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Olathe board hears plan for 'Compass' short‑term program to support students with behavioral needs
Summary
Olathe district leaders described Compass, a short‑term, intensive general‑education program for K–8 students with significant behavioral and social‑emotional needs. The model emphasizes referrals by interdisciplinary teams, staff training, and planned reintegration to home schools.
Dr. Liz Harrison presented the district’s Compass program on March 2, describing a short‑term, intensive general‑education pathway for students (K–8) who continue to struggle with social‑emotional and behavioral needs despite school‑based interventions.
Harrison said the program will accept referrals from home‑school teams to a district interdisciplinary team including principals, counselors, psychologists and district leaders; that team will make independent placement decisions and coordinate transition plans back to the home school. "Our goal is to create a short‑term program that's aligned to our MTSS and our PBIS so that it's the same programming, same things that are available in all of our schools," she said.
Staffing and training: The Compass model is built to be flexible; elementary classrooms may serve multiple grade levels and the district aims to staff each classroom with one certified teacher and one instructional aide, plus access to a counselor or social worker and a school psychologist. Harrison said staff will complete PBIS modules this spring and safety/crisis management training before August.
Timeline and referrals: District leaders expect to open the referral process in the fourth quarter and to be ready to welcome students in August. Harrison emphasized that Compass is not intended as a permanent placement but as a time‑limited intervention: "When the team, including the student, is ready, then we'll have a really intentional plan transition back to the home school."
Board response: Trustees thanked staff for the planning and expressed support for the program’s emphasis on preserving students’ connections to their home schools and mascots. Several trustees asked about referral timing and expected initial cohort size; Harrison said the program will likely start with a small number of students and scale as needed.
Next steps: District staff will continue hiring, finalize transition protocols, and run staff professional development ahead of the planned August opening.
