Emporia board approves cost‑containment plan, schedules public hearing on potential Logan Avenue closure

The Emporia School Board on March 11 approved a two‑phase cost‑containment package designed to address multi‑year revenue shortfalls and directed the clerk to publish notice of a public hearing on a proposal to close Logan Avenue Elementary.

Superintendent Dr. David McGee told trustees the district faces a current‑year deficit and ongoing enrollment losses, saying the district is "estimated to deficit spend approximately $2 million" this year and projects about $2.3 million in state revenue loss next year tied to lower enrollment. He said the district has lost roughly 21 percent of students over the past decade — about 1,000 pupils — which represents about $5 million in state aid. The cost‑containment team recommended a mix of staffing adjustments and program changes that total $3,430,955 in projected savings; the recommendation does not include any savings that would result from a school closure.

The board approved the phase‑one and phase‑two recommendations by a unanimous 7–0 vote. The package as presented includes roughly 26–28 full‑time‑equivalent positions targeted over two years, with administrators saying the district will attempt to absorb as many reductions as possible through vacancies, retirements and reassignments.

At the same meeting trustees voted 5–2 to direct the clerk to publish legal notice of a hearing on a proposal to close Logan Avenue Elementary. Administration said the district will meet the Kansas requirement to publish the notice in the local paper for two consecutive weeks (the Emporia Gazette on March 24 and March 31) and that the public hearing is scheduled for April 15; the board indicated a decision on whether to close the school would come at a subsequent meeting after the hearing and after receiving public input.

Community members, parents and school staff filled the public‑comment period and urged trustees to spare Logan Avenue. "For many families, Logan Avenue is a highly accessible school," said Jaci Joplin, a sophomore at Emporia High School. "It’s a great day to be a Logan Avenue Lion," she added. Several speakers emphasized that Logan serves a high proportion of low‑income and diverse students, that many families walk to the school, and that the building functions as a neighborhood hub beyond classroom instruction.

Nikki Rice, a classroom teacher at Logan Avenue, said the school "is not a failing school. We are a national showcase school," and warned that closures tend to disproportionately affect neighborhoods with the fewest resources. Jay Vy, a community organizer, said nearly 800 people had signed a petition to save the school and questioned whether past boundary and siting decisions had contributed to Logan’s enrollment decline.

Trustees and administration also discussed special‑education funding. Dr. McGee said the district expects to transfer "a little over $5 million of general funds" to cover a special‑education shortfall because state funding has not met the statutory target; he added that legislative increases under consideration would not fully close the local gap.

Other items on the agenda included a temporary amendment to the district’s administrator reemployment policy to permit a retired administrator to serve as an interim next year (the board approved the emergency amendment), and the board approved submission of the district’s 2026‑27 Kansas accreditation action plan focused on standards alignment and math curriculum work.

What happens next: notice of the Logan Avenue hearing will appear in the Emporia Gazette as required; the special hearing is scheduled for April 15, and trustees indicated a decision on any closure would be taken only after the hearing and after further deliberation at a subsequent board meeting.