Kellen Adams, superintendent of Unified School District 453, told the Leavenworth City Commission on Dec. 18 that the district is facing a sustained enrollment decline that is driving immediate and longer-term budget reductions.

Adams said the district's funding in Kansas is tied to student counts and related weightings. "Simply put, we've been losing students," he said, and added that the district's peak enrollment was "3,692" (headcount) in the past decade while weighted full-time equivalency has fallen from almost 6,000 to just over 5,600 this year. Adams told commissioners the district faces a roughly $2,500,000 reduction to its general fund tied to enrollment declines and that officials are also preparing for a separate, substantial increase in insurance and other operating costs.

The superintendent identified three main drivers: fewer school-age children living in-district households, the end of federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds that had been used for some operating costs, and inflationary increases in items such as property/casualty and health insurance. "Every student that qualifies as at-risk brings with them $2,500," Adams said, explaining how small shifts in student counts for free- and reduced-price lunch eligibility affect district revenue.

Adams said the decline is not primarily due to population loss in Leavenworth but to fewer households with school-age children and limited developable land within district boundaries. He said the district is exploring multiple responses: pursue any additional revenue (including outreach to families who left the district), use the revenue-neutral option for capital outlay where appropriate, pursue impact aid documentation for federally connected students, reduce nonessential subscriptions and purchases, and rely on attrition rather than immediate layoffs where possible.

On impact aid, Adams said the district has identified approximately 300 students who may qualify if families provide proper paperwork; he described the aid as "real dollars" but said families must submit documentation for the district to claim it.

Adams described a tiered approach to cost reductions, saying the district will try first to cut subscriptions and low-impact items before moving to higher-impact steps such as delaying raises or eliminating positions. "We've got to minimize the impact on kids and minimize the impact on teachers," Adams said, while acknowledging that some course offerings or schedules could be altered if class sizes fall below viable levels.

Commissioners asked about military-connected students, homeschooling and virtual school options, expulsions and bullying. Adams said military-connected enrollment has not notably increased and that the district still offers virtual options through eighth grade. On expulsions he noted Kansas rules limit maximum expulsions to approximately one year and that families sometimes enroll students in other districts or virtual schools rather than wait out an expulsion.

Adams urged local leaders to consider housing and development policies that increase family housing in the district's boundaries. "Providing more affordable housing, specifically within our district boundaries," he said, "is one way to go." Several commissioners and staff responded that they are willing to discuss reimagining underused commercial parcels and pursuing housing strategies.

The presentation closed with Adams reiterating that USD 453 had been fiscally conservative and that the district seeks to use natural attrition and other measured steps to respond to the shortfall while preserving classroom instruction.

The superintendent's presentation was delivered as an informational report; the commission did not take a formal vote on district actions during the session.