Board authorizes investment-grade energy audit for district facilities

Proposed data center unlikely to quickly ease district financial strains

Rising food costs offset recent district budget cuts

State assessment results show high school gains, middle school dip

District unveils structure for new virtual learning program

Board approves new elementary social studies curriculum

Recreation commission plans November sales tax ballot question

Recreation commission returns contested tax credit funds to IRS

Board authorizes investment-grade energy audit for district facilities

EMPORIA, Kan. — The Emporia Board of Education unanimously approved an agreement with Trane U.S. Inc. to conduct an investment-grade audit of the district's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and energy systems. The audit will explore options to replace aging equipment, optimize controls and improve energy efficiency across district buildings. Initial estimates suggest addressing all equipment past its expected service life could cost around $20.4 million in a multi-phase project. No construction was authorized at the meeting, but the completed audit will provide detailed costs and savings projections to help the board consider future infrastructure investments.

Proposed data center unlikely to quickly ease district financial strains

EMPORIA, Kan. — Superintendent David McGehee addressed the potential financial impacts of the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus, warning that the large-scale data center would not be an immediate fix for the district's operating budget. While the 10-year buildout could eventually triple the county's assessed valuation, McGehee noted he expects the project to seek tax abatements, meaning it would be over a decade before the district sees operational tax revenue. Furthermore, local option budgets are capped by state aid ratios, though the increased valuation could eventually generate significant capital outlay funds and lower the mill rate required to pay off existing bond debt.

Rising food costs offset recent district budget cuts

EMPORIA, Kan. — Inflationary pressures are eating into the school district's general budget, with food service costs projected to rise significantly for the upcoming academic year. Superintendent David McGehee reported a $200,000 increase in the cost of fresh produce and other essential food products. He cautioned the board that these mandatory, uncontrollable expenses are rapidly offsetting the operational savings the district has worked to achieve through recent cost-containment measures.

State assessment results show high school gains, middle school dip

EMPORIA, Kan. — Dr. Ryan Karjala, director of assessments and accountability, presented preliminary results from the spring 2026 Kansas state assessments, highlighting strong growth among 10th-grade students, who saw an eight-point increase in English language arts and a 13-point increase in math proficiency. However, officials noted a concerning drop in test scores as students transition from fifth to sixth grade. Administrators are currently investigating whether the decline is tied to the testing environment at Emporia Middle School — where students are tested simultaneously rather than in subject-specific classrooms — and are considering policy adjustments to support transitional learners.

District unveils structure for new virtual learning program

EMPORIA, Kan. — Dr. Ryan Karjala, director of assessments and accountability, presented the first reading of the 2026-2027 handbook addendum for the district's new virtual learning program, outlining a remote learning partnership with ESSDACK Connect. Available for students in grades six through 12, the program requires a daily commitment of four to five hours and mandates the completion of three and a half credits per semester. Under the partnership agreement, the district will retain 35 percent of the state pupil funding to manage graduation tracking and counseling, while ESSDACK Connect will receive 65 percent to provide the curriculum and instruction.

Board approves new elementary social studies curriculum

EMPORIA, Kan. — Elementary school students will use a newly standardized social studies curriculum this fall after the board unanimously approved a three-year, $52,926 contract for "Studies Weekly." The newspaper-style learning resource replaces the piecemeal texts previously sourced by individual teachers to meet state mandates. Administrators noted the new curriculum is automatically updated by the publisher whenever Kansas alters its state academic standards, ensuring ongoing compliance without requiring frequent textbook adoptions.

Recreation commission plans November sales tax ballot question

EMPORIA, Kan. — A proposed sales tax to fund local recreation facilities is headed to the November general election ballot, according to an update during the board reports. The steering committee for the Emporia Recreation Commission is finalizing a ballot question that would ask voters to approve funding for both the renovation of the Lee Beran Recreation Center and the construction of a new facility.

Recreation commission returns contested tax credit funds to IRS

EMPORIA, Kan. — The Emporia Recreation Commission has officially returned $700,000 in disputed employee retention tax credit funds to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a liaison update provided to the board. The commission recently voted to send the money back along with an explanatory letter, aiming to resolve a complicated financial issue regarding the receipt and management of the federal employee retention tax credits. The commission is currently awaiting a final response from the IRS.

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