Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager speaks to Adopt-a-School partners

Olathe Public Schools Community,

The start of the 2026-27 school year is just around the corner! We hope you've had a wonderful summer and encourage you to savor these final days before school begins. As you prepare for the new year, now is also a great time to help students ease back into routines because the first day of school will be here before we know it. In this month's newsletter, you'll find important information, including:

Olathe students continue to outperform the state on Kansas assessments.
An update on the Facility Alignment process.
A reminder to complete online registration.
Information about new state laws affecting cell phones and staff-student communication.
Highlights of our updated district bullying prevention plan.
A thank you to the many staff members preparing our schools for a successful year.

We look forward to welcoming all students and staff back soon and wish you a safe and enjoyable end to your summer!

Your very proud superintendent,
Dr. Brent Yeager

Olathe Public Schools students continue to demonstrate strong academic achievement. Preliminary Kansas state assessment results show that our students outperformed the state average in every tested grade level across math, English language arts and science.

These results reflect the hard work of our students, the dedication of our teachers and staff, and the ongoing support of our families and community.

Watch Director of School Improvement & Assessments Spencer Brown explain our students' academic growth and what these assessment results mean for Olathe Public Schools.

Review

This spring the Facility Alignment Task Force, made up of one staff member and one parent from each school, met three times to review district finances, enrollment projections and building capacity to inform Olathe Public Schools' school consolidation planning.

At the June Board of Education Meeting, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jim McMullen presented an overview of the Task Force’s work and recommendations. View the full presentation on the district’s YouTube Channel.

Survey results showed unanimous support for reducing the district's elementary footprint. Most participants recommended closing at least three or four elementary schools and at least one middle school. High schools are not expected to be affected.

Current Work

So far this summer, the Facility Alignment Steering Committee (a smaller subgroup of the Task Force) has met three of four times to evaluate the task force's recommendations and review data for each school. The committee will recommend specific schools for consolidation after its final meeting before the start of the school year.

Next Steps

A recommendation on specific school consolidations will be presented to the Board of Education at its September meeting, with boundary recommendations to follow. Please note that your school may be affected even if it is not recommended for consolidation, as attendance boundaries may be adjusted to accommodate students from consolidated schools.

Information will be shared in school and district communications throughout the next several months. Community members interested in following the process can learn more, including answers to frequently asked questions and view all districtwide and school-based communication so far on the district website. Our commitment to transparency throughout this process is intentional, so our community feels informed every step of the way.

Elementary school student standing in the hallway with a backpack on

Online registration for the 2026-27 school year isopen in ParentVUE. Parents can access the link to Online Registration in the ParentVUE app or by visiting the ParentVUE website. There, they will be able to complete all the necessary registration documents for each of their children, including making sure contact and demographic information is up to date.

Parents will be able to pay student and school fees through TouchBase and apply payment toward meal accounts through SchoolCafé.

It's important to note that families new to the district, those who have not been to kindergarten enrollment, and any out-of-district residents approved to attend Olathe Public Schools through Open Enrollment will need to contact their child’s school beginning July 20 to set up an appointment to come into the building to register.

As you may be aware, earlier this year the state Legislature passed a new cell phone law for schools. As part of this legislation, the law prohibits two-way messaging between staff and students on platforms that are not fully monitorable. Finalsite Two-Way Chat is now the district’s official and ONLY approved platform for two-way “text style” communication between staff members and students/families. Often there is a need for communication for our athletics, activities and other extracurriculars at the secondary level. This new app will replace platforms like Band, Remind, etc., which we have used in the past.

Finalsite Two-Way Chat is now ready for use and can be accessed through the existing Olathe Public Schools mobile app. The platform provides:

Secure, district-monitored communication
Translation support for multilingual families
The ability for coaches/sponsors to create group chats or individual chats within a fully monitored and secure system.

Your child's coach or sponsor will provide information about the communication tools that will be used for their team, group or activity. To comply with district policy and state law, communication between staff and students should occur only through Finalsite Two-Way Chat, district email or Canvas/Seesaw. Students and staff should not communicate through text or other social media platforms.

If you have any questions, please contact your school's administration. Thank you for your partnership in helping us maintain safe, secure and compliant communication with our students and families.

As a reminder, during the 2026 Legislative session, the Kansas Legislature passed a new state cell phone law that prohibits the use of cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day on school premises. Per state law, devices must be turned off and securely stored during the school day.

At the July 9 Board of Education meeting, district administration presented proposed changes to the district’s current Policy JTC- Personal Electronic Devices, that would bring Olathe Public Schools into compliance with the newly passed state law that goes into effect beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

While the board will not take action on the proposed policy until the August meeting, we wanted you to be aware of the recommended policy changes under consideration as you begin planning for back to school. Key highlights from the proposed policy updates include:

Elementary and PreK: Personal electronic communication devices, if on school premises during the school day, must be stored in the student’s backpack, in a personal storage bag or container, in a school-designated storage solution or other area designated by school administration.

Middle and High School: Personal electronic communication devices, if on school premises during the school day, must be stored in a student’s locker, in a school-designated storage solution, in the student’s vehicle (high school only) or other area designated by school administration.

Students found in violation of the policy will be subject to disciplinary measures as identified in Policy JCDA (Behavior Code) and Policy JTB (Student Acceptable Use of Technologies Policy), as well as the Code of Student Conduct. In the Code of Student Conduct, personal electronic devices are addressed under: Misuse/Use of Technology/Violation of Network Practices (Class II) and; Possession of Education Nuisance (Class II).

To view the full presentation and policy overview, please watch our recorded Board meeting on the district’s YouTube channel. As updates to the policy are finalized, more communication will be shared with students and families prior to the start of the school year.

We are excited to present our district’s new bullying plan, developed by a committee of 16 parents, administrators and teachers who met throughout the school year to review current practices, state requirements and emerging concerns facing students. Read more about our bullying plan on our website.

Key updates to the plan include:

A new bullying definition aligned with guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education.

Expanded guidance on identifying physical, verbal, relational and cyberbullying behaviors.

An anonymous online reporting system that allows students, staff and families to report specific bullying concerns directly to school administrators.

Enhanced prevention strategies focused on building positive relationships between students and trusted adults.

More clear procedures for investigating reports and responding when bullying is identified.

Updates to annual training and education for staff and students.

The updated plan also addresses cyberbullying, including harmful behavior conducted through social media, online gaming, electronic communication, rumor spreading and the sharing of compromising images.

Prevention remains one of the most important components of the plan. We will continue to focus on creating safe school environments, encouraging meaningful connections with trusted adults and helping students understand how to recognize and report bullying behaviors. As we approach the new school year, we ask for partnership with our parents in supporting these efforts at home by discouraging bullying behavior.