Data-Informed Decisions: Repurposing Kennedy as Early Childhood Community Center

from Lawrence School Newsletter - May 2021

Effective Employees

Board to Repurpose Kennedy Elementary as Early Childhood Community Center

Amid rising operational costs and declining enrollment, the school board faces dif cult choices to nd ef ciencies. Executive Director of Finance Kathy Johnson estimates a $1.87 million shortfall in the current budget year, ending June 30. This stems from a decrease in the district’s weighted full-time equivalency (FTE) this fall, an unaudited student enrollment of 9,977 students or a loss of 647.9 FTE. The Kansas school nance system funds schools based on enrollment FTE. Johnson projects permanent budget reductions of $1.2 million in 2021-22 and an additional $500,000 in 2022-23.

Johnson began meeting with the board’s Budget and Program Evaluation Committee (BPEC) to look for ways to bridge the gap. The BPEC reviewed budget requests, additions, reductions, and reallocations. Johnson presented to the board this spring a preliminary list of approximately $803,224 in budget cuts to elementary and middle school staf ng, corresponding to lower enrollment; and staff and program cuts to board and district departmental budgets. The BPEC also reviewed budget and enrollment projections and building capacities.

Consultant Rob Schwarz, chief operating of cer of RSP and Associates, reported to the board in October that he looks at community development, demographics, Census, city and county data sets, income and unemployment, birth rates, and in- and out-migration, etc. to forecast enrollment. Schwarz said that among ndings of note, the district enrolled fewer students in 2019-20: a loss of 300 elementary students and 168 middle school students, and its smallest kindergarten class since 2005-06. He added that in relationship to building capacity, facility usage is lower than recommended for ef cient operations in 11 of the district’s 14 elementary schools.

The BPEC discussed proposals related to lowenrollment schools, including introducing multiage elementary classrooms or making Kennedy and New York schools a primary and an intermediate center. The committee discussed changing current staf ng thresholds that cap elementary class sizes. The BPEC voted to forward to the Boundary Committee a proposal to repurpose Kennedy as an early childhood community center and transition its K-4 students next year to neighboring schools with room to grow.

The Boundary Committee then looked at scenarios for accommodating Kennedy’s 172 K-4 students. It recommended shifting boundaries to transition 78 Kennedy students to Prairie Park, 19 to New York, and 72 to Cordley in the fall. The number of class sections would remain the same at New York. Cordley and Prairie Park, both with capacities to add ve sections, would need to add one and four sections, respectively. Since the district provides busing only to students living 2.5 miles from school, per the state of Kansas reimbursement, no Kennedy students would qualify for transportation.

Johnson estimated that combining student enrollments across the three schools would save $722,214 through a reduction of 11.113 FTE in staff positions, accomplished through resignations and retirements. The district will place current Kennedy staff in open district positions. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis met with staff and parents during two virtual Kennedy Conversations to discuss the change. He collected additional input through a Thought Exchange survey. “As I shared with the school community two years ago at staff convocation, Kennedy had the highest academic gains of all of our schools,” said Dr. Lewis, acknowledging the work of Kennedy’s staff and the school community’s feelings of loss about repurposing of the building. He thanked the staff and parents who shared concerns, including transportation, Kennedy’s high-risk population, and the importance of small class sizes. The board approved on April 12, 2021, the recommendation to repurpose Kennedy into an early childhood community center. “We will continue to make student-centered decisions and support our students from an academic, behavioral, social, and emotional standpoint,” said Dr. Lewis, adding that the three receiving schools would immediately begin planning activities to welcome Kennedy families.

Community Members Discuss Possibilities for an Early Childhood Community Center

Research shows that high-quality preschool experiences benefit children’s cognitive and social development and their success in school and life. Still, many children enter kindergarten without the benefit of preschool. Douglas County has recognized this gap. The Douglas County Health Plan, including the Anti-Poverty Coalition’s plan, focuses on early childhood education as critical to public health, anti-poverty efforts, employment, and economic development.

The school district began providing its early childhood readiness program in 1993 with private donations. A combination of state “four year old, at-risk” funds, community grants, and private donations now support the program, housed at Kennedy since 2009. The district provides the program free to families meeting eligibility requirements. It currently serves 150 children.

The district also operates Parents as Teachers and tiny-k Early Intervention Services, serving families of children from birth to age three. These services reach about 600 children in the county. In addition, Head Start offers a community preschool classroom at Kennedy.

“If we want to see our enrollment increase, this can be our pipeline. When families experience Parents as Teachers, Pre-K, and other early childhood services, they are more likely to stay in our district,” said Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis. “What excites and energizes me is thinking about what’s possible.”

Community partners shared ideas for what might be possible with community services for families of young children and support for early childhood providers expanded at one location, Kennedy.

Kim Polson, executive director of Community Children’s Center, shared key findings of a state needs assessment and the goals of “All in for Kansas Kids 2020-2024.” They cite the need to eliminate barriers to giving young children a solid foundation from birth, including inequitable access to high quality early childhood programs, a lack of continuity, and a disconnected system that creates significant navigational challenges for families. Community Children’s Center seeks to build connections to build resilient children and families.

Assistant Douglas County Administrator Jill Jolicouer highlighted local community health goals, including policy, system, and environmental changes that result in an environment in which the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) children living in poverty does not increase. “This is a community priority, and we need to have some forward momentum,” Jolicouer said.

Marie Treichel, provider services manager of Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, called access to affordable, high-quality childcare essential and especially hard to come by for families of infants and toddlers. “We would be happy to support efforts to add infant and toddler classrooms to the site,” Treichel said of a community center.

Referring to a familiar line, “It takes a village…,” from an African proverb, Anna Jenny, executive director of Positive Bright Start, said that she envisions a one-stop shop for essential services. “The closing of Kennedy school is an invitation to address the need to make early childhood services more accessible,” she said.

The Chamber’s vice president of external affairs, Hugh Carter, added, “There’s an acute shortage (of affordable, high quality childcare) in Douglas County – too few slots to meet the needs of working parents. That was already very limiting in our local economy and the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.” He said that transportation and childcare are the top two reasons individuals give for leaving the workforce.

“We have some really hard budget issues that we are going to have to deal with, and we are going to have to deal with those regardless of whether we participate in these partnerships to expand early childhood opportunities,” said school board member Shannon Kimball. “I see this (the repurposing of Kennedy school) as an opportunity for us to turn what would only be a negative into something that will also be a positive.”

Kimball asked the administration to return to the school board with updates about the planning for an early childhood community center, as well as a progress report from New York, Cordley, and Prairie Park as they welcome Kennedy families.

“This is a huge opportunity to come together and do some great work. If you think about it, this is our equity work,” said Dr. Lewis.

“To provide opportunities to work and/or continue school, I am just excited about that,” said board member Melissa Johnson, who said she benefited in that way by her son attending the early childhood program.