Hickman Mills C-1 Schools Board of Education (Jan. 15, 2026)

By Janet Hernandez-Gomez, Kansas City Documenter

These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government.

Summary

• The Hickman Mills C-1 School District Board authorized up to $9.76 million in budget reductions to address a projected $14 million deficit, which district leadership said could threaten the district’s financial stability if not resolved.
• The board approved plans to consolidate to one middle school, create a sixth-grade center, and relocate Truman Elementary students to the building currently housing Alvin Brooks Middle School, saving an estimated $3.12 million.
• Teachers and community members raised concerns that cuts to pandemic-funded literacy and math intervention roles could increase teacher workload and negatively affect student outcomes.

Notes

Attendance

• Bonnaye Mims, President
• Byron Townsend, Vice President
• Vanessa Claborn, Director
• Ann E. Coleman, Director
• April Cushing, Director
• Irene C. Kendrick, Director
• Clifford Ragan III, Director

The Hickman Mills C-1 School District Board of Education held its regular meeting on Jan. 15, 2026. A focus of the meeting was the district’s ongoing “Road to a Sustainable Destiny” initiative. The meeting drew a large audience of educators, community members and district staff, many of whom attended to speak about proposed budget cuts and school reconfiguration plans.

District leadership opened the meeting by outlining the financial context facing Hickman Mills. Superintendent Dennis L. Carpenter said the district is undergoing a state audit related to prior concerns, though specific findings have not yet been finalized. He stated that when he arrived, the district’s finances were “in shambles,” citing a projected $14 million budget deficit driven in part by declining and uncertain local revenue.

The board approved Recommendation #1, authorizing $9,758,338 in cost savings through position eliminations, reclassifications, stipend reductions and cuts to contracted services across both operations and academic departments. The superintendent described staff reductions as the most difficult aspect of the plan, noting that after contracting costs were reduced “to the bone,” closing the deficit required eliminating positions that affect employees working across the district.

The board then approved Recommendation #2, adopting option two of the school reconfiguration plan for the 2026–27 school year. The plan consolidates to one middle school serving seventh and eighth grades, repurposes Santa Fe Elementary as a sixth grade center, and relocates Truman Elementary students to the current Alvin Brooks Middle School building, generating an estimated $3,120,331 in savings. District leadership emphasized that the vote focused on school configuration and enrollment alignment, not school naming decisions.

Public comment centered largely on the impact of staff reductions and school consolidation. Several educators and community members warned that fewer adults in school buildings could increase teacher workload and negatively affect student behavior and academic performance. Julie Pierce, an educator and community member, said cutting staff would place additional strain on already overworked teachers.

In closing remarks, the superintendent said addressing the district’s financial crisis will require multiple actions, including job reductions, school reconfiguration and upcoming April ballot measures, which he said would not raise taxes but could generate approximately $3 million annually for the district’s general fund.

Top Quote

“These cuts mean we have fewer adults to support our kids who are already not getting what they need because we’re a Title I school and the state is not doing what they need to do. So the question I really have for you is: Why are we not positioning the state to help us solve this problem? Why are you not petitioning up and out rather than all of your focus being down? Simply cutting and telling everybody to pull their pants up, like we aren’t working our butts off every day for these kids, is insulting.” – Julie Pierce, educator and community member during the public comment period (1:29:26)

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• Many public comments focused on the human impact of budget decisions, emphasizing that fewer adults in school buildings could worsen behavior and academic challenges. How will students who previously received literacy and math intervention services be supported next school year?
• Board members acknowledged responsibility for past financial decisions and framed the cuts as a necessary shift from “ideal” to “essential” spending. What steps will the district take to address teacher retention and burnout following staff reductions?
• How will the district engage the community ahead of the April ballot measures intended to generate additional operating funds?

Read more about this meeting and see all Kansas City Documenters notes here.