Blue Valley USD 229 in Johnson County had 15 administrators making at least $200,000 yearly, and $67 million in operating cash reserves, according to 2025 district information available on kansasopengov.org, but its Board of Education will target classified hourly workers such as paraprofessionals, bookkeepers, and registrars as part of its effort to close a $10 million budget gap for the 2026-2027 school year. The board’s budget discussion begins at the 1:50:00 mark.
Reporter’s Note: Tonya Merrigan is no longer Superintendent
The cash reserve total is in addition to money set aside for debt service and capital budgets.
Blue Valley cites state underfunding of special education in a statement obtained by KCTV:
“As part of the district’s budget reduction process, adjustments are being made across programs and employee groups districtwide. Work calendars for the 2026-27 school year have been adjusted for some job groups to align staffing schedules with periods when school buildings and offices are open and students are in session. These adjustments have already been communicated with staff and go into effect July 1.
“We recognize these changes are difficult for employees and families, especially for staff members who continue to do so much for students each day, and these decisions are not made lightly. Continued underfunding of special education by the state is requiring districts across the state, including ours, to make difficult financial decisions.”
Dave Trabert, CEO of the Kansas Policy Institute, parent company of The Sentinel, disputes the claims by Blue Valley and other school districts that special education is underfunded in Kansas in an editorial earlier this year:
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that school funding met its definition of adequate funding, after the Legislature submitted a plan to increase base state aid and special education funding. The Legislature said it would increase special education funding by $44 million in the first year and then provide $7.5 million more each year. Legislators not only kept their promise but also exceeded what was included in the court settlement.
Trabert also notes that the $10 million shortfall could be offset by right-sizing management staffing.
“Blue Valley increased management employment by 49% over the last twenty years, with only an 18% enrollment increase. Blue Valley could cover its budget shortfall by operating at the same students-to-manager ratio as neighboring Shawnee Mission. That would eliminate 65 managers and save $9.7 million, assuming an average pay and benefits cost of $150,000 per manager.”
The district’s cuts affecting the hourly workers involve reducing duty days and eliminating paid holidays. Workers who spoke to KCTV on the condition of anonymity say the reduction in work hours will cost them around $3,000 next year; another who works year-round says the cuts, which go into effect July 1st, will trim nearly two months off their yearly income as well as reduce their Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) contributions.
