AS OLATHE CLOSES SIX SCHOOLS, BLUE VALLEY ANNOUNCES CUTS TO SPORTS, ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Another Johnson County school district is making difficult decisions as declining enrollment, rising expenses and millions in unfunded special education costs take a toll on public education
First came the decision to close six schools in Olathe. Now, another Johnson County school district is preparing to eliminate middle school sports, reduce high school coaching positions and scale back educational programs.
Blue Valley Schools announced a new round of budget reductions Friday, Oct. 16, outlining changes that will affect students, teachers and families beginning primarily with the 2027-28 school year.
The announcement includes the suspension of wrestling, cross country and drill and dance teams for seventh- and eighth-grade students. High schools would also see fewer coaching positions, reduced performing arts support and cuts to out-of-area travel.
The reductions extend beyond extracurricular activities, affecting foreign language instruction, gifted education, libraries, administrative staffing and family support programs.
Although Blue Valley is headquartered in Overland Park, its boundaries also reach into Olathe. Liberty View Elementary School, located at 14800 S. Greenwood St. in Olathe, is part of Blue Valley USD 229.
The reductions are separate from those announced by Olathe Public Schools USD 233, but both districts are facing many of the same financial pressures.
A growing financial problem
Blue Valley Superintendent Gillian Chapman said the district is confronting a combination of declining enrollment, increasing operating expenses and inadequate state funding for special education.
Kansas law calls for the state to reimburse districts for 92% of certain excess special education costs. District leaders say state funding has repeatedly fallen short of that requirement.
Last year alone, Blue Valley transferred $18.9 million from other district resources to cover its special education funding gap.
That money represents funding that otherwise could have supported other school operations.
The district already eliminated more than $6 million in expenses last year, including deputy superintendent positions, an assistant superintendent and other administrative and support jobs. Administrators also went without salary increases for the current school year.
Despite those reductions, district leaders say additional cuts are necessary.
What students and families will lose
Among the most noticeable changes will be the suspension of several middle school athletic and activity programs.
Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, Blue Valley plans to suspend seventh- and eighth-grade wrestling, cross country and drill and dance teams.
At the high school level, the district plans to reduce coaching positions, performing arts support and travel outside the area.
The district also announced adjustments to world language instruction, including changes affecting its Chinese Immersion program.
That decision has already drawn opposition from some Blue Valley families. Parents said they had chosen homes and schools specifically because of the immersion program, which teaches students academic subjects in both Chinese and English.
Some families said they had expected the program to continue through high school.
Other planned reductions include changes to gifted education staffing, library media positions and services such as Parents as Teachers.
The district also plans to reorganize certain instructional support and social work services around high school attendance areas.
Some employees could see shorter work calendars, fewer contract days and changes to benefit eligibility.
Not every change will happen immediately. Most are planned for the 2027-28 school year, although some could begin during the current school year.
Olathe is already facing the same reality
The Blue Valley announcement comes just two weeks after the Olathe Board of Education voted unanimously to close six schools at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools, along with Indian Trail Middle School, are scheduled to close.
Olathe school officials have cited declining enrollment, rising expenses and the same special education funding problem Blue Valley now identifies as a major factor behind its reductions.
Olathe Public Schools reported redirecting approximately $44.5 million from its general fund to cover special education costs during the 2024-25 school year.
The district has also reported reductions in staffing and departmental budgets as it attempts to balance its finances.
Both districts have emphasized that lower birth rates are contributing to declining enrollment, reducing the amount of state funding tied to student attendance.
The result is that even some of Johnson County’s largest and most established school districts are being forced to reconsider services and programs that families have long expected.
Two districts, different approaches
For now, the districts are taking different approaches to their financial challenges.
Olathe has approved closing six schools and is preparing to redraw attendance boundaries.
Blue Valley says its priorities include keeping existing schools open, maintaining current boundaries and protecting elementary class sizes while reducing spending in other areas.
But the districts share a common concern about how Kansas finances public education.
Blue Valley and Olathe are among six Johnson County school districts that have joined together to advocate for changes in state education funding, including increased support for special education.
Chapman said Blue Valley will continue working with other Johnson County districts and advocating for additional funding from state lawmakers.
With the November election approaching, the district is also encouraging residents to examine candidates’ positions on public education.
For local families, the effects are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
In Olathe, some students are preparing to say goodbye to schools they have attended for years. In Blue Valley, others face the possibility of losing sports teams, performing arts opportunities and specialized academic programs.
And unless the financial pressures change, district leaders warn that difficult decisions may continue.
The Blue Valley School District says it will communicate directly with families as additional details about the reductions are finalized.
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