The Chanute Public Schools Board of Education held a special meeting last week to discuss building needs assessments.
During this meeting, members of the board also voted to approve a bid in the amount of $$42,494, from Heartland Seating to install new seating caps on the bleachers at Chanute Middle School, formerly known as Royster Middle School.
At Chanute Early Learning Center – formerly Lincoln Early Learning Center – There was a student headcount of 146 students. Fifty-five percent of these students qualify for free meals. Grant funding allows all students to eat for free.
The benefits of a full-day preschool classroom were discussed. The benefits of having students in for the full day include enhancing support for working families, given that daycare spots in the community are limited. Students benefit by being more prepared for kindergarten and increased social-emotional learning.
Currently, 17% of students have an IEP, and screenings take place throughout the year to identify students who may need additional services or learning interventions.
In the needs assessment, it was stated that an additional full-time teacher was hired, and paraprofessionals are still needed at the center.
At Chanute Elementary School, chronic absenteeism continues to decrease. In 2022, the chronic absenteeism rate for the school was 39.16%, by 2024 the absenteeism rate was 17.4%. In 2025, that decrease slowed, with the rate currently at 15.12%.
Areas of need include improving training for staff working with special education students and having more special education staff.
At CMS, the needs assessment reported that most staff felt that the appropriate steps are being taken to improve student reading and math growth through weekly targeted intervention.
To improve student outcomes, the school has decided to forego having late-start days. Music will be played in the hallways during passing periods.
There were 387 students and 23.65% of those students have an active IEP. Almost half of the students, 49.6%, were identified as at-risk and qualify for free lunch.
Building Attendance Rate is at 92.4%, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 26.96%.
At Chanute High School, A decrease in negative behavior was highlighted.
From 2024 to 2025, there was a 24.3% decrease in major office referrals. Ninth graders saw a 45% decrease in major office referrals. However, attendance is still an issue. In spring 2024, 55% of referrals stemmed from attendance.
In spring 2025, 70.9% of referrals stemmed from attendance.
In other data, the graduation rate increased from 89.9% to 90.6%. The District Dropout Rate decreased from 1.3% to 1.1%. The Average ACT Score range is 18.5-20.6, and the chronic absenteeism rate continues to decrease. This year that rate is at 15.47%.
The next regular Chanute Public School Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 2, at 6 p.m. at 321 E. Main Street.
