Final decisions are still a week away; however, if the USD 253 Board of Education approves the proposed cost containment committee recommendations in their current form, it would mean the closure of a district school in the 2027-28 academic year.
The school in question, Logan Avenue Elementary, was chosen by the committee after six months of discussions and strategizing, as the district seeks to find roughly $4 million in savings over the next two to three years. How did the committee arrive at the decision? According to Board Member Jami Reever, one of three board representatives who served on the committee, Logan has the lowest enrollment and staff among district buildings, in addition to little to no projected growth in the coming years.
Reever’s comments came in an interview with KVOE News following a special work session on the containment recommendations Wednesday evening. According to projections presented Wednesday, closing the school would net the district just over $1 million in savings but would also mean the elimination of 21 positions.
Superintendent Dr. David McGehee noted that the district would take all action possible to help “transition” those staff members either within the district or elsewhere if so desired.
As for students of Logan Avenue, McGehee says they will land within other district schools once the closure, or as he called it, “consolidation,” is completed, should it move forward.
Board member Barb Fowler raised several concerns with the proposed closure of the school during the work session, but told KVOE News that she can understand the reasoning when looking at the numbers. That said, she stated during Wednesday’s meeting that she was not raising concerns simply as a board member, but as a resident of the Logan Avenue area and “for those not in the room” Wednesday.
If the school were to be closed, Fowler says the district does plan to maintain the building, which Fowler says gives her hope it could be put back into service in the future. For that to happen, however, Fowler says community leadership will need to play a role in that possibility.
This is the second time in four years the district has been faced with the possibility of shutting down a school after plans were explored back in 2022 to potentially pause operations at William Allen White Elementary School. The board would ultimately reverse course and maintain the school following a special board meeting and outpouring of support for the school from the community in July of that year.
Also potentially being eliminated is the district’s child care program, which could bring a savings of just over $157,000. Concerns regarding the program’s potential elimination were raised last December by district staff, represented by 3rd-grade teacher Amy Fehr, who stated that night that cutting the program would potentially leave district staff and families with no alternative options.
Currently utilized by 35 families based on data presented Wednesday night, the program was enacted several years ago to help offset the impacts from the childcare shortage that evolved following the COVID-19 pandemic. When speaking with Reever Wednesday, KVOE News asked if this could potentially lead to staff leaving for other districts or opportunities that offer such care, thus creating a new problem, a shortage in staff, while trying to address financial concerns.
With that in mind, KVOE News asked McGehee Wednesday evening if that were a possibility or if the closure was a “done deal.” McGehee replied that the decision does not rest with him and he will do as the board directs.
That said, McGehee noted the potential closure is just one of two phases of the cost containment strategy and possibly the most important if the district wants to capture the savings it is after.
As for phase one of the strategy, that will focus heavily on staff reduction over the course of the 2026-27 school year, with the district currently projecting the reduction of 28 positions between Emporia Middle School, Emporia High School and the district offices over that time. McGehee has stated before that it is his hope the district can accomplish this goal through natural attrition; however, he cannot guarantee everyone will have a job at the district in the coming year.
During Wednesday’s session, Board Member Lillian Lingenfelter stated the district is “going about this level of natural reduction the same way we did a few years ago, and I don’t know that we as a district or as a community have done anything that will lead to a different result.”
When asked if he believes the focus on natural attrition or staff reduction may lead to a “mass exodus” of staff, either out of fear or simply seeking better opportunities, McGehee says it is not a pressing concern currently, as this is not, according to him, a USD 253-specific problem.
Also included in phase one would be the reduction of one three and one four year old section, class size revisions, not renewing the Capturing Kids Hearts consultation contract, a 10 percent reduction in department and building budgets, reduction in food expenditures for meetings and events, paper cutting, a reduction in new teacher training days and the elmination of the JAG-K program for a total savings of just over $3.2 million.
The USD 253 Board of Education is set to consider and possibly approve the list of recommendations at their next board meeting this coming Wednesday, March 11th at 6 pm inside the Mary Herbert Education Center.
Full USD 253 Cost Containment Presentation
