ShawneeDispatch.com

The Shawnee Mission USD 512 superintendent told business leaders last week that one of the best things they can do to help the district is to stay informed about legislative issues.

Gene Johnson, speaking at the Jan. 12 Shawnee Chamber of Commerce luncheon, said the district expects more budget shortfalls this year. He said changing Kansas law to allow voters to increase taxes that would help local schools — a change the district has been advocating for years — could help take the edge off.

“There’s a lot of things we need to address in the Legislature this year,” Johnson said. “We’re cautiously optimistic.”

During his talk, Johnson addressed Shawnee Mission’s challenges and achievements. He defended the district’s recent decision to close multiple schools and change attendance boundaries for others, and highlighted a move to increase energy efficiency at district buildings.

“Over the last eight or nine years, we’ve seen some real changes in the demographics of our school district,” he said. “And that’s not a negative at all, that’s a fact.”

The district now is home to about 2,500 students whose first language is not English, a population that has doubled in size since 2005, he said.

It may surprise some, Johnson said, but there is poverty in the Shawnee Mission district. At some schools, 75 percent or more of students are impoverished. At others only about 6 percent are poor.

Regardless of demographic challenges, Johnson said, the district is committed to giving all students a quality education, which is bolstered by consistent programming across schools.

The district’s school-closing decisions and related community meetings made for a tumultuous fall.

“Occasionally people would say, ‘You know, Shawnee Mission is going downhill,’” Johnson said. “Shawnee Mission is not going downhill.”

The superintendent shared several examples of student success, including:

• Last year, the district reached a five-year high on test scores. There were 30 National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists, and many students were named Advanced Placement scholars.

• This fall, the Shawnee Mission North High School theatre program was named the best high school theater program in the Midwest by Stage Directions magazine.

• 5,500 high school students participated in athletics last year. Many also participated in band and other activities.

• Students and staff donated $120,000 to United Way — possibly the most ever raised by a metropolitan-area school district, highlighting Shawnee Mission’s commitment to serving the community.

The district’s challenges include continuing to offer “cutting-edge” academic programming — and adding new options — despite budget woes, Johnson said.

Offerings at Shawnee Mission North include two popular medical programs, he said. The district plans to add the IB, or International Baccalaureate, program there in a couple of years.

Spurred by its tight budget, the district has worked to identify inefficiencies and will continue to do so, Johnson said.

Shawnee Mission spends about $8 million a year on utilities for 60 buildings, Johnson said. But with help from an energy analyst, hired last year, the district expects to budget $500,000 less for the upcoming year.

Eliminating inefficiency prompted the board of education’s December decision to close three schools and change attendance boundaries at others.

Johnson said the decision was difficult but noted that, to adapt to changing demographics, the district has closed 21 schools since the 1970s.

“This is not a new thing,” the superintendent said. “It’s been tough, but every time we’ve done that before we’ve been able to get through it, and it’ll be fine.”

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