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Shawnee Mission leaders propose new early childhood center at Catherine Carpenter site using remaining bond funds
Summary
Shawnee Mission Public Schools staff proposed creating a purpose-built early childhood education center at the district's decommissioned Catherine Carpenter site and said remaining bond proceeds and related premium/interest could fund much of the capital cost, though final capacity, design and operating costs remain to be determined.
Shawnee Mission Public Schools staff proposed creating a new centralized early childhood education center at the district's decommissioned Catherine Carpenter site, presenting the idea to the Finance and Facilities Committee on April 14.
The district's presentation said the center would be intentionally designed for early learners and would offer a continuum of classroom models (general, unified, integrated and specialized), wraparound care options with partners such as JCPRD and Y Care, screening and training spaces, and potential transportation between school-based pre-K sites and the centralized hub.
The proposal emerged as part of the district's strategic plan work (strategy 1.3.1) and an action team that began meeting in November to study marketing, facilities, equity and partnerships. Committee members were given a first look before full-board consideration. "This is something brand new that you guys haven't heard from us on," the presenting staff member said during the meeting.
Why it matters: district staff cited research on the long-term benefits of high-quality early education (including higher graduation rates and reduced special-education costs) and said a purpose-built center could expand equitable access, provide a range of classroom models and make wraparound care more feasible for families who currently lack space at some school-based sites.
Details and next steps: the district told the committee that for the coming school year 21 of 34 elementary sites will have a pre-K classroom (15 general pre-K, 6 unified). The existing early childhood center at the Old Broadmoor building currently has 14 classrooms serving about 204 students (12 integrated classrooms, two specialized classrooms) and 41 peer placements, and operates on a four-day week.
District staff recommended the Catherine Carpenter site as the initial option for a new center and said bond proceeds and related interest/premium funds could cover a large share of upfront capital costs. Finance staff reported approximately $29.1 million remaining in bond funds before an estimated $2.2 million arbitrage payment; after that payment the presentation estimated roughly $26.9 million available. The presentation also noted an encumbered balance of about $15 million tied to ongoing projects and said bond premium and interest income helped generate the available funds.
Staff repeatedly cautioned that capacity, final cost and operational impacts remain to be determined. Designers would be engaged only after a formal board decision; capacity planning and operating-cost estimates would be completed during design. A committee member asked about operating costs and the presenter said initial operations could be covered at a relatively flat cost but that expansion over time would likely increase staffing and operating expenses and would be addressed in a later, more detailed report to the board.
Board reactions: board members and the appointee representing the Shawnee Mission East area, Melissa Rooker (Executive Director, Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund), expressed strong support for expanding early childhood access. Several members asked for clearer parent-facing materials describing how a centralized center would change day-to-day routines for families, particularly around transportation and wraparound care.
What was not decided: the presentation was a recommendation and an invitation for committee feedback ahead of a forthcoming report to the full board. The committee did not vote and no contract or design firm was authorized during the meeting. Staff said the plan would be brought to the board for further discussion and, if approved, would move to designer selection and capacity planning.
Next steps and timing: district staff said they will continue action-team work, refine model options (school-based five-day models vs. four-day centralized models), develop budget/operational estimates, and present a formal recommendation to the full board at a future meeting. Committee members were invited to bring questions to the board meeting the following Monday.
