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Parents and teachers urge Lee's Summit R‑VII board to protect classroom funding and reconsider tech spending
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Summary
Multiple public commenters on April 7 asked the board to defend classroom funding against proposed state tax changes, criticized administrative pay increases, and urged auditing of district spending and reconsideration of student-assigned Chromebooks in elementary grades.
Several parents, alumni and teachers used the board's public comment period April 7 to press the Lee's Summit R‑VII Board of Education on funding priorities, teacher pay and district spending.
Beth Corey (speaker 21), an LSR7 alum and parent, praised newly elected board members and urged community members to move from "spectating and complaining to showing up and contributing." She warned against amplifying division on social media and called for authentic engagement with schools.
Ayesha O'Malley (speaker 22), a parent, said a state proposal to eliminate the income tax and replace it with higher sales taxes would shift the burden to families and undermine school funding, asking the board: "What is the plan if additional funding is cut? How are we advocating for our district right now at a state and federal level?" She specifically referenced House Speaker John Patterson as a driving force behind the proposal.
Heather Crane (speaker 24), a 23-year veteran teacher, criticized what she described as rising administrative salaries and 'salary compression' disadvantaging teachers. "We need more building staff, and maybe an audit will help reveal these discrepancies," Crane said, and she urged the board to "put the money where the students are." She also asked the board to fix pay-step gaps.
Kristen Grubbs (speaker 25) presented data she said showed reading proficiency declines since district-wide student-assigned Chromebooks were introduced and argued that device-related costs increased curricular expenditures. She urged district leadership to "consider a reduction in student assigned devices, especially in our elementary grades." Grubbs also questioned past vendor contracts and program accountability.
Robert Andrew (speaker 23) framed funding as a moral issue and cautioned that statewide funding formula changes could quickly erode local gains: "Please don't allow the budgets to be destroyed," he said.
Board members did not provide immediate policy changes during the meeting; the comments were noted and, per board policy, may prompt further discussion with the superintendent. Several commenters asked how community members could support board advocacy and what concrete contingency plans the district has if state funding is cut.
