A financial look at the cost and operation of USD 417’s three school buildings gives residents a clearer picture of the decisions facing the Board of Education as enrollment patterns, staffing needs, facility costs and insurance expenses continue to affect the district’s budget.
The information was referenced during Monday’s USD 417 Board of Education meeting and was prepared for the board as a building-level financial overview for fiscal year 2025-26. The district provided the document to me for review and to share. The data offers details on enrollment, staffing, utilities, repairs, insurance and per-pupil operating costs at Prairie Heights Elementary School in Alta Vista, Council Grove Elementary School and Council Grove Junior/Senior High School.
The presentation states that USD 417 has experienced sustained enrollment decline over the past several years. Kansas Association of School Boards confirms that the birth rate in rural Kansas is declining. The association reports that the trend mirrors the broader statewide reality, where Kansas has hit record-low birth rates (around 11.6 births per 1,000 residents).
The decline in rural areas is driven by a combination of factors: 1) Out-Migration: Young adults and people in their prime child-bearing years frequently leave rural towns for metro areas for college and employment opportunities. 2) Aging Populations: The loss of youth leaves behind an older demographic, making natural population increases (more births than deaths) very difficult.
The data also notes that special education underfunding by the state continues to place a larger share of those costs on local district resources, while possible changes to the state school finance formula create uncertainty in long-range revenue planning.
One of the clearest examples of the financial challenge is Prairie Heights Elementary School, where 77 students in kindergarten through sixth grade are served. The school’s total operating expenditures are listed at $1,011,374, with a per-pupil cost of $13,134. By comparison, Council Grove Elementary School serves 294 students in prekindergarten through sixth grade, with total operating expenditures of $2,651,595 and a per-pupil cost of $9,019. Council Grove Junior/Senior High School serves 360 students in grades 7 through 12, with operating expenditures of $2,941,603 and a per-pupil cost of $8,171.
The difference is not simply a matter of one building spending more than another. It reflects the reality of operating schools with different enrollment levels. A smaller school still requires teachers, support staff, utilities, repairs, insurance and basic operations, but those costs are divided among fewer students. At Prairie Heights, the student-to-licensedstaff ratio is 7.7 to 1, with six class- room teachers and an average class size of about 12.8 students. Council Grove Elementary has a student-tolicensed-staff ratio of 10.2 to 1, with 18 classroom sections and an average class size of about 16.5 students.
Personnel costs make up the largest share of building-level operating expenses at all three locations. At Prairie Heights, personnel costs total $943,120, or 93.5 percent of operating expenditures. Council Grove Elementary lists personnel costs of $2,481,266, also 93.5 percent of operating expenditures. Council Grove Junior/Senior High School lists personnel costs of $2,721,376, or 92.5 percent of operating expenditures.
Licensed staff totals also reflect the structure needed to operate each building. Prairie Heights has 10 licensed staff positions. Council Grove Elementary has 29 licensed staff positions. Council Grove Junior/ Senior High School has 35 licensed positions. The district-wide summary also lists 12 classified staff members at Prairie Heights, 23 classified staff plus Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative (FHSEC) at Council Grove Elementary, and 11 classified staff plus FHSEC at Council Grove Junior/Senior High School.
Utility and operation costs are another part of the picture. Prairie Heights listed utility costs for fiscal year 2024-25 total $68,253. Council Grove Elementary’s total is $170,329. Council Grove Junior/ Senior High School’s total is $220,227. Those figures include costs such as electricity, gas, water, phone and internet, trash, pest control, copier expenses, repairs, insurance and maintenance supplies.
At the junior/senior high school level, the document also provides average class sizes by core academic department. English classes average 11.5 students, math classes average 10.3 students, science classes average 10.7 students and social studies classes average 12.4 students. Notes indicated that the Kansas State Department of Education does not set a maximum class size for secondary students, and that rural districts often have smaller class sizes than urban and suburban districts because of enrollment levels.
The district’s insurance overview provides another look at the cost of operating school facilities. The total 2026-2027 insurance package through Tyner Insurance Group/ EMC Insurance Companies is listed at $297,435 for coverage from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
The insurance information shows the size of the assets the district must insure. The total property limit is listed at $69,421,237, compared with a 2025 total limit of $66,751,189. The property premium alone is listed at $183,213. The Council Grove Junior/Senior High School property at 129 Hockaday St. carries the largest listed premium at $102,376, with a total per-location value of $38,793,747. Council Grove Elementary carries a listed premium of $49,345, with a total per-location value of $18,698,332. Prairie Heights School carries a listed premium of $18,687, with a total per-location value of $7,081,373.
The insurance overview also shows why the district’s total insurance cost extends beyond building coverage. Business auto coverage is listed at $50,249. Workers compensation is listed at $39,999. Umbrella coverage is listed at $8,287. General liability is listed at $5,391, and other categories include employee theft, errors and omissions, portable equipment and cyber coverage.
Together, the building cost analysis and insurance overview show that school finance decisions are affected by more than classroom instruction alone. Enrollment, staffing, building size, aging facilities, utility costs, insurance values and state funding all shape the financial choices before the district.
The information provided to the Council Grove Republican does not answer what the Board of Education should do next. As USD 417 continues to consider its facilities and long-term planning, the figures provide residents with a factual starting point for understanding the costs involved in operating three school buildings in a rural Kansas district.