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District outlines available bond funds and legislative funding outlook; special education and mentor-teacher funding remain concerns
Summary
Finance staff reported roughly $29.1 million in remaining bond proceeds before an estimated $2.2 million arbitrage reconciliation, and discussed the state's recently adopted budget, which includes a $10 million SPED allocation but removed separate mentor-teacher and professional-development line items that the district will need to fund locally.
Shawnee Mission Public Schools finance staff told the Finance and Facilities Committee on April 14 that the district currently estimates about $29.1 million in remaining bond-related cash before an arbitrage reconciliation; after an estimated $2.2 million arbitrage payment the presentation calculated roughly $26.9 million available for capital priorities.
Finance staff explained the $29.1 million balance reflected bond premiums and interest income generated when the district sold bonds above par; the district expects to file a final arbitrage calculation when bond proceeds are spent and remit any required payment to the federal government. The presentation also noted approximately $15 million in funds already encumbered for ongoing projects.
On the state funding front, district and board members reporting from Topeka said the governor had signed the overall budget and that the legislature was working through line-item and conference committee steps in the veto session. Staff said the state adopted a base aid increase tied to a three-year CPI average (staff reported a working estimate of a 4.33% base increase, which they equated to roughly $5,611 per pupil in the presentation as a working figure), and that the Legislature restored $10 million in SPED funding in the adopted budget. The district estimated it would receive roughly $502,000 of that $10 million under the new allocation formula.
The committee was told that the state budget removed separate line-item funding for professional development, mentor-teacher programs and "teacher excellence" allocations; staff estimated the district's share of those cut items would have been about $105,000 previously and that the district would absorb most of the cost (presenters estimated continuing a mentor-teacher program at roughly $80,000 funded from operating funds). Board members flagged the removal as a policy concern and noted that mentor-teaching is tied to teacher licensure and professional growth.
Other changes discussed included a proposed statutory change restricting special-election dates for bond questions (affecting when mail-ballot bond elections may be conducted) and state-level property tax changes (the session eliminated a 1.5 statewide mill levy that funds state-run facilities, which staff said does not reduce local school district funding).
Board members discussed the district's special-education shortfall (finance staff put the district's net contribution to special education at roughly $20 million) and calculated that transferring that cost across the district's enrollment equates to approximately $720 per pupil. Committee members said that even with the state's $10 million allocation, district special-education costs are likely to outpace state additions and will remain a pressure on local budgets.
What was not decided: no budget votes or staffing decisions were made; staff said salary-and-benefit negotiations and final health-insurance renewal figures remain to be determined during May negotiations and are needed to finalize the operating budget.
Next steps: staff will complete the legislative and funding reconciliation once the veto session finishes, finalize projected health-insurance renewal numbers, and return budget drafts to the board at the April/May workshops and through the statutory budget-notice process this summer.
