BACK SCHOOL TO EDUCATION LIFE FOR
Backpacks? Check. Notebooks? Check. Health? Let's double check.
As families prepare for a new school year, it's the perfect time to go over your
Back-to-School Health Checklist:
Make sure to:
Schedule annual physicals or sports physicals
Update immunizations
Notify school of medications and allergy plans
Re-establish bedtime routines
Review mental health and stress signs
Raising the bar
New facilities, revamped programs and a guaranteed college education show our schools put education first.
If education were a sport, local school districts would be on the offense to seeing students receive the best education possible.
From the Humboldt Promise that basically guarantees a free college education to Humboldt graduates to Iola High’s revamped individualized program that ensures students are equipped to face the greater world upon graduation, educators are raising the bar.
“Our mission statement for USD 257 is to have all students be collegeor career-ready when they graduate,” said Dana Daugharthy, Iola High’s new academic guidance counselor. “My goal is to see there’s no one better at doing that than us. We want our students to have real, meaningful college and career opportunities waiting for them,” said Daugharthy, who’s moved from teaching physics, robotics and a college chemistry class to take on the challenge.
As for the Humboldt Promise, it’s instilling a culture of excellence in
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both teachers and students by assuring a college education is in sight as long as students keep their grades up. Just that expectation of a classroom of future college students gives a greater significance to a teacher’s lesson plans as well as student performance.
USD 258 Superintendent Amber Wheeler also sees the program established by the Works Family Foundation as an economic development tool. “It will grow a stronger local economy by attracting new residents and develop a deeper commitment for graduates to their hometown of Humboldt,” she said.
BUT THESE goals can’t happen in a vacuum. Outside of the classroom, it’s up to a student’s greater community to reinforce education’s value.
One pernicious foe is the rate of chronic absenteeism that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. In many schools, attendance levels have yet to return to prepandemic levels.
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“Students figured they could get the same level of instruction through a laptop,” said Justin Coffey, principal of Ulysses High School, in a recent podcast presented by the Kansas Department of Education.
The data say otherwise.
Statewide, schools are taking measures to get students back in the classroom where they not only learn better but also become more socially adjusted by spending their days among their peers and adults who are good role models.
JOE WORKS of the Works Family Foundation said he and his wife, Janie, established The Humboldt Promise because they believe an education “empowers” people to pursue their dreams.
We get there by having the determination of a Dana Daugharthy to pull out all the stops until we’ve seen that every student not only graduates but is prepared to step into the future.
Setting a course
Dana Daugharthy’s new role at Iola High School is to show students the myriad opportunities that will make them college- or
While he’s largely exiting the classroom, Iola High School’s Dana Daugharthy may be more visible to students than ever.
“I want to make sure that when they graduate, they’ll probably be tired of seeing me,” he joked.
Daugharthy, a long-time science teacher at IHS, has shifted gears to become the school’s academic guidance counselor. But in pulling himself out of the classroom — he will no longer teach physics, robotics and a college chemistry class — Daugharthy’s goal is to connect with each and every highschooler as they plot their paths to the future.
“I’ve got a vision in my head, and this sounds ambitious,”
he explains. “Our mission statement is for USD 257 to have all students be college- or career-ready when they graduate. My goal is to make it so that there’s not a district in the state better at doing that than us. We want our students to have real, meaningful college and career opportunities waiting for them.”
The solution is to connect with the students as soon as they enter IHS halls as freshmen (or even earlier) so the students know what sort of opportunities await.
Each high-schooler will have an individual plan of study (IPS), which Daugharthy has shaped to “help students get a taste, an idea of what they want, and to make sure they’re aware of the opportunities they have.”
HOW THE IPS WORKS
Incoming ninth-graders will go through a career exploration class, where they’ll learn about careers, salaries, skills, etc, and what it’s like to work there. They’ll speak with local business owners or employees or other representatives.
“We want our students to have real, meaningful college and career opportunities waiting for them.”
For sophomores, the future will look at postsecondary education opportunities, such as college, technical education schools and the military, and the process one goes through.
The junior year focus will include what used to be called consumer education: learning life skills like financial literacy, time management, stress management and organizational skills.
By the time students are seniors, Daugharthy hopes each will have a postsecondary plan.
“We’ll have them focus on what they want to be doing two years out of high school, and they’re gonna make a plan to make that happen,” Daugharthy said. “They can deviate, obviously, but they’re gonna have a plan.”
Other elements include writing resumes and going to mock interviews for seniors.
Daugharthy will look to invite members of the local business community to the high school, for one-on-one interaction with students.
Iola has made great strides with its career and technical education (CTE) programs in recent years, Daugharthy noted.
“What I’m really looking forward to is this enhanced communication between businesses and students, where it’s not just career exploration level, but instead getting feedback from the community. Let the students know how they’re interviewing, how their resumes look.”
With that will be a need for community partners.
Daugharthy will reach out to any and all for support.
“But I’m not going to ask for money,” he added.
For example, one employer could judge resume writing. Another could do mock interviews.
Dana Daugharthy
“Sometimes as teachers, we forget we are serving the community around us,” Daugharthy said. “This is an opportunity to invite people in to be partners in the education of our students. It’s a big deal to train these people in our building to be good citizens and have a good plan when they graduate high school.”
Daugharthy isn’t leaving the classroom entirely. He will once again teach an eighth-grade career exploration and CTE class, which exists primarily to expose the students to the myriad opportunities they’ll have in high school.
“We have offerings that many schools our size don’t have,” he noted. “The problem is, a lot of these students aren’t even aware of them when they’re in high school. It comes up when they come in for pre-enrollment, we’ll talk about it, and then it’s done.”
No longer.
“The eighth-grade class is meant to really talk about each one of these pathways in detail, and provides them with hands-on activities.”
DAUGHARTHY’S new role — he will continue to oversee the CTE and internship programs as well — means another shift for IHS.
While he is a full-fledged academic guidance counselor, the school’s social and emotional counseling will come from certified counselors with the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
“The SEK Mental Health Center has been a great partner,” USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Stacey Fager said. “And our administrative team will likely intervene more in minor administrative types of counseling issues.”
Fager praised Daugharthy’s vision, and his passion.
“He has a lot of great ideas, and when he presents his vision in front of the school board, the usual response is ‘is there anything you need from us to make it happen?’ He has a good vision, and he gets kids involved.”
Automotive repair technology will once again be offered for high-schoolers at the Regional Rural Technical Center in Laharpe.
SPEAKING of CTE, Iola High will once again be an integral partner with other schools and colleges through the Rural Regional Technical Center in LaHarpe, where students can take classes on welding, construction trades, auto mechanics and wind farm technology.
The only change for 2025-26 is the RRTC’s nursing courses, which formerly were taught by Neosho County Community College.
Starting this fall, those classes will be taught by Allen Community College instructors on the ACC campus.
“Allen has always been a great partner, and we’re excited about getting to use its facilities on campus. We’re optimistic to see how it materializes,” Daugharthy said.
It appears the Iola school district’s beloved SAFE BASE program has escaped the chopping block for the upcoming school year.
Other programs, however, remain in jeopardy because of the U.S. Department of Education’s decision earlier this summer to “freeze” $6 billion in funding for public schools.
The popular after-school program was included in a recent release of funding through a 21st Century grant that serves public schools nationwide.
Though relieved, Stacey Fager, USD 257 superintendent of schools, said SAFE BASE’S reprieve could be temporary and
does nothing for the district’s other programs and the need for long-term funding stability.
For Iola, the cuts included:
• $61,670 from Title II, Part A – funds typically used for teacher training and professional development.
• $29,286 from Title IV, Part A – which supports student enrichment and support programs.
• $150,000 from Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) – the core funding source for SAFE BASE, Iola’s long-running after-school program.
Second-grader Blane Yocham gets an adjustment for his birthday hat from SAFE BASE staff member Cashlin Hedden during a birthday celebration last October at Iola Elementary School.
EARLIER THIS year, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) notified school districts that nearly $50 million in federal education funding to Kansas had been withheld. Nationwide, the freeze totaled $6 billion.
Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Education Commissioner, informed district superintendents that he received word of the federal funding freeze on June 30 — one day before the funds are typically released.
“Now, the funding for these programs remains uncertain as we wait for the U.S. Department of Education’s review of these
USD 257 Superintendent Stacey Fager credits a widespread public outcry for persuading the Department of Education to restore funds that had been eliminated for after-school programs. “It’s a big win,” for students and their families, he said.
programs,” Watson told district superintendents.
According to Fager, the sudden withholding meant programs normally taken for granted were suddenly in jeopardy. “These are funds that have never really been in question,” he said. “The federal government has historically supported public education, and districts like ours rely on that consistency.”
Fager was candid about what he sees as a political reallocation of resources. “It’s no coincidence,” he said. “You withhold $6 billion in public education funding and then turn around and insert $6 billion into a voucher incentive program. That money had to come from somewhere.”
Although the funding was approved by Congress and signed into law earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education held back allocations, throwing school budgets into chaos. For Iola, that meant potentially pulling money from the district’s general fund — funds otherwise used for teacher salaries and other essential services.
AFTER considerable public outcry, the federal government
“What
— Alfred Mercier
restored funding for the 21st Century grant — at least for this school year. For Iola, that means the SAFE BASE program will continue uninterrupted.
“It’s a big win,” Fager said. “Our parents rely on this program. It gives kids a place to go after school, offers enrichment, educational activities, and fun experiences — like the Shark Week theme, or going on fossil digs during the summer.”
SAFE BASE, which has served Iola families for 25 years, is one of the longest-running after-school programs in Kansas. Fager recalled that the program was originally intended as a one-year pilot and has been extended thanks to ongoing community
Elizabeth, left, and Taylor Chriestenson shoot Pokeballs they created from scratch at a 2023 SAFE BASE event at Iola Elementary School.
support and federal backing.
The program, led by Angela Henry, regularly serves over 100 students. Its offerings range from local gardening projects to educational field trips as far as Scott City. “Angela and her team have really knocked it out of the park,” Fager said.
Funding for the other two federally backed initiatives — Title II, Part A and Title IV, Park A — have yet to be restored.
DESPITE THE restored funding for this year, future
allocations remain uncertain. “The outcry was compelling enough to change the course,” said Fager. “But next year? We just don’t know.”
If funding is withheld again, the district may be forced to consider scaled-back versions of SAFE BASE. “We’d have to look at paring it down, maybe offering fewer sessions, grouping students differently, or cutting back on enrichment,” he said. “But those are board-level decisions that we’d make with input from Angela.”
For now, Iola’s SAFE BASE program will resume as scheduled after Labor Day with the district keeping a close eye on federal actions and preparing for potential belt-tightening in the future.
“We didn’t want to jump the gun this summer,” Fager said. “But we also didn’t want to be caught off guard. Thankfully, the funding came through — for now.”
“Our parents rely on this program. It gives kids a place to go after school, offers enrichment, educational activities, and fun experiences.”
Keeping promises
A scholarship program open to all Humboldt High School graduates is going “to change lives.”
HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Promise, a newly launched initiative offering to cover college tuition for graduating seniors in USD 258, is already generating excitement — and questions — among local families and those beyond district lines.
Superintendent Amber Wheeler says the program, which was announced earlier this year, is drawing increased interest from parents hoping to enroll their children in the district. But due to state law changes and district capacity constraints, getting a spot in Humboldt schools isn’t as simple as it used to be.
ESTABLISHED earlier this year and funded for at least 25 years by the Works Family Foundation, the Humboldt Promise provides nearly every Humboldt High School graduate the opportunity to pursue education beyond high school — regardless of academic merit or financial need.
The scholarship covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees (up to the highest in-state, public university rate) and can be used at any Title IV institution across the United States. Eligible students may receive support for up to 120 credit hours, provided they maintain a 2.5 GPA.
To qualify, students must have been continually enrolled in USD 258 since at least 10th grade and meet standards for attendance, behavior, and academic progress. The program aims to foster more substantial and diverse outcomes for Humboldt students, opening doors to college, university, or technical training.
“Ultimately, we believe this investment in Humboldt’s youth will contribute to a greater resiliency for our school district,” Wheeler said. “It will grow a stronger local economy by attracting new residents and develop a deeper commitment for graduates to their hometown of Humboldt.”
The Humboldt Promise was inspired by the Neodesha Promise Scholarship and modeled after similar efforts across the country, starting with the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan.
The district is in the final stages of hiring a director to oversee the Humboldt Promise program. “We knew we had to get someone in place to do that work,” she said.
Once hired, the director will help manage the roll-out of the tuition coverage process and support eligible students and families in navigating their next steps.
DUE TO Kansas legislation passed in recent years, all public school districts must follow a standardized open enrollment policy, including a lottery system for out-of-district applicants. Although USD 258 has long accepted nonresident students, the new law added significant procedural hoops.
“The law requires us to declare how many open spots we have and then accept applicants through a lottery,” Wheeler explained. “Last year was the first time we had to do that formally.”
This year’s enrollment lottery closed in mid-June, but that doesn’t mean all slots are filled. The district is still accepting out-of-district applications via an online form, and additional openings may emerge in August once in-district enrollment stabilizes.
“We often don’t know our final numbers until August,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes families move in or out, and that can free up spots. If that happens, we’ll take new students in the order that applications were received — as long as they meet our requirements.”
TO QUALIFY for enrollment under the Humboldt Promise program, out-of-district students must meet certain expectations, including good attendance, academic progress, and appropriate behavior. These criteria are part of USD 258’s policy defining a “student in good standing.”
Wheeler summarized the expectations simply: “We hold up three fingers — attendance, grades, and behavior. If you weren’t making it at your old school, it’s probably going to be tough to make it here.”
While the specific metrics are detailed in the district’s policy, the intent is to ensure that students who join USD 258 are ready to engage and succeed.
USD 258’s ability to accept new students depends heavily on classroom space and staffing. While the high school typically has more flexibility due to individualized schedules, elementary grades are more tightly capped.
“In kindergarten, we had enough enrollment that we added a third teacher,” Wheeler said. “Some grades still only have two sections and are close to full — 22, 23, even 25 students per class.”
Middle school also operates with variable class sizes depending on subject and grade level, while the high school generally has more capacity.
Despite these challenges, Wheeler says the district remains committed to welcoming new students whenever possible.
“We try really hard to take anybody who wants to come,” she said. “But we also have to be realistic — we don’t want to overload our teachers or compromise class quality.”
ALTHOUGH it’s still early, Wheeler confirmed that families outside the district have begun submitting applications in response to the Humboldt Promise.
“This program is going to change lives,” Wheeler said.
A new entrance at Humboldt High School will greet students and visitors alike.
Paras to teachers
Amid a nationwide shortage of qualified educators, USD 257 has found a way to find new teachers. It grows its own.
In the face of a nationwide teacher shortage, USD 257 in Iola has found a promising solution in its own backyard.
The district’s para-to-teacher program has emerged as a highly successful approach to addressing teacher vacancies by helping paraprofessionals earn their teaching credentials and move into full-time instructional roles. According to Superintendent Stacey Fager, the initiative has not only filled critical staffing gaps but has also strengthened the district’s culture and teacher retention.
“We’ve had a lot of individuals take us up on it,” he said. “Both younger people just starting out and more veteran paras who
NEW SCHOOL YEAR. NEW HOPE.
wanted to take the next step.”
The district works closely with paraprofessionals and provides them a pathway to certification. Participants are responsible for completing their degree programs first, and the district reimburses them upon completion.
This effort was bolstered significantly when Jenna Higginbotham, the district’s curriculum director, secured a $150,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation two years ago. The Iola school board directed a portion of those funds toward reimbursing tuition for paraprofessionals pursuing their teaching degrees.
“That has really helped offset some of the costs,” Fager explained. “When the pipeline of university graduates with teaching degrees started to shrink, we knew we had to get creative. This program is how we’ve grown a number of educators right here in our community.”
THE DISTRICT has seen the highest utilization of the program at the elementary level.
One success story is Kristin Barnett, a longtime para at the elementary school, who recently earned her teaching credentials and will step into a first-grade classroom this fall.
“She’s a great example of someone who took advantage of the
USD 257 helps paraprofessionals earn their teaching credentials and move into full-time instructional roles.
opportunity, and now she’s moving into a lead teaching role,” Fager said.
“It’s exciting for her and for our students.”
Principals and instructional leaders have played a key role in identifying paras with the potential to become teachers, noted Fager, often giving them the encouragement they need to pursue certification.
“Sometimes all it takes is that extra nudge from an administrator who says, ‘You can do this,’” he added. “That kind of affirmation goes a long way.”
BEYOND improving staffing levels, the program has also proven effective in teacher retention.
“We’ve seen a good retention rate with those individuals,” Fager said. “They have a huge appreciation for the district because we supported them while they were earning their degree, and now we’re paying them as educators.”
That investment is paying off in more ways than one. Not only
CHANGE A CHILD’S STORY
are students benefiting from familiar and dedicated teachers, but the district is also cultivating a pipeline of instructors who are deeply rooted in the community.
IN MAY, Higginbotham submitted another grant application to the Patterson Family Foundation to expand the program even further. This time, the grant application was for $300,000.
“We shot for the moon on that one,” Fager said. “Even if we get half of what we asked for, it could help with training and tuition that federal funds may not cover this year.”
The Patterson Family Foundation, established by the family behind Kansas City-based Cerner Corporation, has proven to be a vital partner in helping rural districts like Iola thrive.
“They’ve been amazing to work with,” Fager said. “We’re hopeful something materializes from the latest grant request, because if a teacher working hard in our district can take classes at night and have that paid for, it’s a pretty compelling reason to continue their education. It’s a win-win.”
USD 257 is part of a growing regional movement to develop “homegrown” educators who reflect and understand the communities they serve.
“In a perfect world, we’d hire a fully licensed professional for every position,” Fager noted. “But in today’s world, it’s about finding people who care, investing in them, and helping them get there. That’s what our para-to-teacher program is all about.”
Finish line nears
Humboldt’s new Community Care Center is a joint project between the school district and the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
HUMBOLDT — Despite a wet spring that extended into early summer, construction on the new Cubs Community Care Center in Humboldt is making steady progress. The center is a multi-use facility created in partnership with local agencies to provide a daycare center as well as a medical clinic that includes mental health services as well as a pharmacy.
“It’s rained and rained and rained,” USD 258 Superintendent Amber Wheeler said with a smile. “There are years we would have prayed for it, but not this one.”
Still, construction crews have pushed ahead. With the building now enclosed, interior work is ramping up. Sheetrock is up and the flooring was to be laid by the end of July.
The Cubs Community Care Center is positioned next to the Humboldt Sports Complex. The daycare portion is slated to open in August.
The Humboldt school district, in conjunction with the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, was awarded a nearly $5 million grant in February 2024 by the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. The grant is made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act enacted by Congress in 2021.
The daycare portion of the center is slated to open in August. “The rest of the spaces will open in phases,” noted Wheeler.
The new center is on land that includes the Humboldt Sports Complex on Central Street, west of town. The facility will also host the school district’s virtual learning program, which will relocate there in September — after its busiest enrollment season.
The healthcare wing is projected to open in late September, with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony tentatively scheduled for early October.
The daycare will operate under a “home-based program in a commercial setting,” which allows flexibility in age groupings and services.
“We can take up to 24 kids,” Wheeler said. “It lets us adjust based on need. For example, if we have more infants one year and toddlers the next, we can adapt our staffing and space.”
Priority for enrollment will go first to children of USD 258 staff, then to employees of on-site partner organizations, and finally to community members. A formal registration form is expected to be released soon, as staff hiring is finalized.
Licensing timelines are still in play. While Wheeler has already coordinated with licensing authorities, state procedures require the facility to be fully completed before an official inspection and approval can be scheduled.
THE CUBS Community Care Center has come a long way from its humble beginnings.
“The original grant application included a drawing I sketched on a piece of copy paper,” Wheeler recalled.
The transition to a community hub for education, childcare and healthcare “is a really neat feeling,” she said.
Absenteeism quandary
Of the challenges facing educators today, one of the most pernicious is chronic absenteeism, which is defined as students missing more than 10 percent of school whether by excused or non-excused absences.
No matter the grade level, missing school on a consistent basis disrupts the learning process of not only the student but also that of their fellow classmates and teachers.
Students learn best when lessons are conducted in a stable environment. Patchy attendance can disrupt a teacher’s lesson
plans and their delivery.
From reciting their ABCs to discussing the merits of a democracy, students can more easily grasp ideas and concepts when conducted in a classroom setting.
The COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2023, not only upset these routines and their outcomes but changed how students, parents and teachers perceive education. During the height of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism more than doubled in some school districts. Two years later, many districts have yet to return to their pre-pandemic levels of school attendance.
In 2022, the Iola school district reported 44 percent of students were chronically absent. Today that number has declined to 23.59 percent for a student body of 1,093.
That’s a big drop, but still not as much as what administrators want to see, especially among high schoolers, where 1 out of 3 were chronically absent, according to Jenna Higginbotham, curriculum
USD 257 Curriculum Director Jenna Higginbotham
In 2019, the district tallied about 17 percent as chronically absent. Last year’s enrollment at the elementary school was about 600, Iola Middle School enrolled 217 students, and Iola High School, 276.
A typical school year is 170 days of school. To be considered chronically absent, a student misses 17 days or more of school.
The power of the classroom
Being a student is a life skill, just like holding down a job or being a parent. Student life includes learning new material that stretches their imaginations and grows their worlds, negotiating challenges and interacting with peers as well as adults.
To succeed, students — and their parents — must recognize the value of an education and be willing to put forth the effort.
The more school they miss, the faster they fall behind this
learning curve.
Today’s educators are still playing catch-up from the pandemic, where remote instruction caused students to question the very relevance of school.
“Students figured they could get the same level of instruction through a laptop,” said Justin Coffey, principal of Ulysses High School, in a recent podcast presented by the Kansas
Department of Education and moderated by Dr. Randy Watson, secretary of the KSDE.
“They ask why attending class is important if they can get their lessons from home. But we found during the pandemic that a virtual education was not the most effective way for students to receive instruction. A lot of students struggled with virtual delivery,” Coffey said.
According to Watson, half of the students who are struggling with reading or math are chronically absent.
“And if a student can’t read or do math well, they may get by in elementary school, but it really hits
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Justin Coffey, principal of Ulysses High School
Chronic absenteeism also leads to higher drop-out rates.
According to Coffey, high school students who missed 5% or less of school had an average GPA of 3.4. For those with absenteeism rates of 15% or more, their GPAs averaged 2.0.
“There’s a lot of learning that happens in person in the classroom, including peer-to-peer interactions,” Coffey said. “You can watch a lesson online, but you miss the in-class conversations and interactions,” things that help develop a youth’s character.
That ‘aha’ moment
miss a lot of the in-class conversations and the peer-to-peer interactions. Those provide another dimension to the learning experience,” he said.
Cell phone woes
By the same token, educators are discovering that banning cell phones during the school day not only leads to better learning outcomes but also healthier relationships between students.
McPherson Middle School’s policy of banning cell phones during school hours beginning in 2022, has resulted in a 5% increase in state assessment scores in both reading and math and a drop in absenteeism from 39 percent to 11 percent.
According to Shanna Rector, deputy superintendent of Salina District 305 and also a participant in the KSDE podcast, the classroom provides a superior education.
“The classroom provides a professional educator engaging students. That dynamic is powerful. And you need this each and every day.”
“In a science class, if you miss a lab, you’ve missed the ‘aha’ moment of the entire week’s work. The same goes for missing a class discussion on a book. It can’t be replicated,” Rector said.
These also are the things that make learning fun.
Coffey agreed. “You can watch a lesson online, but you
According to Principal Inge Esping, the absence of cell phones greatly reduced bullying comments passed among students — especially during lunch hour — making kids feel safer to come to school.
Esping, who was interviewed by Bloomberg News about cell phones in schools, said teachers frequently comment about a change in the school’s “vibe,” noting students are now more engaged — in the classroom and school corridors.
Iola Middle School forbids use of cell phones during school hours, but allows students to have them in their possession, according to its handbook. If a student is found to be using their phone, it will be confiscated.
Iola High School’s policy is more lax, viewing cell phone use as a privilege that may be taken away. High-schoolers are allowed to use their phones between classes and during lunch, but not during class.
KIM
ENSMINGER, superintendent of Marmaton Valley’s District 256, said her “utopia” of a school day would be where “students could escape from the pressures of social media.” She worries about the effects of cyber-bullying on students in their formative years.
“Cell phones serve a
Students Zoey Le and Shaan Dhar at the Eliot School in Boston, Mass. use magnetically sealed Yondr pouches to stow their cell phones during school hours.
McPherson Middle School Principal Inge Esping
Shanna Rector, Salina USD 305 deputy superintendent
Kim Ensminger, superintendent of Marmaton Valley
purpose, but that purpose has been lost,” she said. “Some youths are allowed to have their phones with them 24/7.”
Ensminger said she and MVHS Principal Brian Campbell are intrigued by a new policy at the Jayhawk-Linn school district in Mound City. Students there must keep their phones turned off and stored in their lockers for the duration of the school day.
At Marmaton Valley, students in grades 6 through 8 must keep their cell phones in their lockers and placed on silent. High school students are allowed to carry their cell phones throughout the day, but their use is restricted solely to the noon hour.
Building relationships
School is also about building relationships between students and adults, said Jenn Reed, assistant superintendent for learning services for Haysville schools, and a KSDE podcast participant, especially when it comes to students who are chronically absent.
“We check on them every day,” Reed said.
“Something
as simple as saying, ‘Hey we missed you yesterday,’ helps deepen their connection with the school. We pull students aside to ask how their weekend went.”
Before the pandemic, Haysville experienced a 14 percent rate of absenteeism. “And then it skyrocketed to almost 55 percent in 2022,” leading administrators to understand “this was a more serious problem than we realized,” Reed said.
“We took a deeper dive and saw that we needed to do a better job educating parents and staff about the importance of school attendance. We also needed to work on getting kids eager to be back in school,” including educating both sectors about all the educational options available to today’s students.
There’s a lot to unlearn after the pandemic, for both parents
and instructors, Rector said.
“We learned different habits during the pandemic. If a student didn’t feel well, we encouraged them to stay home.
“But now, we all need to know there’s a difference between not feeling well and being sick, and in most cases the child should come to school. Headaches and stomachaches typically pass.”
And with physical and mental health professionals on site, children can remain in school if they need a medical check-up or visit with a counselor, saving precious time otherwise spent seeing a physician or therapist outside of school.
Connecting with families also helps keep students in school, said Reed.
“As a district, we’re working with families to overcome absenteeism by upping the communication to get to the root of the problem and asking parents what we can do to help,” Reed said.
“Every nine weeks, we share what our attendance rate is, challenging our principals to dive in to find ways to make better connections with students and their families. It’s a team effort. From the bus driver asking students how their day went to those serving them lunch making them feel noticed,” Reed said.
The more school a student misses, the more disconnected they feel, said Rector. “It should be a community effort to see that school is the best part of their day.”
Daring to dream
MORAN — How to keep a bird’s-eye view and not get caught in the weeds is the challenge of every manager.
Kim Ensminger, superintendent of Marmaton Valley school district, has found that by keeping her focus on providing a superior learning environment, the other decisions fall in place. More or less.
Keeping the district’s students excited about their futures is key to student retention, she said. In that same vein is “emphasizing the value of work, the value of education,” she said. “People who work hard want better lives for their children
and will push them in school. They set the expectation for their children that they will do their best. Most times that will mean they will have their sights on a secondary degree.”
At Marmaton Valley, the “thinking big” formally begins in 6th grade where students are introduced to myriad careers and professions. Each year, the students are taken on a field trip to either a four-year university or two-year college.
“Many of these students do not go beyond Allen County, so it’s a big deal for them to see what’s out there in the world,” she said.
“Students need to be able to dream, but they also need to
have the support from their parents to tell them they can pursue those dreams,” she said. Though cutting the apron strings can be tough, it’s essential.
“Sometimes we as parents are guilty of wanting to keep our children close. But when our children’s dreams go beyond what we can offer here, we need to be able to recognize it’s their life and we shouldn’t hold them back.”
Teachers also play a pivotal role in a student’s decisions.
“They can make or break a student,” Ensminger said. “As teachers and coaches, we sometimes have more influence on students than parents.”
USD 256 expects a student enrollment of about 270 for the 2025-26 school year.
Last year’s kindergarten class had only 10 students, down from almost half of what it typically enrolls. This year’s is up to 13, still below what is desired.
The good thing about a small school is its cohesiveness. Rarely does a teacher leave for somewhere else, Ensminger said. “Once they get here, they stay.”
One problem with their small size is that they don’t have enough students that would qualify the district to provide free lunches. Nor is preschool free for all students as it is in Iola, but is limited to those who qualify as being in a financially at-risk household. Ensminger said its preschool has 18 enrolled so far for the upcoming school year.
These things “make us vulnerable,” said Ensminger.
The district provides a guidance counselor and relies on the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Service to provide two counselors and a caseworker. Ensminger regards this relationship as a lifesaver.
“They are so beneficial to our students,” she said.
BUILDING-WISE, Ensminger continues to focus on the two buildings’ “envelope” — its roofs and windows.
Such work is being done in phases, “as funding allows.”
In 2023, the high school’s 40-year-old windows were replaced. The $200,000 project was funded through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The district also used pandemic-relief funds to replace its air conditioning units with the more energy-efficient mini-splits in the high school.
“They’re so much quieter than the old window units,” she remarked.
Since then, the focus has been on replace the buildings’ roofs.
“Once we get the envelope taken care of and the exterior is secured, we’ll need to address the interior starting with furniture, updating our science labs, and replacing the carpets; making the schools more inviting,” she said.
It’s been since the 1990s that a school bond issue was passed to address building needs. The high school was built in 1935.
Though the additional funds would be “nice,” Ensminger said, “I don’t want to do that to our district patrons. They’re already struggling.”
“The buildings are nice for their age,” Ensminger said. “I wouldn’t say they need significant upgrades, but yes, both buildings could use some updates.”
In 2024, Lisse Regehr, left, CEO of Thrive Allen County, recognized USD 256 Superintendent Kim Ensminger for her work in education.
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Crest construction
A $6 million construction and renovation project at Crest USD 479 is nearing completion as the 2025-26 school year commences.
COLONY — Crews are roaring to the finish line to put the finishing touches on a $6 million construction and renovation project at Crest USD 479.
“It’s been a long road,” Superintendent of Schools Shane Walter said in mid-July. “It looks like a mess right now, but it’s going to look a lot different in a few weeks.”
By the time classes resume Aug. 22, crews should be finished with the bulk of the work, which includes construction of a
new, fully accessible, front entrance, and office area and a pair of classrooms that will double as a community storm shelter.
Several classroom renovations, particularly to the family and consumer sciences and business rooms, also were included.
“The weather slowed the work on the front entry, but they do expect to have everything done,” Walter said. “We may have to use an alternate entry for a week or so, but they’re pushing to get it done.”
Crews are working at full speed to finish several construction projects at Crest High School this summer.
A rainy summer delayed construction of an auxiliary gymnasium at Crest High School. The work should be complete by October.
Renovations to the cafeteria and kitchen, music room and locker rooms have been completed.
From there, all that will remain is to finish construction of an auxiliary gymnasium, which saw delays early in the project due to weather and soil remediation issues.
The school complex will have a redesigned parking area south of the building as well.
“The gymnasium and entries have been the most difficult,” Walter said. “We will never complain about quality rainfall during the summer months, but it has presented some challenges.”
The new projects were approved by Crest voters in 2023, who noted portions of the building had not been touched since it was constructed in 1959.
The improvements will address several issues.
For one, the secure entrance will be controlled from a single office now that the elementary and high school offices are being consolidated into a single area.
The expanded kitchen and cafeteria allows the district to shorten its lunch periods. Previously, the lunches ran from 10:50 a.m. to 12:44 p.m., and caused multiple scheduling headaches.
The auxiliary gymnasium offers more than a location for B team games for high school and middle school sports.
During winter or severe weather, the elementary school utilizes the gym for indoor recesses.
The middle school will no longer be forced to have P.E. classes at the end of the day.
And now, practices will allow both middle school and high school students to practice indoors simultaneously.
“It should get kids home from school much earlier in the day
than they used to be,” Walter said.
A new entrance will allow easy access to both the main and auxiliary gyms.
ON TOP OF the bond projects, work has progressed outdoors as well.
Armed with a $350,000 Goppert Foundation grant, the school district added a new restroom and storage facility near the football field last year. Now, crews have added a new football field grandstand seating area, and the final phase will be a new rubberized four-lane track around the football field.
“It’s been pretty wet, and they’re behind schedule, but they plan to be on site to get that done this year,” Walter said.
STAFFERS, students and patrons are eager to see the finished products once the work is finished.
“While eager, they have been very patient. We have amazing kids and awesome communities that we serve. We’re working our tails off to wrap up construction as soon as possible, with an eye on the future to maintain the investment.”
“While eager, (patrons) have been very patient. We have amazing kids and awesome communities that we serve. We’re working our tails off to wrap up construction as soon as possible, with an eye on the future to maintain the investment.”
