[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6667868,"mediaKeyId","2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d","parentId",2253518,"title","Commissioners share holiday events and brief traffic update for downtown intersections","audioSeconds",56,"startMs",2552000,"endMs",2608000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d&start=2552&end=2608","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d/thumbnail_2552000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6667868/Kansas/Commissioners-share-holiday-events-and-brief-traffic-update-for-downtown-intersections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667868-b62691cbed79687d74a398faa3dc5bd1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074908&Signature=Lgdwz0tWRyLu4DVOiVgU8gutUUJJVrwssNmHo-v0RPuRCUs8dsRVlXBMQ9Hhq7CMqk7do-OYRLLa-WlHB8O-dV6cX5oOJQhf74xUaNPu48JtnHF0WSgaAS9EH2mhSzgp-v0AnQnFBOEGo4oPJUlHMtTdo8CKL~dV4R3oTaDQy9CFb8hRr2igiFFAbiPFNRpyflzzGXIjSy7TZa9wvwafAtIAr9edFDy4EUo2kqySXXEBq5zGHpm4w85j3kXYhDK-mA4Qb-9vQkbvkuGMplYOwoGRSkMmuEwEhcpswUHYLwLmoebsJihntNIzE8yEwTaYIrWXkcs5HC3Dqa4HIli8cQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Leavenworth, KS","date","2025-01-11T18:05:31.547Z","article","A commissioner invited families to a Friday community Christmas event — a toy distribution and photos with Santa — at Harvest Christmas International Church, 616 Grand Avenue, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Separately, a staff member reported that electrical work on a downtown streetlight and traffic signal is underway and that the intersection lights could be activated later in the week if weather permits. Commissioners responded with brief thanks and holiday wishes; no formal action was taken on either announcement.

The items were shared near the end of the study session as community-service and operations updates rather than formal agenda items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leavenworth City Commission Study Session Dec. 17 2024","oneSentenceSummary","At the study session commissioners announced a community Christmas giveaway at Harvest Christmas International Church and reported that recent wiring work means a downtown traffic signal may be operational by week’s end if weather permits.","taxTitle","Leavenworth City, Leavenworth County, Kansas","taxId",53903,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667873,"City staff outlines League of Kansas Municipalities priorities: home rule, sales-tax risk, housing and mental health focus",370,1772000,2142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d&start=1772&end=2142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d/thumbnail_1772000.jpg","/articles/6667873/Kansas/City-staff-outlines-League-of-Kansas-Municipalities-priorities-home-rule-sales-tax-risk-housing-and-mental-health-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667873-0acc277f854cba19984f950c610149b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074908&Signature=DUiODAnRvnd-3IYl8bi4JbDxwuy5s--JFH7QVKQLWuzDBx7TwPpC2LJcBcyr-dbP7pUWI9jIQJCwZfQLv5gzDw2Dr77pdbsLRU4~hdmbXyc3irNuoYrluft1iJKLMAy-KEctgLhSJ~yA~RAyBLoWHSYmqDU-zicRR81U9nHfMnWKsiX-ASpltr5v0Oc1dwN4WYTPgSJij4JG7uFmi8ieeOMv1ZbJ7cecfF6bA80cnXkhKSWhdLm8hCigQnzRlQNFvyczDWh5RaftmIJy76w-eo7WUSO4FgOtEXV3fD2QGI7h6-LqMjakjMLGnpac5eYzfO7oV6-gi3ShmhguqIW2gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A city staff presenter briefed the Leavenworth City Commission on the League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM) priorities for the upcoming state legislative session, identifying home rule, sales-tax policy, housing incentives and mental-health/homelessness resources as the items most likely to affect Leavenworth.

The presenter said LKM and city staff will monitor bills that could \"have a positive or negative impact to the city\" and will bring requests for letters of support or opposition to commission meetings when appropriate. Staff have begun scheduling meetings with state representatives and plan to attend the LKM legislative preview webinar and deliver regular updates to the commission.

On home rule, the presenter said LKM’s top priority is protecting local authority. The presentation flagged a proposal discussed in other parts of the state to remove or limit local sales taxes on groceries; the presenter estimated that removing those local sales taxes could cost the city up to $1 million annually in lost revenue.

The presentation also called for attention to housing policy and tax incentives that encourage the kind of affordable housing Leavenworth needs. The presenter and commissioners discussed being strategic about incentives so the city does not attract housing that does not address the district’s demographics — for example, incentives aimed at senior housing that would not bring families into the district would not help local school enrollment.

Mental health and homelessness were described as regional problems that would benefit from state-level resources and regional cooperation. The presenter said the city already has raised the topic with the America Regional Council and would pursue programs and funding at the state level.

Other items staff said the city will monitor include proposed changes to the state school levy and appraisal processes, property-tax exemptions, and proposals to make local elections partisan. The presenter and commissioners agreed to ask staff for frequent legislative updates and to convene targeted meetings with representatives during the session.

The city manager said staff will hire an assistant who will focus partly on tracking legislation. Commissioners requested those hiring and legislative-tracking reports be included in the weekly updates to the commission.

No formal city action or vote was recorded at the study session; staff said they will return with updates and specific requests for the commission’s direction as bills move through the legislature.","City staff presented the League of Kansas Municipalities’ legislative priorities and highlighted four items of particular relevance to Leavenworth: protecting home rule, opposing removal of local sales-tax authority for groceries, supporting housing incentives and pursuing state support for mental-health and homelessness services.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667879,"USD 453 superintendent warns enrollment drop forces about $2.5 million in cuts, cites housing and federal funding changes",816,34000,850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d&start=34&end=850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2253518-7f347474defdf8b18018403e7017839d/thumbnail_34000.jpg","/articles/6667879/Kansas/USD-453-superintendent-warns-enrollment-drop-forces-about-25-million-in-cuts-cites-housing-and-federal-funding-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667879-54e6bca43a7c954c5d14599be58207f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771074909&Signature=D-emhDiksQXZjVbMgzIAv6bkalkluPXcCXs0QdSFYWW4a~MT0IdU45qLT3m790aSEhCpXYpAlN-n1qnZgQ3FQBz4o07GRhf~-QyA06cqH9wCPlqqOjMRauBStrhkjaX4kzYOUP~8QV01vp-CGTCoa9EQmntBgu-C7gyfm0Tm-vYFoZax1c04VNEUBkIqWiI1YIrEi8YGh67lbSSckkqRrbijHFusTPU9x1DhTiZFr8m3mVo7RjTZm7H2zKXd3XZwxahv4XdX~Etp7~n3oQk7vjxkT6naRSGskeSAzcyAkdkC5UsX8yfaEdk4mSmXEL1yHFnGWmIYGRj9Dlu5FF5AWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Adams, superintendent of Unified School District 453, told the Leavenworth City Commission during a study session that the district has experienced a sustained decline in student enrollment and will need about $2,500,000 in general-fund reductions this fiscal year.

The decline matters because Kansas funds school districts largely by student counts: \"less kids equal less dollars,\" Adams said. He told commissioners the district’s full-time-equivalent and weighted counts have trended downward over the past decade and that those shifts — combined with the expiration of federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) dollars and rising costs such as insurance and utilities — are driving an urgent budget gap.

Adams summarized three primary drivers: an aging local housing stock with fewer young families moving into existing rooftops; the winding down of federal pandemic-era ESSER funds that had paid for some operations; and inflationary increases in property/casualty and health insurance costs. He said the district has been conservative with spending but cannot avoid making reductions if enrollment and revenue do not stabilize.

Adams outlined the district’s approach to narrowing the gap: identify any additional revenue (including pursuing Impact Aid documentation and the district’s previously adopted revenue-neutral capital levy option), pursue low-cost reductions (subscriptions, software, curriculum contracts), and then non-permanent staffing measures before more damaging cuts. \"We did not spend our way into this problem,\" Adams said, and added the district will try to \"minimize the impact on kids and minimize the impact on teachers,\" while acknowledging that some positions and services will be reassessed as vacancies occur.

He provided a few quantitative details: the district has identified roughly 300 students potentially eligible for federal Impact Aid (which Adams said would produce about $500 per qualifying student if documented properly), and said each student qualifying as at-risk (free/reduced-price lunch) affects the district’s weighted funding by about $2,500. Adams also said the district has lost nearly 10% of its weighted count in the most recent two fiscal years and that a portion of an anticipated $2.5 million savings is currently an estimate tied to upcoming insurance renewals.

Commissioners asked whether the city’s revenue-neutral mill decision affected this year’s shortfall; Adams said it did not change the current-year gap but could represent an opportunity next year. He also told commissioners that the district’s military-connected population has not meaningfully increased this year and that some students are leaving for neighboring districts, virtual programs or private schools.

Adams invited municipal partners to consider housing strategies to bring younger families into the district’s boundaries. Several commissioners and the mayor expressed willingness to discuss rezoning and reimagining commercially zoned parcels for residential uses to expand affordable housing options and support district enrollment.

Next steps Adams described to the commission included targeted outreach to families who left the district, pursuing Impact Aid documentation where eligible, examining subscriptions and nonessential contracts for savings, and using voluntary separations and duty reassignments as the first personnel measures rather than involuntary layoffs. He said the district will present more details as budget decisions solidify this winter.

The superintendent closed by reiterating that the district intends to preserve core services where possible and will continue to brief the city as the budget responses are finalized.","Dr. Adams, superintendent of Unified School District 453, told the Leavenworth City Commission that a multi-year decline in student enrollment — coupled with the end of federal ESSER funding and rising costs — requires roughly $2.5 million in general-fund reductions and other steps to rebalance the district budget.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners share holiday events and brief traffic update for downtown intersections

City staff outlines League of Kansas Municipalities priorities: home rule, sales-tax risk, housing and mental health focus

USD 453 superintendent warns enrollment drop forces about $2.5 million in cuts, cites housing and federal funding changes