Enrollment ebbs and flows year-to-year, and while figures are still very fluid with students coming and going almost daily, this year Parsons USD 503 is seeing a decline in enrollment.
Declines in student numbers seem to be the case for most Southeast Kansas districts, from what USD 503 Superintendent Lori Perkins said she is hearing from other district administrators in the area.
Continued downward trends in birthrates have their impacts. Perkins said the district graduated 90 seniors in May, but only 71 kindergartners were enrolled this year.
During the next couple of weeks enrollment numbers are expected to remain fluid, given our very transient population.
The official enrollment count which the state uses to figure funding will be taken Sept. 22, since Sept. 20 falls on a weekend. The district will report more on enrollment at that time.
Revenue Neutral Rate
The Board held its special meeting as published to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR), however, the board took no action. The meeting was scheduled in July, when the budget was still being developed.
In Kansas, the Revenue Neutral Rate is the mill levy rate at which the district would collect the same amount of property tax revenue as it did the year before. Because property values change year-to-year, a taxing entity like the district could pass a budget with the exact same mill levy rate as the year before and be able to collect more revenue because the value of the property went up. If viewed like a percentage, 10% of $1 million in 2024 property values gives the district $100,000; if the 2025 values go up to $1.2 million, that same 10% gives the district $120,000. In order to collect the same amount of money, i.e., to remain neutral, you would have to lower that percentage down to 8.3334%. If you don’t lower the percentage (mill levy rate), you are thereby exceeding the RNR.
If they have not notified the county by July 20 of their intent to exceed the RNR, a district can’t later go back and say they are going to exceed the rate. So, if there is uncertainty, it is best for a district to plan on notifying the county they plan to exceed the rate and then forgo the action later if not necessary.
Perkins said once the budget was further developed it became clear the district would not be exceeding the revenue neutral rate, so no action was required by the board.
Heard school will not be in session Sept. 15 because of staff professional development. Horizontal curriculum alignment across grade levels will be the focus with new curriculum having been added. Curriculum alignment is a part of KESA accreditation.
Once curriculum is aligned across grade levels to ensure they are meeting state standards, focus will move to vertical alignment, and ensuring the flow of teaching to standards from one grade level to the next as a student progresses.
“It is a long process and should be a piece of professional development every year,” Assistant Superintendent Jeff Pegues said.
Tech Integration/Social Media Update
Tech Integration Specialist /Social Media Manager Matthew Peak in an accountability report told the board he has spent a considerable amount of time working to set up the new district-wide communications system that is being used called Rooms. This is the app teacher in all grades will use to communicate with students and parents.
As a parent, board member Julie Legler said she has found the application super handy and said she likes it very much.
Peak is working to create a page featuring all of the tech toys he has in inventory that teachers can check out and use in their rooms. He is hoping providing teachers with a page where they can visibly see what is available will encourage them to check them out for their students more often.
Peak also shared with the board that there has been extensive growth in the reach of social media since the implementation of Thrillshare in the district 2019, with the greatest increases in reach happening in the last year. In 2019, Peak said the district's 6 buildings reached 13,568 people. Each year since has seen growth. Peak told the board the numbers seen in a comparative week-long glimpse between last year at this time and this year show the reach has almost doubled. For example, he said, the five schools and district reached more than 249,000 people during a recent seven-day span.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board:
Accepted the resignations of district administrative/ HR assistant Amanda Riley effective Sept. 19; Patricia Kuffler, part-time high school custodian, effective Sept. 2; and preschool teacher Crystal Finley, effective Sept. 8.
Hired Skyller Hopper, as middle school assistant volleyball coach; Jennifer Miller as middle school child nutrition staff; and Jeremy Stenstrom as middle school assistant football coach; Lori English as substitute bus monitor; and Megan Shiflett, as substitute bus driver.
Approved the transfer of Nikki Brownell from high school secretary to district administrative/ HR assistant.
Accepted July donations to district schools totaling $2,637.04.
Heard the Tri-County Cooperative meeting mostly focused on funding issues and concerns about the condition of its day school.
Approved the LOB Percent using the maximum 33%, as last year.
The 2025-2026 Budget was approved as published. Business manager Laura Allison said the district was able to reach operating efficiency by reducing positions through attrition and was able to avoid layoffs.