KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. She will continue to follow up on declining enrollment and school funding as part of her ongoing series, "Shifting Education." If you have thoughts or concerns about your own school district, please reach out. Share your story idea with Olivia.
—
The special education funding shortfall in Johnson County schools is affecting staffing decisions across the county. Blue Valley and Olathe are both looking to staffing changes to help fill the gap.
Blue Valley parent Shabina Kavimandan is concerned about the impact on paraprofessionals, support staff who work alongside teachers and students in the classroom, and what would happen if that support was taken away.
"I always notice when teachers are giving instruction, there's always a paraprofessional hunched over giving that support to the kids," said Kavimandan.
She says paraprofessionals are the difference between simply getting through the school year and succeeding in it.
"Our certified staff are the lifelines for our education system," said Kavimandan.
Kansas law requires the state to fund 92% of excess special education costs, but the districts say they are being forced to cover millions of dollars themselves.
Olathe Schools Superintendent Brent Yeager told me the district is making significant cuts.
"We're going to be doing more with less across our system," said Yeager.
The district has already made structural changes heading into next year.
"We have consolidated or eliminated 26 district level positions for next year," said Yeager.
Blue Valley Superintendent Gillian Chapman acknowledged the changes will be felt by families, though Blue Valley has since told me it will hold off on classified staff changes for a year.
"We're changing some of the ways we do business that may have some impact on customers, if you will, our families," said Chapman.
Blue Valley, De Soto, Olathe, and Shawnee Mission school districts announced Wednesday they are planning to sue the state of Kansas over special education funding. They said in a press release they have reached a tipping point after what they call the "state's failure" to meet its legal funding obligations.
Kavimandan worries that as cuts move closer to the classroom, the students who need the most support will feel the greatest impact.
"Kids that are losing out, but I think also the profession is being diluted. The teaching profession is being diluted so much."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
