Backpacks and snacks set up during a Lee's Summit schools event
KCPS will launch a redesigned website in March aimed at improving navigation and accessibility for families. (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon)

Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education (Feb. 11, 2026)

By Samyra Regalado, 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

  • Retention of students from pre-K to kindergarten in Kansas City Public Schools has increased 9% over the past three years. The current retention rate is 71%, with a long-term goal of 80%. 
  • Kindergarten readiness has declined by 2% since 2023 and now stands at 89%, just below the district’s 90% benchmark. 
  • The engagement team is working to strengthen its partnership with the District Advisory Committee (DAC) to expand and stabilize School Advisory Committees (SACs) and increase parent involvement at individual schools. The number of schools with an active SAC has slightly decreased.
  • KCPS will launch a new website in March to improve navigation and accessibility for families.

Notes

  • Meeting Attendance
    • Monica Curls, treasurer
    • Jamekia Kendrix, Subdistrict 2
    • Tanesha Ford, member-at-large
    • Brittany Foley, Subdistrict 5
    • Josh Jackaway, member-at-large
    • Rita Cortes, board chair
    • Jennifer Collier, superintendent
    • Julia Wendt, officer of early learning
    • Michelle Pendzimas, director of Head Start
    • Nicole Collier White, chief of communications and community engagement
    • Shain Bergan, director of communications

Superintendent Announcements

Family Communications/Engagement

  • Director of communications Shain Bergan gave an overview of the current means of communications within the district, which includes social media, the district website, community news, school messenger, talking points and KCPS-TV Live.
    • KCPS’s social media engagement has grown significantly from 2022 to 2026.
      • One of the department’s goals is to improve accessibility across communication platforms for families who speak foreign languages. Currently, the district primarily communicates in three languages: English, Spanish and Swahili. Two other common languages spoken by families within the district are Somali and Burmese.
    • Community newsletter views have increased within the past four years.
    • The team has been working on improving the efficiency and prompt response time for emergencies while taking into account privacy laws. 
    • KCPS will launch a new website sometime in March, with the hope that it will be easier to navigate.
      • The website will also include a translation tool, which will translate all content across the site, including departments, news, live feeds, calendars, events and more.
      • Pictures of the new website were displayed to highlight the key changes made. 
      • Individual schools will be encouraged to update their own pages, with guardrails in place.
    • A major success for the communications department was outside perception. Bergan shared that in the 2025-2026 school year, more than 50 news stories had been written about KCPS this year, and 85% of those stories were positive or neutral. The most common topics include bond projects, continued feedback on student and school achievements and new or interesting KCPS initiatives.
  • Director of communications Nicole Collier White gave updates on community engagement efforts.
    • As of December 2025, 30 of 34 schools have an active School Advisory Committee (SAC), a slight decrease from 31 schools in 2024. To strengthen SACs and the District Advisory Committee (DAC), the district plans to hire a new family and community engagement manager to focus on growth, training and relationship building.
    • The district will also offer in-person parent leadership training to support stronger, more consistent parent participation.
    • Volunteer engagement has increased during the 2025–26 school year, with 102 volunteers contributing more than 486 service hours to date.
    • The department emphasized its goal of strengthening and expanding meaningful parent engagement within the SAC program. Although every school has held SAC meetings this year, attendance remains low at some sites.
    • Additionally, the team outlined systems to ensure the new district website remains regularly updated and maintained.

Early Learning/Parents as Teachers

  • The early learning department currently serves 1,195 students in schools and 115 families in their homes. The goal is to expand to 1,500 seats by 2030, which will require the addition of 15 classrooms.
  • Retention of students from pre-K and kindergarten has increased 9% in the last three years. The current retention rate is 71%, with a long-term goal of 80%.
  • Overall kindergarten readiness has declined by 2% since 2023 and currently stands at 89%, just below the district’s 90% benchmark. Julia Wendt, officer of early learning, and Michelle Pendzimas, director of Head Start, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in current kindergartners.
  • The district’s Early Head Start program serves 16 infants and toddlers of teen parents, allowing student parents to continue their education while receiving child care support.
    • Teen parents are also provided with advising services to help prevent dropout.
  • While pre-K capacity has expanded in recent years, Head Start capacity has remained consistent. To meet future goals, the department will need to hire 15 more teachers.

Board Chair Report

  • Kansas City College and Career Attainment Network: The board approved a memorandum of understanding for the implementation and evaluation of the Kansas City College and Career Attainment Network (KCCAN) advising program. The agreement places six full-time KCCAN college and career advisers in KCPS high schools to expand access to personalized postsecondary planning and support for students. 
  • Piper Sandler & Co.: The board approved the second amendment to the district’s financial services agreement.

Follow-Up Question

  • What plans does the community engagement team have for parents who would like to be involved in programs like SAC, but cannot communicate in English? Will interpreters be provided for them?

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

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

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