Takeaways from Newton USD 373 School Board Meeting
Week of September 15, 2026
Board votes to exceed revenue neutral rate
External wage study reveals compensation gaps
Administrator and director pay schedules consolidated
District to pilot new benchmark assessment program
District accepts over $12,500 in community donations
Board members advocate for state special education funding
Board votes to exceed revenue neutral rate
NEWTON, Kan. — The USD 373 Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate for the 2026-2027 school year following a public hearing. No community members came forward to speak during the designated public comment period. The board adopted the measure, Resolution 09142026, via a 7-0 roll-call vote, a procedural requirement by the state when a taxing entity plans to collect more property tax revenue than the previous year due to valuation changes. The board also unanimously approved the district's 2026-2027 budget and the Local Option Budget percentage resolution, which allows the district to raise additional local property tax funds beyond the state's base funding level. Neither item drew public comment.
External wage study reveals compensation gaps
NEWTON, Kan. — Educational Management Solutions presented the results of an external market compensation study, revealing that several district jobs fall more than 5 percent below the market median compared to local schools and county governments. To begin addressing the disparities, the board utilized $200,000 to implement a new placement schedule. The funds ensure that all current employees are placed at least at the starting wage of the newly developed pay ranges, while guaranteeing every employee receives at least a 2 percent raise to their current wage.
Administrator and director pay schedules consolidated
NEWTON, Kan. — To ensure equitable compensation, the board unanimously approved a consolidated wage rate index for administrators and directors. Previously, non-instructional directors — such as those leading human resources or technology — were compensated on a different pay scale than their peers who held administrative education degrees, according to the compensation study. The new index bases compensation on the responsibilities of the job rather than the specific degree held by the employee.
District to pilot new benchmark assessment program
NEWTON, Kan. — In an effort to replace the single end-of-year summative state testing with actionable data for federal accountability, the board unanimously approved a $22,400 agreement with Innovative Assessment Solutions to pilot a new benchmark assessment program. Rather than relying on a single summative test in the spring, students in grades three through eight and high school will take four shorter, quarterly assessments in English Language Arts and math as part of an authorized federal pilot. District administrators noted the program will provide question-by-question feedback to teachers, allowing them to implement targeted interventions throughout the school year.
District accepts over $12,500 in community donations
NEWTON, Kan. — The board unanimously accepted $12,570 in community donations aimed at supporting student travel, materials and technology. Major contributions included $4,000 from Shield AI for Railer Robotics travel and supplies, $3,970 in CNC machine coolant for the high school machining program from Blaser Swisslube and $2,000 for smart technology at South Breeze Elementary, with the remaining $2,600 coming from additional smaller donors. Board members publicly thanked local businesses and the USD 373 Education Foundation for their continued financial support of Newton students.
Board members advocate for state special education funding
NEWTON, Kan. — During committee reports, Board President Ian R. Long highlighted a severe special education funding shortfall at the state level, noting that Kansas school districts are currently utilizing $140 million in local property taxes to backfill the gap. Following his attendance at a recent Senate District 31 School Board Advisory Committee meeting, Long publicly urged the state legislature to fully fund special education and Career and Technical Education, while also asking lawmakers to delay any structural changes to the school finance formula for at least a year to avoid further complications.
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