McPherson USD 418 board votes to exceed revenue-neutral rate, adopts 2025–26 budget
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Summary
The McPherson USD 418 Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to exceed the revenue-neutral tax rate and approved the district—s 2025—26 budget and local-option-budget percentage resolution, moving the district forward on deadlines to submit documents to state and county officials.
The McPherson USD 418 Board of Education voted 5-0 on Sept. 15 to adopt a resolution to exceed the revenue-neutral tax rate and to approve the district—s published 2025—26 budget and the local-option-budget (LOB) percentage resolution.
Board action came during a combined revenue-neutral-rate hearing and budget hearing that the district said was required under Kansas law and recent state changes. The board approved Resolution 2025-11 (exceeding the revenue-neutral tax rate) before later voting to adopt the 2025—26 USD 418 budget and Resolution 2025-12 (LOB percentage). Both votes carried 5-0.
The board heard a brief explanation of the revenue-neutral process and related state timelines before the vote. Kansas' 2021 legislative change (Senate Bill 13) was referenced in meeting materials as the update that established the current timeline and procedure for revenue-neutral hearings and related budget publication requirements. The district also reiterated an existing statutory requirement that local school general-fund levies be set at 20 mills for distribution under the state's school funding process.
During the roll call on the revenue-neutral resolution board members recorded their votes as follows: Chelsea Bush (yes), Bill Grove (yes), Jeff Johnson (yes), Harry (yes), and Laura Vanderhook (yes). The subsequent budget motion passed by voice vote with the board recording a unanimous "yes."
Administrators told the board that the district had followed public-notice and publication steps: the budget notice was published Aug. 27, 2025, and the district will submit required materials to the Kansas State Department of Education and the county clerk by the statutory deadlines (materials to KSDE before Oct. 1 and to the county clerk by Oct. 1 as described in staff remarks). The superintendent and staff also thanked Nikki Garcia, the district business manager, for her work producing the budget documents and guiding the district through what staff described as a busy season for school finance.
No substantive public comment opposed the motions during the hearing. The board recessed the hearing and moved on to the regular meeting agenda after approval.
What happens next: With the board—s endorsement, district staff will finalize files and deliver them to state and county offices per the statutory timetable described at the hearing. Any further changes would require additional board action if funds or levy decisions change before final state acceptance.
