USD 418 enrollment falls about 70 students on state count day, as budget writers predicted

McPherson USD 418 enrolled about 70 fewer students on Kansas' official September count day, a decline Superintendent Cody Rierson said the district's business office had predicted while writing the 2026-27 budget. The state uses that September count to set the per-pupil general aid districts receive, so a smaller headcount means less enrollment-driven revenue.

Rierson said the drop came primarily from a large graduating class being replaced by a smaller incoming kindergarten class. He described the numbers as preliminary, and the district did not attach a dollar figure to the change in state aid.

District officials said they are continuing to monitor class sizes to keep them balanced across McPherson's elementary schools.

The district has scheduled a town hall on its bond construction projects for Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at a venue still to be determined. Officials said the session is meant to present finalized construction plans rather than collect new design feedback.

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