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Visiting our schools has always been one of the most meaningful aspects of my position. The level of care, instruction, and commitment I observe across the district is remarkable. Seeing staff build relationships with students and foster engaging learning environments is truly encouraging. Thank you for your continued dedication to our students’ success.
I am currently working on the fiscal year 2027 budget, which will be presented for approval at the June Board meeting. During the Governor’s State of the State address, he proposed $600 million in cuts to the state budget. These reductions are expected to impact education funding through a potential decrease in the foundation formula, as well as proposed reductions to transportation funding. On a positive note, the Governor’s budget proposal includes funding for Career Ladder.
This year, the District is also experiencing a decrease in assessed valuation due to the County Executive’s cap on the 2025 commercial properties, resulting in a $1.3 million loss in revenue. In addition, with a January 29 update from the County, they are preparing to provide tax credits to residential property owners who paid more than 15% on their 2023 tax over the next three years. The tax credits for Fort Osage could be as much as $5.5 million for the 2023 assessment alone. We are continuing to learn updated information on this topic and how it might impact Fort Osage. In addition, the implementation of SB 190 will further reduce revenue by approximately $269,000. At the same time, rising costs for insurance, supplies, and other operational expenses continue to make balancing the budget problematic. I will continue to provide updates as the legislative session progresses and when more information is known from the County. On January 26, the Board unanimously approved two questions to be placed on the April 7, 2026 ballot:
On January 27, I began meeting with staff to outline the purpose of each question. These meetings will continue over the next few weeks until I have met with each school and department. In addition to these meetings, there will be ongoing communication throughout the second semester to ensure staff remain well informed leading up to the election. We are also utilizing other communication channels, including the District website and daily social media posts. I encourage you to share factual information about Question 1 (No Tax Increase Bond Issue) and Question 2 (No Tax Increase Levy Transfer) with parents and patrons you interact with on a daily basis. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if questions arise. Question 1: $35,000,000 No Tax Increase Bond Issue A concerted effort was made to address as many buildings as possible while prioritizing the most critical projects identified by the Community Engagement Committee. In addition, as promised to voters, a portion of the bond issue will be used to pay for the lease purchase approved in 2021. The ballot language for Question 1 can be found here. Question 2: No Tax Increase Levy Transfer A $0.24 levy transfer, implemented over two years, would generate additional revenue for operating funds. These funds may be used for salaries, benefits, utilities, and other general operating costs.
These figures are estimates and depend on the assessed valuation. The ballot language for Question 2 can be found here. The legislative session began in Jefferson City on January 7 and will continue through May 15. To date, more than 2,200 bills have been filed, approximately 500 of which could directly or indirectly impact education. We are closely monitoring several pieces of legislation, including those related to funding, school choice, tax reform, and other key issues. A few of the bills currently under review are outlined below.
Much of the discussion at the State Capitol has been driven by the Governor’s proposal to eliminate the state income tax and the question of how to replace the resulting $9 billion in lost revenue. One option being considered is a significant increase in the sales and use tax, with rates as high as 18%–20% reportedly under discussion. HB 2710 – This bill would establish an A–F school accountability system, requiring each district and school to receive an annual letter grade. Experience in other states shows that these grading systems often oversimplify school performance and fail to capture the complex challenges schools face on a daily basis. SB 906 and SB 971 – These open enrollment bills would allow students to attend any school district of their parents’ choosing without paying tuition. State funding would follow the student and be transferred to the receiving district. HB 2178 – This omnibus legislation addresses a broad range of property tax issues. Provisions include extending the deadline for resolving property tax appeals while also imposing a 15% valuation floor when appeals are not resolved. SB 863 – This bill proposes the creation of a governor-appointed committee to oversee statewide associations that govern school-based activities, including the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). SB 1002 – This legislation would move board of education elections to November, a change that could increase the likelihood of more political and less nonpartisan school board races. For those of you interested, a $20.00 gift card to Casey's General Store will be given away to one lucky winner. To enter, send an email to [email protected] with "Casey's" in the subject line. Entries will be accepted until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, February 2.
Giveaway prizes are not purchased with District funds. Only Fort Osage employees are eligible to enter the drawing.  It’s amazing how fast the year has gone by, and it’s uplifting to look back on everything we’ve achieved together. The successes of our District’s students and staff stem from the commitment and effort each of you brings every day. As we move toward 2026, we have countless accomplishments to celebrate and much to look forward to, so let’s close out the first semester on a strong note and continue making Fort Osage a place where students grow and succeed. Thank you for all you do to make this happen!
 Team Fort Osage met for the second time this year on December 4. It was a productive meeting with exceptional feedback provided by the committee. There was discussion about the budget, health insurance, legislative update, master plan follow up, annual performance report, school calendar and AMI days, 2026-2027 school calendar, employee leave, and superintendent advisory committees (information provided below on each). The next Team Fort Osage meeting is scheduled for February 19.
Budget I’ve been heavily engaged with the Jackson County assessment issues for the past three years. Without accurate assessment information, both property owners and taxing jurisdictions face significant challenges. School districts, fire districts, libraries, and other public entities rely on accurate assessments to set budgets that fund the essential services and programming on which our communities depend. From the beginning, my hope has been that every property owner receives a fair and equitable assessment. As you may know, Jackson County has issued several updates in recent months regarding the 2023 and 2025 property assessments. Despite pending litigation regarding this very issue, the new County Executive announced that residential assessments for both years will be capped at 15%, and that homeowners who paid taxes on increases above 15% in 2023 will receive tax credits over the next three years. He also indicated that commercial properties will be capped at 15% for the 2025 assessment. There are practical questions about whether the County can do this and how the County can implement it. Both actions would negatively impact all taxing jurisdictions. At this time, we do not know the full extent of that impact, as the County has not yet provided updated assessed valuations to the taxing jurisdictions, including Fort Osage. This uncertainty also raises concerns about the District’s bonding capacity, making it difficult to determine the size of any potential future bond issue. The root of the current assessment challenges stems from decades of underassessment. State regulations require properties to be assessed between 90% and 110% of market value. In 2022, the State Tax Commission notified Jackson County that properties were underassessed and that the County was failing to meet this guideline. While there were clearly significant issues with the 2023 assessment process, most concerns centered on the sharp increase in property values, not that properties were being assessed above market value. Revisiting the 2023 assessments after three budgets have already been approved is extremely problematic for taxing jurisdictions. It is important to preserve the integrity of the statutory processes already in place, including the appeals process. I will continue to stay highly engaged and will keep you informed as more information becomes available. I will also be watching the upcoming state legislative session closely, as there are already several bills filed that would impact education funding. Health Insurance The insurance plan will renew on January 1, 2026, with the District’s contribution increasing to $880.00 per month for each eligible employee. As a reminder, the District’s contribution toward health insurance is included in your retirement calculation and now totals $10,560 annually. Fort Osage will continue its participation in the SipGKC consortium, which includes the Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Smithville, and Platte County School Districts. Cigna will remain our health insurance provider. A key benefit of our consortium membership is access to the Consiglio Wellness Center, which continues to be a valuable resource for our district. With Platte County recently joining the consortium, an additional wellness center is now available for use by all consortium members in the city of Platte County. If you have any questions regarding health insurance, please contact Laura Ford, Benefits Coordinator, at [email protected]. Legislative Update The 2026 legislative session will begin in Jefferson City on January 7. The session looks to be incredibly active with 1,084 bills being filed on the first eligible filing date of December 1. Throughout the session, I will actively engage in the legislative process and keep you informed of any major bills that may impact Fort Osage. Important dates of the session are listed below: December 1st- Bill Filing Opens January 7th- First Day of Session March 16th-20th- Legislative Spring Break May 8th- Budget Bill Deadline May 15th- Last Day of Session Master Plan Follow Up Conversations have continued regarding a possible no tax increase bond issue in April 2026. This fall two community engagement meetings were held to receive feedback from the community regarding the projects to be considered. The deadline for the ballot language to be sent to the County is late January therefore, a board decision will likely be made at the January board meeting. Ongoing Jackson County assessment issues have caused uncertainty regarding Fort Osage’s bonding capacity. We will continue to keep you informed as we move forward with these plans. As I’ve done in the past, if there is a ballot measure in April, I will schedule a time to visit each school to provide information. Annual Performance Report The results of the most recent Annual Performance Report (APR) were reviewed and discussed with the team. We celebrated our many successes and identified areas for improvement. I’m pleased with our continued improvement measures and growth that was demonstrated. Each school team will continue to implement their school improvement plan strategies to drive further growth and progress. Calendar and AMI Days Due to the 169-day calendar requirements, we reviewed the 2025–2026 inclement weather plan. As a reminder, we have six AMI days and six built-in make-up days. Since we have already used two AMI days, four remain available. Depending on the timing of any future inclement weather, it is possible that some built-in make-up days may be used before all remaining AMI days are exhausted. If a make-up day is needed, we will provide as much advance notice as possible. The make up days are as follows: February 16, April 3, April 6, May 26, May 27, May 28. 2026-2027 Calendar Feedback was provided regarding the flow of our current school calendar, and suggestions were made for the development of the 2026-2027 calendar. A few draft calendars will be sent to all staff in January to gather feedback. Once all input is collected, the final draft of the student calendar will be presented to the Board of Education, with a recommendation as early as February. Employee Leave Based on continual input from staff, we are in the process of reviewing and potentially revising employee leave practices for the 2026–2027 school year focusing on staff retention. We are researching two main changes: potential shift to “Paid Days Off” (PDO) and our leave accrual and ‘buy back’ incentives. We are considering sending a survey to staff to gain feedback on PDO specifically in January. We also received feedback regarding continuing with ineligible/protected days (specific days that require an additional level of approval to utilize personal days) for the next school year. Currently this includes the final 5 days of school, so we are considering adding the first week of school and days before/after long breaks (Winter/Spring break). Superintendent Advisory Committees I have continued to meet with each Superintendent Advisory Committee this year. These meetings have provided valuable opportunities to disseminate information, celebrate accomplishments, and discuss areas for improvement.  The holiday season is a great time to enjoy a movie and some popcorn. A $20.00 gift card to AMC will be given away to one lucky winner using the RNG. If you're interested, please email me at [email protected] with ''Movie" in the subject line by 8:00 am on Friday, December 12.
Giveaway prizes are not purchased with District funds. Only Fort Osage employees are eligible to enter the drawing.  It’s hard to believe that our fall parent-teacher conferences are nearly behind us and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. As the weather changes, our school year continues to progress as well. Thank you for your continued effort in helping us move successfully through the school year. Your hard work and dedication are truly appreciated. Thank you for showing up and making an impact for every student in our district!
 Thank you for your daily efforts to effectively utilize instructional time and support students on their journey to becoming success-ready graduates. We enjoyed the time spent in schools over the past month for the first annual showcases. We see evidence of the hard work going into making learning visible in the classroom. The consistent focus on clarity and engagement has been noticed throughout the district, and we appreciate your dedication to achieving our goals.
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