmodified audit opinion indicates the auditors found the district—s financial statements to fairly reflect its books under the stated basis of accounting. The federal finding touches grant compliance controls; because the district expended more than $750,000 in federal awards, it is subject to a single-audit review of grant expenditures.

Most consequential policy discussion at the meeting focused on Policy CJ, a proposed change tying contract renewals for outside consultants to a performance metric captured in a newly implemented contracts-evaluation tool. The draft policy language added a sentence saying contract renewals "shall be dependent on a minimum 90% performance based on the district evaluation tool." Several board members said they supported stronger accountability for consultants but raised concerns about (1) using a single numeric cutoff, (2) subjectivity in a newly implemented tool and (3) the potential for inconsistent application across categories of contracts. Board members asked staff to return with revised language that would require consideration of performance results rather than an absolute 90% cutoff and to provide comparative data from the contract-management tool before final adoption.

Another major discussion concerned a KASB-drafted policy that would permit schools to maintain a stock of emergency medications. Staff reported a preliminary cost estimate of about $81,000 to stock the district—s schools; board members said cost and equity questions meant the board should not commit district funds without further analysis. The board agreed to move the policy forward for consideration but asked for detailed cost breakdowns and options for phased or targeted implementation before final approval.

Other items and procedural actions: the board adopted a number of KSB/KASB model policies and local policy changes (see "Votes at a glance" below). One naming-policy motion failed after members expressed differing preferences about whether renaming requests should come to the full board before referral to a committee; the board directed staff to revise that policy text and return it for third read.

Votes at a glance - Accept audit financial statements for year ending 06/30/2024 — outcome: approved. Vote record: Yolanda Clark (yes), Maxine Drew (yes), Randy Lopez (yes), Robert Mylan Jr. (yes), Wanda Brownlee Page (yes), Rachel Russell (yes), Dr. Nguyen (yes). Notes: auditor issued an unmodified opinion; single-audit finding (ELC procurement material weakness) recorded; corrective action plan in place.

- Accept low bids for labor totaling $951,775 — outcome: approved. Vote record: Yolanda Clark (yes), Maxine Drew (yes), Randy Lopez (yes), Robert Mylan Jr. (yes), Wanda Brownlee Page (yes), Rachel Russell (yes), Dr. Nguyen (yes).

- Approve Policy BBC (advisory committees) for third read with change to replace specific job titles with "superintendent or designee" — outcome: approved. Vote record: unanimous among voting members present.

- Approve Policy BDBD A (historical policy files; third read) — outcome: approved. Vote record: unanimous among voting members present.

- Approve Policy FC (naming of facilities) for third read as presented — outcome: failed. Vote record (partial roll call recorded): Yolanda Clark (no), Maxine Drew (no), Randy Lopez (no), Robert Mylan Jr. (no), Wanda Brownlee Page (abstain), Rachel Russell (yes), Dr. Nguyen (abstain). Board directed staff to revise the renaming-process text so requests come to the full board before referral to committee and to return the revised policy for third read.

- Approve policy GARID (military leave pay correction) — outcome: approved. Roll call: majority yes; Wanda Brownlee Page (abstain). Notes: policy corrected to reflect longstanding practice to pay the difference between military pay and regular pay for employees called to duty.

- Approve policy JGFGBA (student self-administration of medication) — outcome: approved (second/third-read procedural step taken as presented). Roll call: majority yes.

- Approve policy JGFGAA (allow schools to maintain donated/ grant-funded emergency medications) — outcome: approved for second read to allow further consideration pending funding analysis; board requested detailed cost breakdown and funding scenarios before final adoption.

Discussion points, directions and next steps - Audit follow-up: auditors will retest federal program procurement controls next year; district finance staff provided that a corrective-action plan is already in place. - Consultant-evaluation policy: staff (procurement and contracts office) will return with revised policy language that emphasizes consideration of performance results and with sample data from the new contracts-evaluation module (district staff said the contracts tool went live Jan. 1 and data is still being populated). - Emergency medications: administration will provide an itemized cost estimate and scenarios (district-wide vs. targeted buildings; donated or grant-funded options) to inform whether and how stockpiles could be funded.

No criminal or litigation matters were decided in open session. Several brief executive-session recesses for non-elected personnel and attorney consultation occurred during the meeting; those motions and roll calls were procedural and consistent with the board—s stated agenda.

Ending: The board scheduled revised policy language to return on a future agenda and requested the finance and health services teams provide the funding analysis for emergency medications before any final policy adoption.