On May 7, KCK residents will have the opportunity to vote on a bond issue that will benefit every student from early childhood through high school.

The Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education approved a $420 million bond proposal to be presented to voters on the May 7, 2024, ballot. This decision marks a significant milestone in the school district’s ongoing efforts to ensure our students have access to top-notch facilities and resources, empowering them to compete effectively in today’s ever-evolving job market.

I am so excited about the start of this school year because of the ongoing initiatives and programs we have implemented through our strategic planning process to deliver a comprehensive, rigorous education for all students.

The USD 500 Community got out the vote on November 7!

Thanks to the dedication and commitment from the Kansas City community, Banneker Elementary School has scored a brand-new soccer mini-pitch.

From simple day-to-day issues to major catastrophes, problems come up in every aspect of our lives. Your first thought might not be to call an engineer—but maybe it should be.

KCKPS initiated a Facilities Planning Process this year to determine whether current facilities are meeting the needs of our students, staff, and the community. The community was able to participate in the process through several Community Vision Team meetings.

In a world where being bilingual is highly valued, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is doing the work to best support our students. In the Fall of 2023, the Multilingual Education and Services Team launched a brand new district initiative called the Dual Language Program.

Under the direction of Theatre teacher Judith “Mama” Jones and Choir Director Austin Snell, Washington High School students took the stage for Broadway Our Way, a musical revue featuring songs from a number of contemporary shows.

As we approach the end of another school year, I am pleased to reflect on the great accomplishments and growth we have achieved together.

Now football is paying for Adahid Jimenez Paredes’s future. The senior lineman from J.C. Harmon High School is the first student-athlete from his school to get a four-year athletic scholarship since 2019.

By 2031, KCKPS has a goal for 100% of seniors to graduate Diploma+, prepared for life after high school. College and career fairs, career pathways, dual enrollment at KCK Community College—the list goes on and on. However, this preparation actually begins far before students enter high school.

This school year, Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield visited each high school to meet with groups of students to listen to what they had to say and learn about the things they thought their schools could be doing better.

The Culinary Career Pathway Program at Wyandotte High School looks a little different to cooking classes of past generations. After switching from the Family and Consumer Sciences program 13 years ago, the classes now focus on what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen—and the students even have real gigs.

There have been a number of Education bills up for debate at the Kansas Statehouse during this spring’s legislative session, which have the potential to directly affect our schools.

We returned (to this new school year) with renewed enthusiasm and determination to empower our students to reach their potential and achieve their academic, social, emotional, and physical development targets.

The Welcome Center will serve as a community hub where the district can meet the needs of KCKPS families, build on their strengths, and provide ongoing advocacy and support.

Teaching is one of the most challenging yet rewarding careers someone could ever choose to be a part of and KCKPS is lucky to have a group that made for a difficult decision on who to nominate for a couple of important Kansas education awards.

Washington High School sophomore Brayden Burton has a problem many of us have from time to time… a dead device. However unlike most of us, Burton is a student in one of the newest Career and Technical Education Programs at KCKPS—the Energy Career Pathway.

It was a trip of a lifetime for 16 KCKPS students as they checked their bags and boarded a plane to Puerto Rico.

Take me out to the… college fair!

Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers visited Carl B. Bruce Middle School on October 5, 2022, in order to present $2,500 as part of the “Choose My School” Supply Drive.

As the 2021-22 school year comes to a close, I think it is important to take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments our students, teachers, families, and administrators have made this past academic year.

Not only did Wyandotte High School break the record for the number of student applicants from one school to the Hispanic Development Fund’s scholarship program, they also had the most recipients from any school in the Kansas City Metro!

Looking back at the school year, Bertram Caruthers Elementary School Principal Molly Struzzo and her team are proud of many accomplishments.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools has partnered with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County to launch the new “Learn to Swim” program.

Self-driving cars are grabbing headlines as they make their way onto our roadways. They drive themselves with the help of complicated coding, and students in Wyandotte High School’s Computer Science Academy are getting a taste of what it takes to write that code—on a much smaller scale.

This summer, the district and school websites will all be getting a much-needed upgrade in order to better serve the families, students, staff, and community of KCKPS.

KCKPS has hosted over a dozen community events in the last year to help students and families access COVID-19 vaccines and other services and programs.