Parents want KCKPS to improve communication and special education, according to a report from Kansas City Documenters, a group that trains community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings. The notes are organized under three themes: a supportive school climate and positive student experience, family and community partnerships and communication, and safe, modern and effective learning environments. The text available here does not give the specific concerns parents raised or any steps families can take, so readers who want those details should read the full notes on The Beacon.
Preliminary results show Republicans kept control of the Kansas State Board of Education after voting concluded Nov. 3. All five incumbents up for reelection chose not to run, so five new members will join the board. Four winners are Republicans, and one Democrat, Amy Diediker, flipped a formerly Republican seat in the Kansas City area. The board now has six Republicans and four Democrats, and it sets policies and accreditation standards for the state's school districts. Results are unofficial until local election offices certify them in the coming days.
The Kansas State Board of Education is considering new policies on instructional technology in schools, covering the purpose of technology in elementary school, privacy and security, and AI. One open question is whether parents should simply acknowledge that technology will be used or be able to opt in or opt out. Several Johnson County school districts have asked the board to adopt an annual parent acknowledgement, which they say leaves room for local control. Shawnee Mission School District Superintendent Michael Schumacher warns that opt-in or opt-out choices would force teachers to plan two sets of lessons. Advocates Kim Whitman and Dana Hoffman want research-informed policy, and Hoffman says districts should lead on the issue. The board plans to finalize and act on the policy in November.
Some Kansas City metro districts are facing tighter budgets as enrollment falls. Blue Valley is looking at
7 million in cuts, and Olathe has lost 1,700 students since 2019 and plans to close six schools. In De Soto, USD 232 is down 149 students and is reviewing its budget, though it does not expect to close buildings or reduce staff. Kansas Association of School Boards officials cite the state's lowest birth rate in 100 years and a loss of 15,296 students since 2019. Dave Trabert of the Kansas Policy Institute says many parents don't trust public schools and are choosing home, charter and private options, though KASB's Leah Fliter said there is limited data to support that claim.
The Johnson County Post has published candidate responses on parents' rights and classroom and library books, one of five questions it asked candidates in federal, state and local races ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Readers asked what role parents should play when they object to a book, and whether the state should set one policy or leave decisions to local school boards. Several candidates said these choices are best made locally, with educators, parents and school boards working together. One said parents should be able to pick alternative reading materials for their own children without removing those books for all students, and another said parents always have the right to object to content. Responses on vaccine requirements, including for measles, will be published tomorrow.
The Johnson County Post has published candidates' answers on fully funding public schools and special education ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Four Johnson County school districts are considering suing the state, saying Kansas has long paid less than the 92% of excess special education costs that state law calls for, which forces districts to cover the gap from general education funds. Several candidates said they would vote to fully fund special education, with proposals including phased funding over three years, redirected tax revenue and cannabis legalization. Several also opposed voucher programs. The state's current school funding formula expires next year, and a bipartisan task force is already working on its replacement.
Four Johnson County school districts have hired lawyers to prepare a possible lawsuit arguing that Kansas has not met its obligation to fund 92% of the excess cost of special education since 2011. Lawmakers this year added $6 million, but the districts say closing the gap would take about
25 million. The Johnson County Post asked candidates for governor whether they would fight the suit or settle it by closing the gap. One said the fix belongs in a new school finance formula the Legislature will write next year, not in court. Another would push the federal government to meet its special education promises and expand options for parents. A third would close the gap by having the wealthiest individuals and large corporations pay their fair share.
Kansas State Department of Education · Thu, Oct 8, 2026
The Kansas State Board of Education will meet Oct. 13-14 in Topeka, when members will receive the results of the spring 2026 state assessments in English language arts and math for third through eighth and 10th grade students, compared with 2024-25 scores. Commissioner Dr. Jake Steel will also present the 2025-26 annual report, "What Matters Most." Board members will discuss a draft instructional technology policy that would require each public school district and accredited nonpublic school to adopt and implement a policy on the use of instructional technology, with a final vote expected in November. Other items include a survey of recess and lunch minutes for elementary students and a presentation on technology use in Lawrence USD 497 elementary classrooms. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Oct. 13 in the Landon State Office Building, and the full agenda and livestream are available online.
Kansas is among the states listed as participating in a new federal scholarship program that begins Jan. 1. The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit can help families pay for private school, homeschooling, tutoring, special education therapies and other expenses. Children from elementary through high school can apply if their family earns up to three times the area's median income. Taxpayers who donate up to
,700 receive a federal tax credit for the same amount, and couples filing jointly can give up to double that. Governors of Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oregon have said their states will not join, with some arguing these programs divert resources from public schools. Federal officials have not yet said how they will inform families about the scholarships.
Wichita Public Schools launched Creative Minds in 2024, a microschool where students from multiple grades learn together through project-based learning. The district started it as competition for students grew from private schools, nearby districts and home schooling. Creative Minds now has four classrooms on two campuses serving more than 70 students in kindergarten through 6th grade, and its waitlist is around 200 students, built entirely by word of mouth. Its students follow the same state standards and take the same state assessments as other district students. For Kansas families, it is one example of a public district offering a different kind of option, even as the district's enrollment has dropped by about 6,000 students over the past decade.
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