Kansas City Public Schools: Board of Education Work Session (April 8, 2026)

By Connye Griffin, 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

• A student from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy made a presentation about the Student District Advisory Council (SDAC).
• KCPS administrators briefed school board members on counseling and school leadership initiatives that have helped improve the district’s graduation rate. 
• Board members expressed support for the progress in achieving goals and meeting technology challenges.

Notes

Meeting Attendance 

• Rita Cortes, chair
• Tanesha Ford, vice chair (on Zoom)
• Monica Curls, treasurer (on Zoom)
• Brittany Foley, board member
• Joshua Jackaway, board member
• Jamekia Kendrix, board member (on Zoom)
• Tricia McGhee, board Member (on Zoom)
• Lisa Limberg, board secretary
• Derald Davis, deputy superintendent
• LaTanya Franklin, chief academic officer
• Erin Thompson, chief financial officer
• Scott Jones, chief technology officer
• Nicole Collier-White, chief communications officer
• Shana Long, chief legal officer
• Charnissa Holliday-Scott, chief human resources officer  
• Keyona Powell, K-12 director of guidance & counseling 
• Waymond Ervin, secondary school improvement officer 

Student District Advisory Council (SDAC) Update

• The SDAC gives students an opportunity to provide perspectives and guidance as KCPS develops solutions, programs and services. The council provides opportunities for students to share issues and ideas to make KCPS a better place for students and staff. The council also works on projects that will benefit all students throughout the district.
• Chase Minton, a junior at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, provided an overview of the SDAC. Minton explained the SDAC uses a program called Satchel Pulse to gather data from across the district and uses the information to focus on the issues of greatest concern to students. In the current year, bullying was reported as a problem. SDAC developed a resource guide to help students report and learn about de-escalating methods. Minton acknowledged that each school may not have access to the same opportunities, so SDAC is seeking ways to collaborate and to amplify its messages. 

Superintendent Announcements

• Deputy Superintendent Davis noted some recent district achievements, including the return of musical theater at East High School. The school acquired tools and sewing machines so that students could make costumes and sets.

Graduation Policy Monitoring

• Part 1: School Counseling
  • In reviewing programs the district is using to improve student achievement, Guidance and counseling director Powell noted the district’s graduation rate increased from 72.2% to 88.6% between the 2022 and 2025 school years. 
  • She further broke out student achievement in different categories, including gender, race, student-type and types of courses taken.
  • She said the counseling department uses graduation audit teams to review student progress, collaborate to prepare intervention plans and/or individualized success plans and conduct regular monitoring.
  • Challenges the counseling department faces are the 177 “under-credited” senior transfers who came to the district between August 2025 and March 2026 and delays in receiving records from the prior school.
• Part 2: School Leadership
  • School improvement officer Ervin emphasized the importance of early interventions. He noted research stating that ninth graders who pass all core classes “are 3.5% more likely to graduate than those who fail just one.”
  • Echoing the report from the counseling department, Ervin stressed the use of data to assess individual progress and the effectiveness of intervention plans.
  • He noted that the district’s graduation rate of 88.6% is about 3 percentage points behind the state average of 91.5%.
  • He told the board, in response to its request for clarification, that the counselors rely on grades posted and the number of credits earned to screen for on-track or off-track.
  • In responses to other board questions, administrators acknowledged the need to define “college and career-ready” more specifically and said an academic success contract (individualized intervention plan) generally involves checking in with a counselor and/or the building graduation coach who guides the student to success.
  • This year, the district projects that 21 students will not graduate, down from 42 last year.

KCPS Technology Roadmap

• Chief technology officer Jones reviewed upgrades, including replacing the phone and intercom system, and discussed student technology pathways toward earning information technology certifications and pursuing technology career paths. Board members praised those developments.
• Noting that student achievements improve with access to technology, Jones explained the hardware made available to all students and planned updates.
• The district will transition from iPads to Apple Neos for secondary students and MacBooks for teachers and staff. He noted more professional development will be needed so staff can take advantage of all that a MacBook offers. 
• He stressed that student input regarding keypads was the reason for moving away from iPads to Neos.
• Jones said that next steps in technology include:
  • Improving uninterrupted power supply. 
  • Assessing the usefulness of device insurance.
  • Upgrading to 30 gigabit internet speed. 
  • Implementing an artificial intelligence (AI) policy that “ensures safe, secure and educational use[s] of AI” while adhering to privacy laws and accessing only approved tools without supplanting “critical thinking, instruction or authentic student work.”

Other Business

• Board Chair Cortes reported an open seat on the KCPS retirement system board. The opening should be posted later in the week or early next. Once posted, there will be a 30-day window to apply.
• The board unanimously approved spending $2.7 million for the Apple Neos.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• What strategies will the district employ to support the use of AI without replacing “critical thinking, instruction or authentic student work”?
• What needs to change so that all schools are effectively tracking student progress toward graduation?
• The reports received by the board suggest students drive actions and policy.

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