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Leaders from city, school district discuss...
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Leaders from city, school district discuss issues at joint meeting in Lee's Summit
Nov. 10, 2011
By Mary Pechar
newsdesk@lstribune.net
Tribune Photo | Fred Poese
The R-7 School Board and the Lee’s Summit City Council held a joint meeting Thursday night night to discuss economic development and the potential impact of Kansas City’s loss of accreditation on the school district.
“The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District and the City’s other educational institutions are key contributors to building our strong and healthy community,” said Lee’s Summit City Manager Stephen Arbo.
Arbo began the meeting by presenting an overview of the 360° mission and the value in being recognized as a “progressive destination city” – being development and re-development friendly. The city is continuing its partnership with the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, pursuing redevelopment of under utilized properties and continuing to drive to a tax base that is 35 percent commercial and 65 percent residential.
Moving to this tax base split is a slow process due to the residential base being so large. The current breakdown is 22 percent commercial and 78 percent residential. The top priority for redevelopment is the 291 corridor south of U.S. 50. The goal for commercial growth is not in additional retail, but other business.
Economic Development is a broad subject, but the use of economic incentives like tax increment financing districts have a direct effect on schools. Arbo shared the R-7 TIF Policy and discussed the process by which the City involves the district when they will be impacted by incentives.
The city segment of the meeting concluded with both sides acknowledging the positive and close working relationship they share, with Superintendent David McGehee calling it a success story.
McGehee presented potential impacts and the district concerns with the Kansas City Missouri School District loss of Accreditation. Per state law, students in an unaccredited district may attend any district in the same or an adjoining county. The unaccredited district pays tuition and transportation costs.
The law leaves several gray areas that have potential impact to the district. For instance, while the district’s tuition rates are about $10,000 for secondary students and $9,500 for elementary students, the law does not address the additional costs related to special needs students, which could run as high as $200,000. It is also unclear whether growing districts with no room for additional students will have to comply.
McGehee will be addressing several points of legislative needs and stating the R-7 position/policy:
• It does not make sense to do this in the middle of the school year.
• There needs to be reasonable parameters for student movement, local decision making, adequate space and school assignments. In this case, the district position is that they must not be required to employ additional teachers or build classrooms to accommodate transferring students.
• Tuition must be paid prior to enrolling transferring students.
• Upon re-accreditation of the home school district, the transferring students must go back.
• Tuition rates must be those of the receiving district and include additional cost for special needs.
• Delay the inclusion of transferring students’ state testing results in assessment scores for three years.
• R-7 will assign transferring students to schools based on capacity and where no additional costs will be incurred.
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