THE RAIDER REPORT
Monthly News
March 1, 2026
As a school district, we have been reviewing a Kansas State Department of Education data point called “postsecondary success,” which I wrote about in a previous column. This measure tracks how many recent graduates enroll in college or technical programs, earn industry credentials, or remain enrolled two years after graduation. While I won’t recap all the details here, our USD 320 results are below where we believe they should be.
One way we are responding is by expanding opportunities for students at Wamego High School. Those improvements are underway as Principal Grover and her leadership team work to revamp the course schedule and increase options for students. We have heard from families that students want more meaningful course options throughout high school, and that need is especially evident during senior year. The more opportunities students have to explore courses and career pathways while in high school, the more likely they are to graduate with a clearer direction for what comes next.
The high school staff is finalizing these new scheduling options now. The proposed course offerings will be presented to the Board of Education and should be ready for pre-enrollment in the coming weeks. Some of the new courses include HVAC Technology, Creative Writing, Astronomy, Media Productions, and Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing (MEP). In addition to expanded in-person options, many more courses are available through online learning for students who thrive in that environment.
USD 320 is the sponsoring district for the special education cooperative that provides services for neighboring districts, including Wabaunsee and Rock Creek. The cooperative is funded through a combination of state, federal, and local dollars, and it is currently facing a significant budget deficit. Over several years, state and federal funding has not kept pace with inflation. At the same time, special education costs have risen faster than typical inflation due to increased student needs.
As a result, more dollars must be diverted from regular education operational funds to cover the difference. The deficit exists in part because the local share has not increased enough in recent years to keep up with the funding gap. The boards of education are reviewing options to address the shortfall through a combination of increased local contributions and budget reductions.
Last year, we transferred approximately $2.6 million from the general fund and supplemental general fund to the special education fund. About 64% of that amount was supported by state aid, and the remaining 36% came from local operational dollars. To balance the cooperative budget, this local percentage will need to be increased in the next few years.
Finally, I want to share an update about a major road project that will affect traffic around Wamego Middle School. The City of Wamego, through a cost-share grant with KDOT, is investing a combined $3 million to fully reconstruct Kaw Valley Road from Highway 24 to Say Road. This work will impact traffic flow this spring and potentially into next fall.
Construction is expected to begin in late March. Families should plan for Kaw Valley Road to be closed from Highway 24 to near 15th Street beginning around spring break. For the remainder of the school year, traffic will enter and exit the WMS parking area via Say Road. We strongly discourage regular school traffic through the residential streets east of WMS.
Buses and cars will follow the same general route in and out of the parking lot for pickup and drop-off. To help reduce congestion, cars will exit by traveling north on Kaw Valley Road, while buses will exit on Say Road to the west. The anticipated completion date is October. However, we are hopeful the work will be near completion and normal traffic flow will resume by the start of school.
I’m proud to serve the ONE Wamego community and grateful for the unity that makes our schools strong. As always, if you’d like to visit about any of these topics or have other questions or concerns, I can be reached at 785-456-7643 or at meyerj@usd320.com.
-Josh Meyer – USD 320 Superintendent
Special Education Memorandum
To: Stakeholders of USD 320, USD 323, and USD 329
From: Josh Meyer, Superintendent USD 320
Date: March 9, 2026
Re: Special Education Cooperative Budget
The Wamego School District USD 320 serves as the sponsoring district for the Special Services Cooperative of Wamego, which provides special education services for the three cooperative districts. The cooperative budget is maintained as a separate fund within the USD 320 budget. Each district contributes a proportional local assessment, based on enrollment, totaling nearly $2,000,000. This local assessment covers roughly 30% of the cooperative’s total costs. The remaining revenue comes from state and federal aid.
In recent years, the cooperative’s financial position has worsened significantly. In fiscal year 2022-23, the cooperative ended with a surplus of approximately $90,000. In 2023-24, the cooperative ended with a deficit of approximately $20,000. In 2024-25, that deficit grew to more than $300,000.
Several factors contributed to this situation and made the problem less visible as it developed. These included budget reporting discrepancies, payroll errors, the timing of revenue adjustments, and turnover in key positions. Taken together, these issues prevented decision-makers from seeing the full scope of the budget problem soon enough to respond earlier. It is important to note that this situation was not caused by any one issue or any one individual, and the identified process problems have now been corrected.
At this time, the cooperative budget is not financially sustainable without immediate action. For the current 2025-26 fiscal year, the projected gap between revenues and expenditures is nearly $850,000. This amount would fully eliminate the beginning balance of approximately $675,000 and push the fund into a negative position.
Because of this, the cooperative superintendents’ council recommended that the USD 320 Board of Education increase the local assessment for the current budget year by $275,000. The USD 320 Board of Education approved that increase at its February board meeting.
This $275,000 increase is an important first step. It will help ensure the cooperative ends the fiscal year in June with a positive ending balance. However, it does not fully address the projected $850,000 gap. Additional budget adjustments will be necessary over the next several years to eliminate the deficit and restore long-term financial stability.
- Beginning balance: about $675,000
- Projected 2025-26 operating shortfall: about $850,000
- Approved assessment increase: $275,000 reduces the deficit for a positive ending balance of about $100,000
- Remaining structural problem: still substantial and requires a multi-year solution
Addressing this challenge will require a combination of revenue increases and expenditure reductions. Revenue growth is limited primarily to increases in local assessments, as state aid increases have been minimal and have not kept pace with rising costs. As a result, local taxpayer support will continue to bear a larger share of special education costs. On the expenditure side, more than 90% of the cooperative budget is devoted to personnel, which means meaningful reductions will involve staffing changes.
The cooperative superintendents’ council and cooperative administration have been working to identify the reductions and adjustments necessary to bring the budget back into balance while continuing to provide required services to students. Those decisions must be made in the coming days and will be shared with employees and boards of education for review. Any final decisions will be acted upon by the USD 320 board of education, likely no later than the April 13th board meeting.
We recognize that this information is significant and concerning. Our responsibility now is to act quickly, transparently, and thoughtfully to stabilize the cooperative’s finances while continuing to meet the needs of students and fulfill our legal obligations.