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Leavenworth USD 453 confronts $2.5 million FY27 shortfall; board weighs closing an elementary and listing Nettie Hartnett property
Summary
Superintendent Kellen told the board the district faces an estimated $2.5 million gap for fiscal 2027 after a 140-student enrollment decline; staff proposed exploring closure of one elementary (estimated savings $1.2'$1.5 million) and agreed to list the Nettie Hartnett property instead of reserving a parcel for a future program.
Superintendent Kellen told the Leavenworth Unified School District (USD 453) board on Nov. 10 that the district faces an approximate $2.5 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2027 driven primarily by an enrollment decline of roughly 140 students.
Kellen said the district has already cut about $5 million last year and that the current shortfall includes rising operating costs such as insurance and utilities and increased compensation pressures. "All in, $2,500,000 is what you've gotta find," he said, urging trustees to consider deeper options than the "cutting around the edges" that had occurred in prior years.
Why it matters: The district's enrollment decline reduces state funding tied to student counts and forces choices between…
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