KCPS bond measure: Is the district a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars? | Opinion

On April 8, many Kansas City residents will be asked to approve a $474 million bond measure for Kansas City Public Schools. The district claims the money is needed for facility upgrades and the construction of two new schools. But before taxpayers agree to one of the largest school bonds in city history, they should ask: Has KCPS earned the public’s trust? The numbers tell a troubling story: high spending, dismal results and a pattern of misleading voters on school finances.

If passed, this bond would cost the average homeowner more than $120 per year, on top of already rising property tax bills. For a school district that hasn’t demonstrated responsible spending, that’s a steep price for families struggling with affordability in Kansas City.

According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, KCPS spends $18,895 per pupil each year, higher than the state average of $15,915 and all the neighboring school districts in Missouri. It even surpasses Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas.

Making matters worse, KCPS cannot even agree on how much it spends. The district’s website claims it spends only $14,853. That number is wrong. The Annual Secretary of the Board Report, a filing required by Missouri statute, submitted by KCPS to DESE for 2023-2024 shows total expenditures of $348.5 million. While budgets keep growing the student population is only one-third of what it was from the 1970s through the mid-1990s: 13,640.

Student population

Dividing total expenditures by those 13,640 students results in a per-student cost of $25,554 each year! That is nearly the annual tuition at Pembroke Hill, Kansas City’s costliest private school.

KCPS excludes some spending from their calculations and include pre-K students, seemingly in an effort to mask their per pupil spending. Voters should not be misled, district spending decisions about land, building upkeep and long-term debt are valid expenses and should be included.

Despite the high spending, only 21 to 25% of KCPS students are proficient in math, reading, or science. Just 28% are proficient in social studies. For all the money KCPS spends, student achievement remains staggeringly low.

Supporters claim this is the first bond issue for KCPS since 1967 and that the district hasn’t had a tax levy increase since 1998. While these statements are true, they paint a misleading picture of school finances. Missouri schools are funded by a levy tied to property tax assessments. Due to the state’s Hancock Amendment, when property values rise, the levy must be reduced to prevent a backdoor tax hike. But KCPS is exempt from this requirement. In both 2019 and 2023, the district kept its levy unchanged despite rising property values, allowing it to collect millions in additional tax revenue without asking voters for permission.

Enrollment declines

Over the years, as enrollment declined, KCPS continued raking in higher revenues while student outcomes remained abysmal. They have 400 fewer students and 57 more teachers now than in 2019. The district has made poor financial decisions time and again, yet instead of taking responsibility, they are now asking voters to bail them out with another $474 million.

Superintendent Jennifer Collier recently said, “Now is the time to invest in Kansas City’s children. As we look to move into this phase where we have a world-class city, we know it’s important also to have a world-class school district.” Kansas Citians have invested dearly in public schools and continue to do so.

Money isn’t the answer. In the late 1990s, when the district was one of the highest spending of nation’s largest school districts it still failed to meet its obligation to educate students.

Some may think any effort to increase education spending is worthwhile. That’s a nice sentiment. But increasing housing costs for poor families to fund a district that has demonstrated it is either unable or unwilling to educate children is not charitable. It is morally reprehensible.

Voters should instead demand better leadership, better fiscal responsibility and better schools before consigning another generation of children to failure.

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM.