Blueprint 2030

• Did MGT’s data analysis account for the gentrification that has been rapidly happening in Kansas City?

  • Gentrification was not one of the priority factors for facility recommendations. The priority factors included enrollment, recruitment and retention, equity, projected future demographic trends, facility conditions/operational costs, geographic location, and academic performance. 

• Did MGT consider the safety concerns of the students who would have to go outside of their neighborhoods to school with people they don’t know?

  • If any changes are made to schools or feeder patterns, transition teams will be utilized to bring school communities together, create a welcoming school environment, and address safety concerns. 

• Is the overlay MGT submitted available and open to the public?

  • MGT was not asked to provide an overlay. The overlay is a map request made by KCPS Board of Directors to KCPS Administration. Administration provided the overlay map to the Board.  

• How much has KCPS paid MGT since 2014?

  • KCPS has paid MGT a total of $120,488 since 2014.  For fiscal year 2015 the total paid was $94,028.  For fiscal year 2022 the total paid was $26,460. 

• Have we evaluated the return on the dollar for the value of their work?

  • No, an evaluation of MGT performance has not been conducted by KCPS. 

• Why did MGT bring in a “3rd party admin”?

  • MGT is the third party contracted by KCPS to complete the facility recommendations. 

• Why not rely on feedback from locals rather than MGT (out of town)?

  • KCPS has relied upon third party assessments from nationally recognized experts throughout the Blueprint 2030 process. Third parties provide an objective, critical examination based upon best practices. 

• How many KCPS buildings are currently mothballed?

  • There are 8 mothballed buildings. 

• What will happen to the old buildings that remain open temporarily?

  • Buildings that remain open will be able to enter the repurposing process while still occupied. 

• People want repurposed, not vacant buildings. How long will it take to repurpose the school? How will vandalism be addressed?

  • The Repurposing Initiative relies heavily on community input and market conditions. Timelines for repurposing vary from project to project. Closed school buildings are patrolled by KCPS Security. 

• What does “repurpose” mean?

  • Repurpose is the KCPS designation for surplus property. Launched in 2011, the Repurposing Initiative is a community-driven processes to find new uses for closed school buildings. For more information please visit: https://www.kcpublicschools.org/about/repurposing.  

• What happens after a school becomes a “swing site”?

  • Future uses for district buildings include being used for a swing site or another district use. This could include housing district offices or programs. 

• Can we use closed schools for affordable teacher housing?

  • Affordable teacher housing would be an excellent use for a closed school. 

• If we close schools down and enrollment goes up later, will we be able to open schools back up?

  • The recommendation allows for a total capacity of 18,000 students. The current enrollment is around 13,500. If enrollment increases beyond the already built in excess capacity, the district would need to reopen closed school sites. 

• What are the boundary maps (dividing lines) for the new list of schools?

  • Draft boundaries for the proposed recommendation can be found at: https://www.kcpublicschools.org/about/blueprint-2030.  

• How realistic is repurposing when some schools (e.g. Longfellow, Northeast, etc.) are already in good shape? 

  • Repurposing a school building in good condition is often easier than finding a new use for a building with significant facility issues. 

• Could charter schools purchase some of the buildings?

  • KCPS will go through the repurposing process to find new uses for closed buildings. In the past, new uses have included schools, market rate housing, affordable housing, community centers, and learning centers. Recently, sales have included restrictions for K-12 educational use. 

• If James Elementary School shuts down, what is it going to become?

  • There are many possible uses for James. KCPS will go through the repurposing process with the James community. 

• Can KCPS look at other schools for closure/repurposing rather than Faxon and Longfellow Elementary Schools?

  • This is a proposed recommendation. KCPS is evaluating feedback from the community and will make proposed revisions to the Board of Directors. 

• Why are the numbers for deferred maintenance? 
  I think the “What” are the numbers for deferred maintenance instead of “Why”. The  answer is—Maintenance is deferred normally due to budget constraints to repair or replace the capital item or system. Deferred maintenance is capital pieces that either need replaced or repaired.  

• Why did KCPS let maintenance costs rise? 
  Maintenance is deferred duet to capital or operational budget constraints. 

• Central High School has everything kids need and is a newer building. Why close it? 
  Enrollment for Central is very low in comparison to the building's capacity. Enrollment trends also indicate decline in enrollment will continue. In addition, the deferred maintenance for the building is over 14million dollars. Lastly, having a High school south of Brush Creek is critical for growth in student enrollment.  

• Why move CHS to SEHS when CHS is more updated, has AC, an Olympic Size Pool (and the only operational pool right now in district) with state-of-the-art equipment? 
  The district needs to continue to have a secondary high school presence south of Brush Creek. Without having a high school south of Brush Creek we anticipate losing even more secondary students in the southern part of the district. 

• Where will the new King Elementary School be built? 
  Current plans are to build on the site of the former King-Weeks school site.  

• What date does KCPS have in mind for the bond? 
  Preliminary discussions have been around an April 2024 vote. 

• Components of Blueprint 2030 are contingent on a bond passing. What happens to Blueprint 2030 if it doesn’t pass? What is the contingency plan? How will funding be generated? 
  Phase 1 of the BP 2030 are not contingent on the bond passing in April of 2024. If the bond did not pass we will need to work with the community, Board of Education and our business stakeholders on our next best steps for the district.  

• What will happen to the food services if the bond passes? 
  As part of the bond Child Nutrition Services areas would have capital updates. The service itself for children would not change. 

• What is proposed time for going for a bond (April 2024) contingent upon? 
  To properly poll, obtain feedback and campaign for a school bond, takes between 12-18 months to complete. In addition, an April 2024 vote would take a simple majority vote to pass.  

• Will school budgets be expanded to accommodate additional staff and students?
  Yes, the school budgets will be increased to keep the class sizes at the Equity TIER levels per the following; 

                                        TIER 3            TIER 2            TIER 1 

                    K-2                 17                 21                    25 

                    3-4                 20                 23                     27 

                    5-6                 22                 25                    30 

                    7-12               27                 28                     30 

• What is the monetary benefit for small schools?
  There is not a monetary benefit to small schools.  Small schools must split staff with other schools. 

• Can you explain the $13.2 million that will be redirected to academic programs? 
  The entire budget plan for BP2030 is on the KCPS website.  The redirected resources totaling $13.2 M is a result of the savings from the operating budgets from the proposed closing of schools. 

•  Specifically, what does the number mean and what period does the savings represent? 
  The number represents the total operating budget amount for the proposed schools closing.   The entire plan is on the KCPS website under BP2030.  The period covers four school years through FY27.  

• What is the research on the cost to bus kids to further schools? 
  Please see the answer below around the closing Central and bussing to Southeast. With boundaries not established for elementary schools it is difficult to predict any cost increase or decrease with the changes. 

• What are the transportation savings? 
  For the high school the following information was ran: 

With the current recommendation of Central HS students going to Southeast, some questions have come up around additional bus routes and bus route time.  Transportation ran a demo from his routing software so we could see what the routes and times would look like in comparison to this year's routes.  The following are our findings: 

 Current Routes Central High (22-23) 

• Longest route—47 minutes 

• Shortest route—27 minutes 

• Average route time—37 minutes 

• Total # of routes—8 

Current Routes Southeast High (22-23) 

• Longest route—60 minutes 

• Shortest route—13 minutes 

• Average route time—36 minutes 

• Total # of routes—11 

Central & Southeast Combined at Southeast (23-24) 

• Longest route—50 minutes 

• Shortest route—29 minutes 

• Average route time—40 minutes 

• Total # of routes—15 

The district would have 4 less routes to fulfill.  Route lengths are not substantially effected. 

Elementary boundaries have not been solidified yet so was not able to run the same comparison as the high school. 

• How are you going to make sure our children are safe at school and on buses this year? Next year? 
  When needed bus monitors are placed on buses to assist with safety concerns. This is also a current practice within the district. 

• How will kids get to school if they normally walk? 
  If the school they are assigned to is more than a half mile away from their residence they will be routed for a district bus route. 

• Will bus routes be expanded? If so, how much will it increase transportation time? 
  Until actual boundaries are established it is hard to predict either a decrease or increase in bus routes.  

• What is the plan for transportation with consolidated schools? 
  Without established boundaries for elementary we are not able to estimate probable bus route increases or decreases. Please see above for high school information. 

• And how much time are kids going to spend unsupervised on a bus? 
  Students are not unsupervised on a bus. Each bus will have a driver and some will have a driver and a monitor. 

• There is obviously shortages of bus drivers. How do you plan to overcome this obstacle? Is it worth the change of closing schools? 
  There is no reason to believe that we will need more drivers. The number of students is the same. Buses may be fuller and may have a slightly longer route but the number of drivers will likely be close to the same. 

• How many students does Central High School need to remain open?
  At this time, the recommendation calls for high schools of at least 1,000 students. The enrollment at Central High is 472. 

• Can the alumni increase Central High School’s population by 500 students?
  KCPS would encourage alumni groups to help the district increase enrollment. 

• There’s a waiting list for Lincoln Prep. Can Central High School become a college preparatory academy like Lincoln?
  At this time, the recommendation calls for two signature schools (Lincoln Prep and Paseo Academy) and two neighborhood high schools (East and Southeast). The recommendation does not include creation of another signature high school option. 

• Can Central Middle and Central High School be combined into one building to get the total numbers of students up?
  During Right-sizing, KCPS combined middle and high schools. Parents and students asked the district to reopen middle schools. Staff felt that middle school needs were not being met in a high school environment. 

• What would happen to school accomplishments, history, culture, awards, school pride, school records, legacy, etc.?
  KCPS Transition Team leads will work with each of the schools impacted for consolidation or closure to ensure school memorabilia will be retained and honored. KCPS desires to . Some of the memorabilia may be placed in the  

• Will consolidated schools be renamed?
  KCPS has yet to decide whether consolidated schools will be renamed. Should KCPS seek to rename a school, efforts will be made to engage the the community in conversation.  

• What happens with the alumni connection (to the school) for closed schools?
  KCPS encourages the alumni association of all schools, including schools for potential consolidation/closure, to continue to collaborate with us and the schools receiving students from their former alma mater. The students will continue to need mentors, reading friends, scholarships, and adults supportive throughout their education.  

• Where will NEHS alumni go for reunion?
  KCPS and the City of Kansas City have multiple location options for reunions.  

• What behavior and social emotional supports will be in place in consolidated schools?
  Each KCPS school has assigned school counselors, a restorative justice coordinator, and a clinician to assist and support students.  These supports will continue to be in place for any transition of students.  Additionally, KCPS contracts with the Center for Conflict Resolution as a support to schools that may need strategies to resolve conflicts between students or between staff and students.  

• What will happen to equipment, materials, furniture, etc. from closed buildings?
  The KCPS academic and operations teams will collaborate to determine what equipment, materials, and furniture is needed at the consolidated school sites for the additional teachers and students. Any excess furniture and equipment will be used for future use by the district. 

• What does evaluation/assessment of the plan look like?
  The plan will be evaluated on a yearly basis. The plan includes goals and strategies. Each goal will be monitored to check progress. 

Recommendations Board Presentation Community Chat Presentation RECOMENDACIONES PRESENTACIÓN DE LA JUNTA Mapendekezo ya Ruwaza ya 2030 Recommendations Board Presentation - Burmese Talooyinka la soo Jeediyay ee Qorshaha Waxbarashada 2030

Redirecting Resources

School Site Profiles Blueprint 2030 Summary Blueprint 2030 Implementation Timeline CALENDARIO DE APLICACIÓN DEL PLAN 2030

Frequently Asked Questions for Families Frequently Asked Questions for Staff PREGUNTAS FRECUENTES PARA LAS FAMILIAS

Before we can identify where we want to be and how we are going to get there, it's necessary to conduct a thorough assessment of where KCPS and our KC public education system are today. In 2018, KCPS conducted a data-driven analysis of the KC system (KCPS + charter schools) which identified areas of opportunity and areas in need of improvement (see report and summary below). During the assessment phase, KCPS is conducting a deeper dive into several key areas that were identified in the 2018 System Analysis, including:

Human Capital (staff recruitment/staff retention/staff attendance)

Facility Assessment (facility needs/utilization study)

Inefficiency Assessment (central office/school site)

Enrollment Trends (transfer analysis/market research)

Educational Assessment (signature schools/secondary schools/grade configuration/feeder system)

Part of the assessment work has been and will be conducted internally by KCPS staff. Some components will be conducted by independent, 3rd party consultants.

Signature school/secondary school assessments – KCPS has contracted with Mass Insight Education & Research, a Boston-based non-profit, to conduct school reviews of all secondary and signatures schools. The purpose of the reviews is to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for individual campuses, as well as, for KCPS' system of secondary and signature programs. School reviews will be conducted in January 2020.

Market research – KCPS has contracted with Hanover Research to provide market research services to better understand what drives KC families' school enrollment decisions so that KCPS can assess what, if any, system-level changes, and/or communications/marketing efforts are needed. The market research will include quantitative (surveys) and qualitative data (focus groups) collection from the KC community. To take the enrollment decisions survey, please go to the link below.

As assessment reports are available, they will be posted here for review/public comment.

Before we can identify where we want to be and how we are going to get there, it's necessary to conduct a thorough assessment of where KCPS and our Kansas City public education system are today. During Phase 2, KCPS will work with the community to identify goals for KCPS to achieve by 2030. Opportunities to get involved during Phase 2 are posted below in our Engagement Series.

Once KCPS has completed the Assessment Phase and established goals for 2030, we will work with the community to identify a variety of alternative scenarios or strategies for how to get from where we are today to where we want to be by 2030. Opportunities to get involved during Phase 3 will be available throughout the winter and spring of 2022.

Community Chats - Blueprint 2030 Scenario Engagement

The next phase of our Blueprint 2030 process includes bringing together scenarios for the future of KCPS schools and programs. From the academic vision to the programs in our schools, we will be discussing how our schools are configured and modeled for the future. And we need your help!

During these community chats, we will seek your feedback on the proposed scenarios for KCPS. We will show potential scenarios and you will get to provide your thoughts. From there, we'll be refining our scenarios based on your feedback. These are big conversations for KCPS - please join us so we can hear what you have to say. Let's continue building the future together.

After KCPS and the community have identified and evaluated scenarios during Phase 3, recommendations will be made to the Board of Education for review and approval. KCPS will present recommendations to the Board at the October 12 meeting.

Recommendations include introducing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) and world languages; programming that better reflects students’ cultures, provides hands-on learning and offers real-world experiences; and changes to facilities and classrooms. Proposed recommendations include:

• Introduction of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math)  
• Science labs in elementary schools
• Expanded access to fine arts and world languages
• Hands-on and real-world learning experiences
• Expanded learning beyond the classroom (more field trips!)
• Updates to facilities and classrooms

COMMUNITY CHATS - BLUEPRINT 2030 recommendations ENGAGEMENT

During previous phases, we frequently heard our KCPS students deserve an education that will help prepare them to enter a competitive market. Whether they choose college or career, our students deserve the best. As we move towards 2030, our goal is to improve the student experience by enhancing existing programming, introducing new offerings and providing state-of-art facilities for all students.

KCPS is entering one of the last phases of Blueprint 2030, where we finalize the academic vision, compile stakeholder feedback and evaluate the costs and benefits of the plan, and we want to continue the conversation with you. 

Join us for an upcoming Community Chat to learn more about our proposed plan and to share your thoughts and feedback. 

Proposed recommendations include:

• Introduction of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, math)  
• Science labs in elementary schools
• Expanded access to fine arts and world languages
• Hands-on and real-world learning experiences
• Expanded learning beyond the classroom (more field trips!)
• Updates to facilities and classrooms

Your feedback over the last three years has helped KCPS get to these proposed recommendations, and your continued engagement will help guide us towards 2030. Let’s continue building the future of KCPS together!