Shawnee Mission reports enrollment drop that cuts projected revenue by about $2.4 million

The Shawnee Mission School District told its Board of Education on Oct. 27 that its official September enrollment count came in lower than expected and will reduce state and local revenue this year and in planning for 2026–27.

At Monday’s meeting Chief Financial Officer Mr. Knapp said the district’s headcount was “about 250 kids less this year than the prior year” and that weighted full‑time equivalent (FTE) totals were down “about 294 FTE.” He said the difference will not reduce funding for the current year because state aid allows districts to use the higher of current or prior year totals, but it will affect next year’s budget.

The district’s presentation said general state aid will be about $1.8 million less than budgeted this year and local option budget (LOB) revenue about $600,000 less — “for a total of about $2,400,000 less in revenue in the current year,” Knapp said.

Why it matters: the district uses the September count to calculate weighted FTE, which drives state aid. Shawnee Mission’s finance staff said the enrollment shortfall was concentrated in Title I elementary schools and will reduce at‑risk and English‑learner funding tied to weighted student counts. Board members asked whether students were shifting to neighboring districts; Knapp said Blue Valley and Olathe also reported declines and that some families reported moving out of Johnson County or to private schools, while a few respondents mentioned immigration and cost‑of‑living pressures.

Board response and next steps: administrators said they will continue monitoring enrollment and begin the 2026–27 budget development process in November. Knapp told the board the district is in the final year of CPI‑based base funding indexing (about 2.8%) for the next budget cycle and that ongoing monitoring and conservative assumptions will guide recommended budget adjustments in April and May. The district said the submitted September counts remain subject to audit in January.

Clarifying details and limits: district staff noted the headcount and FTE numbers are preliminary until the audit, and that the current‑year funding formula uses the higher of prior or current FTE (so the primary shortfall will affect 2026–27 unless enrollments rebound). The district estimated a fall of about 290 FTE used for next year’s planning but said that figure could change if midyear enrollments recover.

The board did not take formal budget action Monday but directed staff to continue monitoring and report back during the budget process.