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Board members report conference takeaways, staffing needs and express concern over new Topeka TIF notice

Topeka Public Schools Board of Education (USD 501) · November 20, 2025

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Summary

Board members shared principal-for-a-day observations, KASB conference takeaways (including AI tools and legislative preview), and flagged concern after the City of Topeka served notice of a new tax-increment financing (TIF) district with a 30-day window to raise objections affecting district revenue. Board members also noted Head Start funding remains pending.

Board members used their comment time to summarize recent activities and raise district priorities.

Members who participated as principal-for-a-day described improved school climates and strong student engagement at several schools. Several board members reported takeaways from the Kansas Association of School Boards conference including sessions on modernizing district operations with tools such as OnFlow (a multilingual AI/community contact platform), legislative previews about potential voucher bills and school finance formula work, and presentations on communication and trust-building.

Finance-related concerns featured prominently: Doctor Bonebrake and others noted a rise in insurance costs and that the district is awaiting an award notice for Head Start and school-lunch funding; staff told the board they are anticipating full funding but have not yet received the award. Separately, the board discussed a City of Topeka notice about the creation of a new TIF district (public hearing on Nov. 12) and the 30-day deadline for the district to register adverse-impact concerns; members explored options including committee review, agenda notice, or direct liaison with city planning to protect district revenue interests.

Board members also encouraged recruitment for hard-to-fill positions (math and science), discussed intercom modernization, water-sensor installation to reduce insurance risk, and flagged the rapid development of AI as an area needing policy attention.