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Leavenworth Public Schools is facing a $3 million budget shortfall for the 2026-27 school year that could force the closure of an elementary school.
The district is dealing with a 15% decline in enrollment in the last five years.
District officials had a work session Tuesday where RSP & Associates, presented data on the district and school board members discussed budget reduction options.
USD 453, which once served over 4,000 students and operated as a 6A high school around the turn of the century, has seen enrollment drop from just under 3,700 students in 2021-22 to just under 3,100 for this year.
Enrollment projections are trending, with another 9% decline in enrollment by 2030.
Superintendent Kellen Adams is considering two primary options to address the crisis.
The first involves closing one of three elementary school buildings, with both David Brewer Elementary and Anthony Elementary operating at or near just 50% of its capacity.
The second option would repurpose the Richard Warren Intermediate campus, moving 5th graders back to their home elementary schools and 6th graders to middle school.
"If we can eliminate two or three from our operational footprint, that savings is felt almost immediately," Adams said.
The district currently faces a $1.5 million budget gap.
The total budget, which is about $40 million, will have to be cut to about $37 million for 2026-27 school year.
Adams explained the financial challenges stem from multiple factors; including approximately $1 million in lost revenue due to fewer students, along with an estimated $2.2 to $2.3 million in increased expenses for health and property insurance.
Adams attributes the enrollment decline to families leaving the district and limited growth potential.
The district serves the state's fourth-smallest geographic area at only 17 square miles in a very residential-based community with few large developments remaining.
Adams said there's a lack of new housing development that typically brings families with school-age children.
He says he wants the district to be more proactive going forward, but that he's worried about addressing the more immediate issue first.
The district has already implemented cost-cutting measures, including freezing positions held by employees who left the district and closing Nettie Hartnett building. The building is for sale.
Transportation logistics add another layer of complexity to potential changes.
The district currently buses students who live farther than 2.5 miles from school.
An already challenging reality, Allen says if they do close a school and students are farther away, they can add more bus routes.
He says that could be a positive since the state provides money for transportation costs like those.
Adams emphasized that the district plans to manage changes without creating oversized classrooms or cutting jobs.
"While the position may go away, the person doesn't go away," Adams said. "Our plan is to not have class sizes of 30, 32 kids.”
He says there’s a message he wants to get across through all of this.
“There is still that promise that if you want to be here, we want you to be here," he said.
The potential changes are already causing concern in the community.
Diana McNair, a daycare driver who has been picking up students for nearly three years, serves families at both schools under consideration for closure.
"I love the kids,” McNair said. “They love me.”
McNair worries about the impact of consolidation on education quality and the emotional impact on students
"Their school means a lot to 'em," McNair said.
Some families have deep generational ties to the schools.
"Some of my mom's went to David Brewer,” McNair said.
Despite the emotional attachments, McNair acknowledges the financial reality facing the district.
"When it comes down to money, things go," she said.
Adams plans to make his recommendations on February 9, where it’s up to the school board to vote on a final option.
He believes decisive action is necessary rather than prolonging uncertainty.
"If we continue to string this out, people are left to wonder," he said. "There's a tough decision, and as the saying goes, bad news doesn't get better with time."
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