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Piper board approves exit from special-education cooperative, hires fundraising consultant and adopts academic changes
Summary
At its Dec. 9 meeting the Piper School District Board approved a resolution to begin withdrawing from its special-education cooperative, approved a one-year fundraising contract not to exceed $9,000 per month, and adopted a series of academic and policy changes including a Latin honor system and course fees with fee waivers for eligible students.
The Piper School District Board of Education on Dec. 9 voted unanimously on a package of actions that included beginning the process to withdraw from a regional special-education cooperative, entering a one-year fundraising services contract, and approving academic-program changes for the 2025–26 school year.
Board action and outcomes at a glance: The board voted to begin formal withdrawal from the USD 500/Bonner Springs special-education cooperative after district staff said the district has hired most special services positions and can provide a continuum of services; USD 500 must still approve the district’s exit and the district must file required paperwork with the state department. The board approved a one-year contract with a fundraising firm with terms described in the motion as “not to exceed $9,000 a month” and directed staff to provide 90-day and six-month updates and to retain a 30-day termination safeguard. The board also approved the 2025–26 academic calendar (pending final negotiations with the teachers association); implementation of a Latin honors system (summa/magna/cum laude) beginning with the class of 2028; Piper High School course fees with fee waivers tied to free/reduced lunch status and payment-plan options; several graduation-requirement changes that free a course section for career-aligned electives; and the district’s Purple Star application process to support military families.
Why it matters: The special-education resolution starts a multi-step process with other districts and the state to reallocate services locally, which the district said would allow more direct control of staffing and programs. The fundraising contract indicates the district is pursuing outside help to raise non-tax revenue; board members requested periodic reports as the district tests the arrangement. The curriculum and graduation changes are intended to give students more elective choice and to align courses with new academy pathways.
Vote details and procedure: Most formal votes were recorded as unanimous (6–0). Where individual roll-call pronunciations appear in the record they are inconsistent in spelling; the official minutes should be consulted for the definitive recorded vote list. Several items were introduced by district staff and moved by board members; minutes show motions were seconded and then approved at recorded tallies of 6–0 for the listed items.
What the board directed next: Staff were asked to provide updates and draft policy language where appropriate—for example, draft language for grant-approval processes and consolidating federal-grant reporting—and to return with 90-day and six-month reports on the fundraising engagement. The special-education withdrawal requires external approvals and state paperwork before it becomes effective.
Board members and staff who spoke at the meeting included district leadership who presented the items and multiple board members who asked clarifying questions. The board then moved into executive session to discuss non-elected personnel matters and recessed the public meeting.
