Dr. Cynthia Lane tonight announced her decision to retire on June 30 of this year.
The superintendent of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools has served eight years as superintendent and 30 years with the KCKPS. She made her announcement at a school board meeting.
“Over the last several months, I have come to know that I am in the winter of my time serving as superintendent in KCKPS,” Dr. Lane told the audience. “Thirty years of service in KCK, including eight as superintendent, has always been part of my plan. Now is the time to create space and opportunities for our next generation of leaders. I do so with confidence that new leadership, working closely with our board, will move Diploma+, and all the work we have done to help our students reach their dreams, to the next level of success.”
David A. Smith, chief of communications and governmental affairs for the school district, said that a selection process will begin for a new superintendent.
The school district is now close to receiving more funding from the state of Kansas, after a lengthy court battle, which is an achievement for the superintendent. During recent years, the district implemented its Diploma+ plan to help students with their future education, another signature program. Also, the district has upgraded its facilities in all areas of the city.
Dr. Lane’s retirement announcement came on the same evening that new board members were sworn in to the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education, and also on the same evening that Gov. Sam Brownback announced, in his State of the State address tonight, that he would recommend $600 million in additional funding for public schools to be spread over the next five years. Smith noted that Dr. Lane’s decision was made before they knew about the additional funding recommendation, and the two occurrences are not connected.
“I am pleased to hear that the governor is responding to the court, I think that is a positive sign,” Smith said. The district will be waiting to see what the Legislature will do this year. It will be up to the court to decide whether five years is too long. The Kansas Supreme Court ordered the Legislature to come up with adequate funding for the schools by April, after a lengthy court battle.
Gov. Brownback also recommended to legislators tonight that they pass a constitutional amendment on school finance that would end the litigation. He told legislators that the $600 million would be raised without a tax increase, and he said the state would expect results from the schools, including better graduation rates and test scores.
The KCKPS Board of Education will have mostly new faces this year, with Harold Brown, Maxine Drew, Janey Humphries, Wanda Brownlee Paige and Stacy Yeager sworn in tonight. Humphries has experience as she was previously appointed to the board, and was elected in November with the four other new board members.
Dr. Lane is the 14th superintendent in the history of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools and the second woman to serve as superintendent. She was the assistant superintendent of business and instructional support services, director of special education, principal and teacher, before becoming superintendent. She also has served as an adjunct profession for the University of Kansas School of Education – Special Education, as well as a guest lecturer for many colleges and universities.
In her role as advocating for children, Dr. Lane has been recognized in 2016 as the Kansas Superintendent of the Year, the 2016 Kansas PTA Educator of the Year, a 2016 Distinguished Kansan by the Topeka Capital-Journal, and the Whitney M. Young Boy Scouts of America 2012 Leadership Award.
“Whatever may occur on the road ahead, I will continue to be a strong advocate and supporter of KCKPS,” Dr. Lane said. “Together, we have moved the school district from a good urban district, to a district held up as one of the most innovative and student-focused districts in our state. We have done this work together. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but it has been right.”