The USD 253 Board of Education will be looking for a new after-school program provider for the coming academic year following a surprising notice from the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas Wednesday.
Wednesday morning, just hours before the district’s board of education meeting, BGCSCK sent a 60-day notice to terminate its memorandum of understanding with the district to provide after-school programming just three years into a 10-year commitment, citing financial issues as the main factor. USD 253 Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Pam Stranathan tells KVOE News that the district had spoken with Boys and Girls Club over the past year about possibly reducing services in the near future; however, Wednesday’s announcement came as a complete shock.
In a news release Wednesday evening, BGCSCK CEO Junae Campbell, stated the club “Followed every recommendation, met with every suggested contact and applied for every viable grant. We came to Emporia because we wanted to provide a safe space for children and families, but a program like this simply can’t survive without broad community backing.” Stranathan tells KVOE News the district had offered to support their efforts for seeking additional funding from local donors; however, those offers, according to Stranathan, went unanswered.
Outgoing Superintendent Dr. Allison Anderson Harder says the situation comes at a difficult time for the district with just two months before the start of the 2025-26 school year. Anderson Harder says she is not giving up hope that the district and Boys and Girls Club may be able to come to an agreement of some sort to continue providing after-school programming in the near future.
The board of education unanimously voted to accept the 60-day notice from BGCSCK.
In other business Wednesday, board members had their first review of a proposed joint task force between the district, City of Emporia, Lyon County Commission and Emporia Recreation Commission, which would be focused on looking into strategies and opportunities for mill levy reduction countywide. Board members took no action on the item; however, the general consensus amongst the membership was not favorable.
Board member Jeremy Dorsey spoke with KVOE News following the meeting and stated there would be several “cooks in the kitchen,” which makes him question if the task force would be able to create a “consensus-based result.”
Board member Jami Reever says she questions the timing of the task force proposal, given the Kansas Legislature is set to “retool” the funding formula for education in the coming year.
Board President Lillian Lingenfelter says that while the board does not appear to be in favor of the task force at this time, she doesn’t believe the matter is fully closed, adding she hopes this can generate more constructive dialogue with the city in the coming weeks.
Additional details from Wednesday’s board meeting are available on the district’s website, USD253.org. The USD 253 Board of Education is set to reconvene for its next regular meeting at 6 pm on Wednesday, July 9, inside the Mary Herbert Education Center.
