Kansas City Public Schools: Board Business Meeting (Sept. 23, 2026)

By Masha Mackey, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

• Kansas City Public Schools reported continued improvements in teacher recruitment and retention.
• District leaders outlined strategic priorities for its Office of Education Collaboration, including strengthening charter sponsorship, updating the district’s system analysis and improving collaboration across Kansas City’s public education system.
• The board unanimously approved several governance motions related to the consent agenda process, adopted its 2026-27 state legislative priorities, approved the 2026 property tax levy and authorized about $200 million in general obligation bonds for capital improvements.
• A PowerPoint presentation with background for agenda items is here. 

Notes

Human Resources Update

• Human resources staff reported continued progress in teacher recruitment and retention.
• The report said KCPS has continued to increase the number of certified teachers through recruitment partnerships and Grow Your Own educator programs. Certified staff retention remained at roughly 85% for the third consecutive year, while classified staff retention also met the district’s 85% goal.
  • Certified staff fill positions requiring specific educational qualifications, such as teachers or administrators.
  • Classified staff fill positions that do not require a teaching certificate and typically involve support roles, such as paraprofessionals, administrative assistants and custodians. 
• District staff reported:
  • Certified vacancies declined to six positions.
  • It had 99.5% of its teaching positions filled.
  • Daily staff absences increased about 22% from the previous school year.
    • [Editor’s Note: Micah Enders, executive director of human resources, did not address the cause for the increase, but discussion during other parts of the meeting mentioned increased use of family and medical leave as one potential cause. One board member noted it would be helpful to break down the data between planned and unplanned absences.]
  • Substitute fill rates improved from 61% to 77% following an increase in substitute pay during 2025.
• District leaders said reducing vacancies had shifted attention toward employee absences, noting that frequent absences create operational challenges for principals and reduce teacher planning time.

Office of Education Collaboration Update

• District staff presented strategic priorities for the KCPS Office of Education Collaboration and charter sponsorship efforts.
• The presentation outlined priorities including:
  • Improving collaboration across district departments
  • Updating public education system analysis.
  • Strengthening charter sponsorship practices.
  • Improving data collection.
  • Expanding communication among public education partners.
• Staff said the district’s previous system analysis was completed in 2019 and should be updated to reflect changes in enrollment, legislation and Kansas City’s educational landscape.
• Board members discussed:
  • Charter school application standards.
  • How parents can communicate concerns involving charter schools.
  • Participation in the Collaboration Council.
  • Access to statewide education data.
  • Future system analysis updates.
• Staff said parents experiencing concerns with charter schools should first contact the school directly but may also contact KCPS for assistance locating the charter sponsor.
• Board members also discussed whether future system analyses should include comparisons with other Missouri communities such as St. Louis.

Board Governance Motions

• Board Chair Rita Cortés introduced three governance motions developed following discussion at the August business meeting.
• The board approved motions to:
  • Require a board motion, second and vote before removing consent agenda items for separate consideration.
  • Allow approval of the consent agenda by majority vote of the full board.
  • Refer Appendix A (Board Code of Conduct) and related governance policies to the policy committee for review and future recommendations.
• Board members said the changes were intended to improve governance, clarify consent agenda procedures and allow more board time to focus on student outcomes.

Government Relations Committee

• The committee presented the district’s proposed 2026-27 state legislative priorities.
• Legislative priorities include:
  • Protecting public education funding.
  • Fully funding Missouri’s foundation formula.
  • Opposing legislation reducing public education revenue.
  • Advocating for fair property tax policies.
  • Opposing implementation of a statewide A-F school-quality grading system as the primary accountability measure for public schools and districts.
  • Supporting greater transparency and accountability for all schools receiving public funds.
• Board members discussed concerns that a statewide letter-grade accountability system could oversimplify school performance and rely on outdated student data.
• The board unanimously adopted the district’s 2026-27 state legislative priorities.

Regular Business

• The board unanimously approved several business items, including:
  • Proposing a 2026-27 property tax levy of 5.5699, including a 4.9599 operating levy and a debt service levy supporting voter-approved bonds. In April, KCPS will place on the ballot a request for voter approval of the proposed operating tax levy. The district is not proposing to increase the operating levy.
  • Ratifying about $200 million in general obligation improvement bonds for district capital projects
  • Approving Change Order No. 3 with J.E. Dunn Construction for Central High School renovations using existing contingency funds.
  • Approving a service agreement with KVC Behavioral Healthcare Missouri to provide specialized student services funded through the Special Education Operating Fund.
• The board also approved additional contracts and routine business items included on the agenda.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

Observations

• Much of the meeting focused on governance, long-term planning and financial oversight rather than day-to-day district operations.
• District leaders emphasized balancing accountability with collaboration across Kansas City’s broader public education system.
• Board discussion reflected continued efforts to streamline governance procedures following lengthy consent agenda debates during previous meetings.

Follow-Up Questions

1. How will KCPS measure progress toward the strategic priorities outlined for the Office of Education Collaboration?
2. What timeline will the policy committee follow when reviewing Appendix A and other board governance policies?
3. How will the district communicate updates on implementation of its newly adopted legislative priorities before the 2027 legislative session?

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