The Parkway C-2 Board of Education approved $4.8 million for coaching stipends and activity sponsors across its four high schools at an April 25 workshop. The $4,800,103 Extra Duty Budget covers coaching and activity sponsor compensation at Parkway West, Central, North, and South for the 2026-27 school year.

The approval comes as Superintendent Dr. Melissa Schneider has spent the spring warning that significant cuts are on the horizon. At community meetings held at each high school through March and April, she was blunt: "If we don't find another way to supplement our funding, we will have to make cuts with a large-scale impact."

Board President Jeff Todd told the Parkway West Pathfinder student newspaper that the district may have to cut things families expect to have, including free athletics, if revenues can't keep pace with rising costs.

The numbers behind the pressure are stark. Parkway's healthcare expenses jumped 14% in 2024 and are projected to climb another 17%, according to the district's Invested in Parkway fiscal report. The Senior Citizen Property Tax Freeze is expected to reduce revenue by $26 million over the next decade, per the same report. About 40% of Parkway households are eligible for the freeze. CFO Carrie Nunn has noted the district is 92% funded by local property taxes.

The question came up in the district's 2025-26 budget FAQ — "Will stipends or compensation for extracurricular roles like coaching be reduced?" — and the answer at the time was no, stipends would hold steady for 2025-26. Whether the newly approved $4.8 million represents an increase, decrease, or flat extension of that commitment into 2026-27 has not been disclosed.

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