The Olathe Reporter

The Olathe Reporter The Olathe Reporter is a digital daily news publication in Olathe, Kansas.

Olathe Public Schools announced Thursday night six schools may close at the end of the school year to adapt to declining...
09/04/2026

Olathe Public Schools announced Thursday night six schools may close at the end of the school year to adapt to declining enrollment.

As the process moves along, Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent, sat down with The Olathe Reporter to answer logistical questions around six closures happening at once, including what happens to the buildings and staff, and how the process may save money.

The district is hosting a public hearing regarding the proposed school closures starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Olathe South High School, 1640 E. 151st St.

Story in the comments👇

The Olathe Board of Education passed the district's 2027 budget Thursday, which comes with its first property tax rate i...
09/04/2026

The Olathe Board of Education passed the district's 2027 budget Thursday, which comes with its first property tax rate increase since 2017. Average bills for Olatheans will increase about 6.09 percent.

John Hutchison, Olathe CFO, said Thursday that Olathe hitting the revenue neutral rate, meaning the tax rate to collect the same amount of money as the year before, will be close to impossible without massive cuts, since the state statutorily forces districts to collect 20 mills each year, and appraisals are up 4.3 percent.

Story in the comments👇

Olathe staffers and a 20-person steering committee are recommending six schools close by the end of the 2026-2027 school...
09/04/2026

Olathe staffers and a 20-person steering committee are recommending six schools close by the end of the 2026-2027 school year. The schools are Indian Trail Middle and Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove Elementaries.

The decision to close the schools by the end of the school year is to capitalize on the immediate budget impact, and to avoid some of the negative effects of letting a school sit for a few years before closing.

Story in the comments👇

BREAKING NEWS: Olathe staffers and a 20-person steering committee are recommending six schools close by the end of the 2...
09/04/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Olathe staffers and a 20-person steering committee are recommending six schools close by the end of the 2026-2027 school year. The schools are Indian Trail Middle and Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove Elementaries.

Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent, said the schools were mostly chosen for their declining enrollment, poor conditions and ability to be absorbed by nearby schools based on proximity.

Story in the comments👇

The Johnson County commission voted 6-1 Thursday to pass the county's $1.91 billion 2027 budget with a flat tax rate, al...
09/03/2026

The Johnson County commission voted 6-1 Thursday to pass the county's $1.91 billion 2027 budget with a flat tax rate, although Olathe property tax bills will increase about 4.3 percent on average.

“It is our priority to provide the crucial, high-quality programs and services that make this one of the best places to live in America while being as efficient and focused on stewardship as possible,” chairman Mike Kelly stated, following comments against the budget by residents Aug. 25. “Our 2027 budget is up only 0.37% from 2026, and total authorized expenditures are down from the 2026 budget. Against inflation of 3.4%, this reflects the Board’s deliberate choice to absorb financial pressures instead of passing them on dollar for dollar. I appreciate the members of the community who took the time to learn, ask a question or voice an opinion.”

Story in the comments👇

Olathe staffers provided a preliminary look Tuesday at what the Santa Fe/I-35 interchange will look like after the two r...
09/02/2026

Olathe staffers provided a preliminary look Tuesday at what the Santa Fe/I-35 interchange will look like after the two roads are improved and rebuilt over the next four years.

Staffers said the redesign is most similar to the interchange at I-35 and 87th Street in Lenexa. It will feature the large traffic signal structure over the full road, with sidewalks, landscaped medians and the use of a brick liner to match with the downtown area aesthetic.

Story in the comments👇

The Olathe City Council Tuesday voted to take $18.7 million from the Kansas Department of Transportation for a new bypas...
09/02/2026

The Olathe City Council Tuesday voted to take $18.7 million from the Kansas Department of Transportation for a new bypass road, but made sure to reaffirm they still do not want the accompanying K-10/Lone Elm interchange.

“So we can think that this interchange is a dumb idea, a waste of money and still vote yes to get KDOT’s money to mitigate the risks that we perceive from this dumb idea?” council member Matthew Schoonover asked.

The bypass is meant to keep truck traffic away from Olathe Northwest, the College Boulevard Activity Center and Prairie Trail Middle on Lone Elm Road, and it will take trucks as far south as College Boulevard.

Story in the comments👇

Community Threads KC, a nonprofit based in Downtown Olathe, is bringing a unique boutique-style experience to those seek...
09/01/2026

Community Threads KC, a nonprofit based in Downtown Olathe, is bringing a unique boutique-style experience to those seeking clothing assistance in the community.

Founded by Shelley White, Community Threads opened to the public in July at the former site of the Angel Clothing Foundation at 420 S. Kansas Avenue, which closed in March — the two entities are not affiliated.

“We want people to feel welcome, and that’s what we’ve tried to create with the color of the setup, the experience,” White said. “They come in, they can have a seat, have a cup of coffee, have a snack … We want them to feel like it’s an elevated shopping experience, although everything is free.”

Story in the comments👇

The September Olathe board of Education meeting includes a staff recommendation on which schools should close in the fut...
09/01/2026

The September Olathe board of Education meeting includes a staff recommendation on which schools should close in the future, and approval of the district's 2027 budget.

School board documents currently do not show which schools staffers will recommend for closure, but the process so far has shown it will likely include three or four elementary schools and one middle school.

Story in the comments👇

The Starfish Project opened its doors at its new permanent location at 16175 W. 135th Street Monday, but the nonprofit i...
08/31/2026

The Starfish Project opened its doors at its new permanent location at 16175 W. 135th Street Monday, but the nonprofit isn't expected to be fully operational for a few weeks.

President and co-founder Joni Moreland told The Olathe Reporter Monday she is "really relieved" Starfish is back on stable ground, after being forced to operate out of temporary locations earlier this year.

"We just have so many people that are so glad that we're back to being able to serve," she said. "We've had a lot of people in our community that have just gimped by through the summer, where we would've been able to do a lot more. We're relieved to get back to being in one building, working together as a team and actually serving our community again."

Story in the comments👇

Address

Olathe, KS

Telephone

+19136081146

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Olathe Reporter posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category