The Kansas City, Kansas, school board has approved site work for the building that will replace the existing Argentine Middle School (Maria Benevento/The Beacon)
The Kansas City, Kansas, school board has approved site work for the building that will replace the existing Argentine Middle School. The project is part of a $180 million bond issue voters approved in November 2024. (Maria Benevento/The Beacon)

Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools: School Board Meeting (April 14, 2026)

By Za’Carriah Simmons, 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.

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

  • During public comment, the board heard from one speaker who expressed concern about dismissiveness in the district toward Latino students, and another speaker who expressed concern about underfunding and understaffing in the district’s special education programs.
  • Board members received an update on the state education budget and other legislation considered during the just-concluded session in Topeka.
  • The board approved bids for a number of construction projects.

Meeting Attendance:

  • Randy Lopez, president
  • Wanda Brownlee Paige, vice president 
  • Yolanda Clark, member
  • Pamela Penn-Hicks, member (online)
  • Joycelyn Strickland-Egans, member
  • Rev. Robert L. Milan Jr., member
  • Valdenia Winn, member
  • Anna Stubblefield, superintendent

Board update and approvals

  • 2026 Kansas Legislative Update: Presented by lobbyist Sean Miller of Capital Strategies
    • Education budget: The state K-12 budget is $11.7 billion. The student population has slowly decreased. The budget includes $6 million in new spending for special education, $2.7 million for Blueprint for Literacy and $2.5 million for Safe and Secure grants for school districts that can be used for AED and CPR training.
    • State assessment scores: Lawmakers debated scoring on the state assessments during the budget process, and the upshot is that the Kansas Department of Education would like to move forward with new scoring, rather than reverting to old scoring, the preference expressed by the Legislature.
    • Enacted laws include bans on cellphones in schools and restrictions on student walkouts (with potential monetary penalties for districts that don’t comply).
  • Neighborhood Revitalization Act: The board discussed proposed changes to the Neighborhood Revitalization Act, a rebate program that encourages property owners to make improvements to their property. The proposed changes need the approval of all taxing jurisdictions in the county.
  • School buses: The board heard a presentation about the district’s buses. District staff is proposing purchasing seven buses (four new, three used) at a cost of $665,000.
  • Turf replacement: The board approved the turf replacement at Washington High School. The low bid came from Crouch Recreation, $572,110.
  • Computer replacement: The board approved financing the purchase of Apple MacBook Neos for all students in grades 3 through 12. The cost is $16.3 million plus interest.
  • New schools: The board approved a $5.9 million construction contract with Newkirk Novak Construction Partners for the site development portion of projects to construct a new middle school and new elementary school.
  • Schlagle High School: The board approved a $937,000 contract with McConnell & Associates to replace the running track and curbs at the F.L. Schlagle High School practice field.

Board Reports

  • Special Education:
    • Staffing is now three in-person staff (down from 13 in 2024) and 14 virtual staff (up from nine in 2024).
    • To keep in-person staff caseloads low, virtual staff caseloads increase to meet demand. The number of in-person students ranges between 14 and 22. There are 60 to 70 virtual students.
    • The higher number of students for virtual teachers is because in-person teachers have other responsibilities, such as bus duty and hall monitoring, that virtual staff don’t deal with. The virtual staff is said to be handling the case numbers well. 

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

  • What will the board do to address the issues identified in the SPED department now and in the future?
  • How can the district do more to help Hispanic and Latino students feel welcome?
  • Some speakers exceeded their time limit. Maybe the board could be stricter on enforcing time limits so that meetings do not run long.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@thebeacon.media with “Correction Request” in the subject line. Learn more about Documenters on our website.

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.