23 February 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A town hall meeting for the second time in a week was held at the Chaparral Jr./Sr. High School Thursday night to further discuss the projected $400,000 deficit that the district is facing going into next year.
Superintendent Josh Schwartz said the district, like many others across the state, is running out of federal funding.
“We also had a school climate grant that came through at the exact same time, and for us, that was a $600,000 a year grant as well, so that’s ending at the exact same time,” USD 361 Josh Schwartz said.
The school district is exploring all options to cut costs. One option is to reduce the staffing, which would add more work and responsibilities to teachers and employees. Another avenue that is being considered is to combine the two elementary schools into one.
“Some challenges between keeping the funding balanced elementary and and secondary which some of the ideas are how do we use that same model the best we can to help keep those ratios as effective and efficient as possible,” Schwartz said.
The superintendent says the district has about $300,000 of federal money left before it’s all gone. USD 361 is planning to have final decisions made by the end of March.