KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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While many districts across the area are seeing enrollment decline, Spring Hill continues to expand. The district has grown for 27 consecutive years — and projects enrollment could climb another 24% over the next five years.
The rapid pace of growth has some parents asking questions about what comes next.
"Within less than a decade, a brand new school is already bursting at the seams," Forest Spring parent Lindsay Museouksy said.
Museouksy wants to know whether the district can keep up with demand while preserving what makes Spring Hill schools special.
"That's not slow, slow, gradual growth. That's exponential," Museouksy said.
Superintendent Dr. Link Luttrell told me the growth is driven in part by ongoing residential construction surrounding its schools.
"There are residential home construction all over and near those schools," Superintendent Dr. Link Luttrell said.
To get ahead of the growth, the district passed a bond issue in 2025. But Museouksy wants to know how far that funding will go.
"My question to the school district is, how far will the bond get us," Museouksy said.
Luttrell said the bond puts the district in a strong position for the near future.
"Definitely put us in a good spot for the next five to six years," Luttrell said.
Museouksy also wants to make sure class sizes don't grow so large that students lose the personal attention Spring Hill schools are known for.
"They care for you, and they care for your students. It's not like good luck out there, you know, into a sea of a million," Museouksy said.
For School Board President April Horne, a Spring Hill graduate, growth has always been part of the community's story.
"I'm a proud Spring Hill graduate of 1998 and it has changed quite a bit," Horne said. “We started out where City Hall is now in buildings that didn't always have air conditioning.”
But Horne said the community's identity has held steady through all of it.
"Even though our landscape has changed. The buildings have changed. The feel of this town has very much stayed that small town feel," Horne said.
Financially, the growth is working in the district's favor. The districts' assessed valuation has nearly doubled since 2022. Their biggest financial challenge right now is special education funding. Last year alone, the district transferred more than $3 million to help cover those costs.
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.
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