USD 257 will receive an infusion of funds for professional development thanks to a grant from the Patterson Family Foundation.
Jenna Higginbotham, USD 257’s Director of Curriculum, announced at Monday’s USD 257 board meeting the district has again been awarded a Patterson Family Foundation grant — this time for $300,000 to be distributed over the next three years.
The district first received a Patterson grant two years ago, totaling $150,000 for tuition reimbursement and professional development.
Higginbotham explained those funds were used to help 28 staff members further their education, whether by earning master’s degrees or completing teaching licenses.
About $132,866 went toward tuition reimbursement, while more than $17,000 supported professional development opportunities, including conferences in Texas and Nashville for teaching teams, training for the technology department, physical education staff, and Title I teachers.
Higginbotham recommended the new funds once again be used for tuition reimbursement toward education-related degrees and for professional development aligned with the district’s Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) goals and board priorities.
Board members discussed allowing flexibility in how much is allocated to each category annually, noting that interest among paraprofessionals in becoming certified teachers could drive demand for tuition support in some years.
“This is so exciting,” Higginbotham said. “I’m thrilled for our staff. People knew I had applied, and I got a lot of questions over the summer. It’s great to be able to tell them we were successful.”
IN OTHER NEWS, Bowlus Executive Director Mandy Moyer gave an extensive preview of the center’s upcoming season, which blends music, theater, arts, and educational programming. Moyer also highlighted the Bowlus’ expanded educational outreach, with visiting performers providing workshops and master classes for USD 257 and Allen Community College students.
She noted that a new ticketing system launches Aug. 25.
Superintendent Stacy Fager presented the district’s preliminary 2025-26 budget, which is based on projected enrollment and state funding weightings.
The district expects a full-time enrollment of 1,075 students this fall — slightly fewer than last year’s 1,085. However, additional state “weightings” are applied for factors such as preschool at-risk programs, bilingual education, career and technical education (CTE), free and reduced lunch eligibility, high-density at-risk populations, transportation, and special education.
These weightings effectively increase the district’s enrollment for budget purposes to the equivalent of 2,164 students.
Multiplying that figure by the state per-pupil allotment, plus virtual education aid, brings the projected general fund budget to $12,241,022.
The official figure will be set after enrollment is certified Sept. 20.
“If our student numbers go up, or if certain program participation increases, our budget could also increase,” Fager said.
