North Kansas City Schools face $16 million budget shortfall amid state funding cuts

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.

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North Kansas City Schools are facing a roughly $16 million budget shortfall for the 2027-28 school year, driven by a statewide funding crisis and rising costs, leaving parents worried how it could impact their children.

Jack McCormick

The district ended the 2026 fiscal year with a $5.6 million state funding shortfall. It projects another $11 million in lost revenue for the 2027-28 school year, bringing the total gap to approximately $16 million in recurring savings the district says it needs to find.

The budget pressure comes as the Missouri State Board of Education voted to request the same level of formula funding appropriated in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, rather than backing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's recommendation for full funding. That decision could leave the state's foundation formula underfunded by approximately $270 million for fiscal year 2028.

The current calculated State Adequacy Target is $7,145. If the formula is underfunded by $270 million, early projections indicate a paid State Adequacy Target of approximately $6,750 to $6,790. The effect of a lower target will vary by school district based on local effort calculations and hold harmless status.

The Missouri Legislature has not yet acted on the fiscal year 2028 budget request. It will be considered during the spring 2027 legislative session.

Jack McCormick

Beyond state funding, the district says its own operating costs are also rising — including food, utilities, employee benefits and salaries. District finance materials show approximately 80% of its budget goes toward salaries and benefits.

For parents like Nina Velasquez, whose daughter attends Oak Park High School, the concern is what budget cuts could mean for the people her daughter sees every day.

Jack McCormick

"I would say the staff. Staff is something really big and important for children. Like I said, the consistency of seeing the same faces," Velasquez said.

Velasquez said she hopes teachers continue to be valued even as the district looks for ways to save.

"I do. I think teachers should be paid for what they're worth. I think teachers' their job is very hard, especially when you speak about the education that they're passing on to our students," Velasquez said.

Jack McCormick

She also expressed concern about what staffing changes could mean for students' day-to-day experience at school.

"My daughter has a lot of support with the staff at Oak Park right now, and I would hate to see that loss. I think it would really affect the children if they have to keep on dealing with substitutes," Velasquez said.

The district has not made a final decision on its budget and says it wants to hear from parents.

The next community budget meeting is Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. for the Winnetonka Feeder Pattern. Additional meetings are scheduled through Oct. 12,
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