Emporia district presents plan to close Logan Avenue Elementary; parents and staff urge reconsideration

The Emporia Board of Education on Monday heard a detailed presentation recommending the closure of Logan Avenue Elementary beginning with the 2027–28 school year, a measure the district says would save roughly $1.38 million annually and help address multi‑year enrollment declines and a growing budget gap.

Dr. McGehee, the district presenter, said the closure is one element of a larger cost‑containment process that produced roughly $33.2 million in recommendations across several phases. He told the board the district receives about $5,615 per full‑time‑equivalent student this year and that a projected drop of about 400 funded students next year would reduce district revenue by roughly $2.3–$2.4 million. "Closing one of our elementary schools will result in an additional savings of approximately 1,400,000," he said. The superintendent emphasized the board would implement changes in stages, with consolidation and other phase‑three measures not slated to begin until the 2027–28 school year.

Why it matters: The district says declining enrollment and changing state funding formulas—especially potential changes to at‑risk and special‑education weightings—have reduced revenue and left the district…