Leavenworth board approves $1.5 million reduction package, opts to move 5th grade and freeze hiring after heated debate

The Leavenworth Unified School District Board of Education voted Feb. 9 to adopt a budget reduction package intended to close an estimated $1.5 million gap for the coming fiscal year.

Superintendent Dr. Helen Adams framed the decision as the result of declining enrollment and rising costs. Adams said the district has seen enrollment fall from about 3,900 students a decade ago toward a projected drop below 3,000 and faces mounting expenses for insurance, utilities and personnel. The board packet presented a range of options; the board ultimately approved the option described in the materials as moving fifth grade into elementary schools and implementing a hiring freeze (decision pathway labeled “option 5” in the board materials).

Adams warned that many figures remain estimates: she described the district’s projected increased expenses as “2.55” in the presentation and told trustees some numbers (for example insurance renewals) were not yet finalized. She said the district needs to find several million dollars in savings and that delaying decisions could worsen the fiscal picture.

Board members split over the shape of those savings. One motion that would have directed administration to proceed with closing David Brewer Elementary was introduced earlier in the meeting but was not the motion the board adopted. Instead the board debated—and then approved—the package that pairs moving grade configurations (fifth and sixth grade changes) with a district hiring freeze. During the roll call-style tally the board chair recorded a verbal count that the motion had passed with a majority of affirmative votes (transcript records a vocal tally of five in favor in the immediate roll-call exchange).

Trustees and members of the public raised multiple concerns before the vote: whether community survey responses supported closures, the potential disruption to special‑education services, transportation and traffic impacts if students are reassigned, and the risk that parents might take children to other districts under Kansas’ open‑enrollment rules (reducing revenue further). Dr. Adams and staff said special‑education services would continue but acknowledged some services would be provided in different locations if schools were repurposed.

After the vote the board also approved related facility realignments, including a motion to move central office and nutrition services into available space at the Intermediate Center (IC). Board materials and members described the IC repurposing as a way to reduce the district’s building envelope and operating costs; the motion to move the district office and nutrition services to the IC was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board repeatedly emphasized that these steps are designed to preserve essential services while buying time to pursue longer-term strategic options such as expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) or an alternative program. Multiple trustees said the package was a painful but necessary step to stabilize operations ahead of further work sessions on instructional models, transportation and staffing.

The board expects implementation steps to occur on an academic calendar timeline (moves and reassignments would take effect in August), and staff said they will hold additional study sessions to work through details such as classroom capacities, teacher‑student ratios and the assignment of specialized services.

What’s next: trustees said they will continue work in public study sessions to refine how sixth‑grade programs, special‑education placements and CTE offerings will operate under the new configuration. The board also flagged potential additional future actions to address any remaining budget gaps.