District Administration

Emporia Public Schools Cost Containment Team Wraps Up Work and Shares Next Steps

Emporia, KS — Emporia Public Schools’ Cost Containment Team met tonight for its final meeting, wrapping up months of work focused on finding responsible ways to manage district finances while continuing to support students, staff, and school programs.

The team includes district leaders, staff, and community members who worked together to better understand the district’s budget, enrollment trends, staffing levels, and long-term financial outlook. Over several meetings, members talked through challenges and possible solutions, always keeping student learning and school services at the center of the conversation.

During the final meeting, the group reviewed a shared summary of feedback from all discussion groups, made any needed changes, and worked toward agreement on the key ideas that will be reviewed by the Superintendent’s Leadership Team, building principles, and department leaders.

Here’s what happens next:

• The Superintendent’s Leadership Team will review the group’s feedback
• Building principals and department leaders will help turn that feedback into a formal recommendation
• The Board of Education will discuss the recommendation at the March 4 Work Session
• A final recommendation, based on board input, will be considered at the March 11 Board of Education meeting

Superintendent Dr. David McGehee shared his appreciation for the team’s work and the community’s involvement throughout the process.

“This has been about working together, being open and honest about our challenges, and making sure we protect what matters most, our students and our schools, while planning responsibly for the future,” McGehee said.

Emporia Public Schools will continue to keep staff, families, and the community informed as the Board of Education reviews the team’s recommendations and moves toward final decisions.

Cost Containment Team Continues Collaborative Efforts to Develop Recommendations for District Leadership

Emporia, KS – Emporia Public Schools’ Cost Containment Team met Tuesday evening to continue its collaborative work focused on identifying responsible opportunities to align district operating expenses with anticipated revenues while continuing to maintain high-quality services for students.

Building on prior sessions, team members worked in table groups to consolidate ideas into a room-level consensus on items to move forward for further cost containment consideration. Each proposal was evaluated using the district’s established pillars of Value (financial impact), Feasibility (ease of implementation), and Risk (potential impact to students, staff, and the community).

During the session, teams first identified a shared list of proposals for continued review and then worked to prioritize those items into three levels based on fiscal responsibility and overall impact. The group was guided by a minimum target of $4 million in Priority 1 items, representing actions that rise to the top as necessary steps to address immediate financial alignment. Participants also identified additional priorities to provide district leadership with a broader range of options should further reductions be necessary.

Room-level consensus discussions were facilitated by district leaders, who supported the process by providing clarification, ensuring consistency across groups, and guiding conversations toward practical next steps. The prioritized input from each room will be compiled to support the next phase of review.

The Cost Containment Team will meet again on February 3 to work toward full-team consensus and develop formal feedback for the Superintendent’s Leadership Team (SLT). The SLT will then collaborate with building and department leadership to evaluate the team’s input and determine a reasonable set of items for potential implementation.

As with all previous sessions, the Cost Containment Team serves in an advisory capacity. The team’s role is to provide thoughtful, data-informed insight to support district leadership in making fiscally responsible decisions.

Emporia Public Schools will continue to share updates with staff and families as the cost containment process moves forward.

Cost Containment Process Moves Forward with Team Consensus on Proposals

Emporia, KS - Emporia Public Schools’ Cost Containment Team met again on Tuesday evening to continue its structured work focused on identifying responsible strategies to reduce operating expenses while maintaining high-quality services for students. This session served as a continuation of the team’s December 9 meeting and built directly on the work completed during earlier sessions.

Participants returned to their assigned rooms and worked in table groups to review the full staffing and supplemental assignment lists. Discussions continued using the district’s established evaluation pillars: Value (financial impact), Feasibility (ease of implementation), and Risk (potential impact to stakeholders). During the first portion of the session, table groups worked toward a general consensus on proposals for further consideration.

Following table discussions, each of the three rooms engaged in a facilitated process to determine a room-level consensus. Proposals were discussed, refined, and prioritized based on alignment with the evaluation criteria and the district’s operational goals.

Room consensus discussions were led by Ms. Sheryl Leeds, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Services; Mr. Josh Swartz, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Business/Operations; and Dr. Erica Mickelson, Director of Human Resources. The facilitators guided conversations, provided clarification, and ensured consistency across rooms. The resulting prioritized feedback from each room will be compiled to begin the next phase of the process.

The remaining cost-containment timeline includes: 

• January 20 and February 3: The full Cost Containment Team will reconvene to finalize consensus and develop a recommendation for the Superintendent’s Leadership Team (SLT).
• February 2026: The SLT will review the recommendations and prepare a formal presentation for the Board of Education.

As with previous sessions, the Cost Containment Team’s work is advisory in nature. The team’s role is to analyze realistic, data-informed options and provide district leadership with insight into the potential impacts of each proposal.

Emporia Public Schools will continue to share updates with staff and families as the cost containment process moves forward.

Emporia Public Schools Continues Cost Containment Work During Fourth Committee Meeting

Emporia, KS - Emporia Public Schools’ Cost Containment Team met on Tuesday, December 9, for its fourth session in the district’s ongoing effort to identify responsible strategies to reduce operating expenses while protecting high-quality student services. This meeting continued the structured work completed during the first three sessions.

At the start of the meeting, participants reported to their assigned rooms and immediately began working in table groups to review, discuss, and rank the complete staffing and supplemental assignment lists. Using the established evaluation pillars, Value (financial impact), Feasibility (implementation effort), and Risk (stakeholder disruption), each group analyzed proposals, discussed implications, and identified items they felt should be moved forward for further consideration.

Facilitators, including Ms. Sheryl Leeds, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Services; Mr. Josh Swartz, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Business/Operations; and Dr. Erica Mickelson, Director of Human Resources, circulated among groups to support conversations and answer questions. These facilitators will consolidate the ideas and rankings from each table before the next meeting.

The updated timeline for the remaining cost-containment work includes:

• January 6: Subgroups meet to prioritize proposals further and work toward consensus.
• January 20 and February 3: The full Cost Containment Team reconvenes to finalize consensus and develop a recommendation for the Superintendent’s Leadership Team (SLT).
• February 2026: The SLT will refine the team’s recommendations and develop a formal presentation for the Board of Education.

As with all previous sessions, this work is advisory. The team’s purpose is to analyze realistic strategies, provide informed, data-driven recommendations, and help district leadership understand the potential impacts of each option.

Emporia Public Schools will continue to update staff and families as this work progresses.

Emporia Public Schools Advances Cost Containment Planning to Address Future Budget Needs

Emporia, KS - Emporia Public Schools’ Cost Containment Team met on November 19 for the third session in a district-wide effort to identify strategies to reduce operating expenses while maintaining strong student services amid declining enrollment and rising costs. Superintendent Dr. David McGehee opened the meeting by reviewing the district’s financial outlook, including anticipated reductions in state aid, inflationary pressures, and projected salary increases. He noted that the district must identify a minimum of $3.5 million to $4 million in cost reductions for the 2026–27 school year to remain financially stable while continuing to support competitive staff compensation and high-quality programs.

During the session, participants reviewed and expanded on feedback from the previous meeting, examining a range of potential cost-containment measures. Proposed ideas were organized into four primary categories:

• District administration and support
• Building administration and support
• School instruction and support
• Programs, initiatives, supplies, services, and operations

​​​​​​​Each proposal was evaluated using three pillars:

• Financial Impact (Value): Estimated savings or operational efficiencies
• Implementation Effort (Feasibility): Staffing, system, policy, or process changes required
• Stakeholder Disruption (Risk): Potential impact on students, staff, families, and the community

​​​​​​​The team also reviewed how enrollment changes affect district resources. Students with higher needs, such as those qualifying for free meals or requiring ESOL services, generate additional weighted funding under the school finance formula. Understanding these funding dynamics helps the district target cost-containment strategies where they can have the greatest effect while maintaining services for students who need them most.

Following this overview, the meeting transitioned into small-group discussions facilitated by Ms. Sheryl Leeds, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Services; Mr. Josh Swartz, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Business/Operations; and Dr. Erica Mickelson, Director of Human Resources. Team members:

• Reviewed district data, including enrollment, staffing costs, class sizes, and program expenditures
• Identified opportunities for cost savings
• Clustered observations into draft proposals and estimated potential savings
• Scored each proposal based on projected value, feasibility, and risk
• Prioritized recommendations for district leadership to consider

Facilitators reminded participants that the goal of this work is to inform decisions, not make final choices, and encouraged teams to focus on realistic, data-driven proposals that protect student learning and district priorities. With a significant amount of information to analyze and multiple strategies under review, teams concentrated on generating and ranking initial recommendations and will continue this work at the next session on Tuesday, December 9.

​​​​​​​Superintendent McGehee emphasized that the insights and recommendations from this collaborative process will guide the development of sustainable financial solutions that safeguard essential programs, support staff, and position Emporia Public Schools for long-term stability and success.

Public Cost Containment Team Meeting Folder