USD 489 Kindergarten Class of 164 Highlights Enrollment Decline and Budget Pressure Ahead
Hays USD 489's kindergarten class this fall numbers 164 students, compared with 275 seniors, Superintendent Ron Wilson told the Board of Education on Oct. 19 as the board reviewed preliminary enrollment and financial figures.
The district's state enrollment report in the board packet shows kindergarten headcount down from 204 last school year and 249 the year before. Wilson said lower birth rates tied to the pandemic, growth in homeschooling and faith-based hybrid schools, and a lack of affordable housing for young families have contributed. Ellis County live birth figures in the packet show a low of 220 births in 2021, a peak of 332 in 2023 and a preliminary 289 in 2025, which Wilson said points to larger kindergarten classes in coming years. Wilson said the district needs to actively recruit young families.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Chris Hipp said that because state funding follows enrollment, losing a few students from a grade cuts revenue without cutting costs, since teacher pay, bus routes and meal service stay about the same. The district's total weightings, which drive its funding, will rise slightly this year to 4,059.3 from 4,054.6, pending audit, because the district can use the prior year's count. The packet's projection for next year shows total weightings falling 3.19% to 3,929.9 if nothing changes. Hipp said that if base state aid rises about 2% with inflation, the district's actual budget would be down about 1.25%.
Wilson also told the board that a proposal to add $40 million in special education funding passed the Kansas Senate last session but failed in the House, which Wilson estimated cost the district about $300,000, and said the coming elections are important for school funding. One board member objected to raising legislative races at the meeting and asked why families are choosing other options. Wilson said the point was that the district has fewer children to serve and must promote its value to families.
