Category: Education

Nominations open for Reasons to Believe program

The annual Reasons to Believe program, sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools Foundation for Excellence, is open for nominations.

The program honors alumni of the KCK school district.

Every year, 12 alumni from KCKPS are selected based on their contributions to the community, their hard work and accomplishments at large. These exemplary qualities inspire the KCKPS community, which creates more reasons to be proud of the district’s rich heritage, a spokesman stated.

The nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges, which includes members of the Board of Education, Reasons to Believe Steering Committee members, students, local business leaders and a former Alumni Honor Roll recipient.

Those selected for this prestigious honor are celebrated with a special ceremony in November. A profile video for each honoree will also be presented at the celebration.

Criteria for Reasons to Believe nominations:
• Must be a graduate from a KCKPS high school
• Be successful in his or her chosen business, profession, or life work
• Be a person of integrity and stature for which KCKPS will take pride in his or her recognition
• Have demonstrated the importance of his or her education from KCKPS


The deadline to receive nominations is Wednesday, Sept. 7. To learn more about the Reasons to Believe program, or for information on how to nominate someone, go to [email protected].

  • Information from Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools

KCKCC budget hearing scheduled today

The budget hearing and the hearing for exceeding the tax revenue neutral rate for Kansas City Kansas Community College is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the college, main campus, Upper Jewell building, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

According to a budget summary document published in the Wyandotte Echo on Aug. 11, the KCKCC proposed budget for 2022-2023 would be a mill rate of 27.382, the same amount as the 2021-2022 year.

The revenue neutral rate would be 24.108 mills, and the proposed amount is around 3 mills higher.

Assessed valuation is up about $200,000 over last year, meaning that the same mill levy would produce more dollars, according to the budget document. The total tax levied would be $46,799,984 for 2022-2023 as compared to $41,133,834 for 2021-2022, according to the budget document.

There will be a presentation on the final KCKCC budget at the 5 p.m. meeting today, according to the meeting agenda.

Budgets are subject to change, until final approval by the board.

Also planned on Aug. 23 are executive sessions at 4 p.m. to discuss personnel matters, to discuss acquisition of real property and to consult with the attorney.

Other items besides the budget hearing on the 5 p.m. agenda include the KCKCC annual report; a resolution about allowing wine at a Catholic Mass at the college; reports from college officials; and a draft of the 2024 -2027 strategic plan creation calendar.

The proposed budget also is contained in agenda documents online at https://www.kckcc.edu/files/docs/trustees/agenda/2022-2023/board-of-trustees-budget-hearing-and-regular-meeting-book-aug-23-2022.pdf.

The meeting will be livestreamed at https://vimeo.com/731014899.

KCK school board to meet today

The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the third floor board room of the Central Office and Training Center, 2010 N. 59th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The agenda includes:
• an update on elementary reading intervention resources;
• publication of the notice of hearing and transfer from contingency reserve;
• 2023 graduation dates;
• K-12 Junior Achievement curriculum adoption;
• Kansas Assessment Program report;
• policy reviews;
• executive, closed sessions to discuss matters of nonelected personnel.

On the consent agenda are the human resources report; KidZone contract approval; monthly financial report; approval of Head Start director’s and financial reports; approval of professional development and student travel; approval of annual subscription for Frontline Student Analytics Lab; approval of an addendum to the contract for legal services; and approval of TPT tutoring contracts.

Other regular meeting items also are on the agenda.

The proposed date for the budget hearing for the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools district is 5:10 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Central Office, 2010 N. 59th St.

The proposed date for the hearing on exceeding the revenue neutral rate will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Central Office, 2010 N. 59th St.

At an earlier meeting, the board approved a limit to the maximum mill levy rate for the 2022-2023 fiscal year with no increase over the 2021-2022 year, according to district information. The proposed budget in the agenda for Tuesday lists a very slightly lower proposed mill rate than the previous one.

According to the proposed budget documents online, the proposed estimated tax rate will be 49.65 mills for 2022-2023. It is less than the 2021-2022 tax rate of 49.656 mills. The rate in 2020-2021 was 49.65 mills.

The assessed valuation in the district has increased, according to the budget documents, and plays a role in the budget this year. The money raised by the increased valuations means that the district would receive a greater amount of funds for the same mill levy as last year. That means a hearing is necessary for exceeding the budget neutral rate.

Proposed total budgeted expenditures for the district in 2022-2023 are $577.9 million, as compared to to $479.7 million in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the proposed budget document.

Budget documents are online with the agenda, posted at https://www.kckschools.org/, posted under board documents, meetings, Aug. 23 meeting, and then under item 5B.

The meeting will be on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4J0jt4Mohx8.