Nearly 6 percent budget cut proposed

After cutting $158,000 from a budget already planned for this school year and planning on that cut to remain for the next two years based upon the Governor's block grant proposal now signed into law, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means is proposing another $181 million cut to education. These cuts will mean additional cuts already proposed for USD 331. As a superintendent for 8 years and getting ready to start my 9th year, I have cut budgets all but one of those years. Please consider contacting your legislator if you would like to see funding to education restored. The link below is the newest article by the Kansas Association of School Boards describing the proposal presented today in Topeka. Thank you.



Nearly 6 percent budget cut proposed

Nearly 6 percent budget cut proposed

After cutting $158,000 from a budget already planned for this school year and planning on that cut to remain for the next two years based upon the Governor's block grant proposal now signed into law, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means is proposing another $181 million cut to education. These cuts will mean additional cuts already proposed for USD 331. As a superintendent for 8 years and getting ready to start my 9th year, I have cut budgets all but one of those years. Please consider contacting your legislator if you would like to see funding to education restored. The link below is the newest article by the Kansas Association of School Boards describing the proposal presented today in Topeka. Thank you.



Nearly 6 percent budget cut proposed

I'm from Kansas: 1 Kings 3:16-28

I'm from Kansas: 1 Kings 3:16-28: They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, 23 until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. 24 Someone bring me a ...

We’ve been asked: What are the real facts in school funding changes?

We’ve been asked: What are the real facts in school funding changes?

Kansas State Department of Education Invites all Kansans to Join the Conversation!

February, 2015

Online tool provides opportunity for public to study and submit feedback on current content standards

TOPEKA – The Kansas State Department of Education today launched Join the Conversation!, an online tool available at http://standards.ksde.org that provides Kansas citizens the opportunity to study and submit feedback on the state’s current English language arts and mathematics academic standards. The standards, known in Kansas as the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards, were adopted by the Kansas State Board of Education in 2010 and represent what students should know and be able to demonstrate at each grade level.

Kansas has had content standards for more than 20 years and conducts a review of its standards every seven years. The current standards will be up for review in 2017. The goal of Join the Conversation! is to collect public input on each of the mathematics and English language arts standards at every grade level and provide that feedback to help guide the work of the standards review team.

“This Join the Conversation! initiative gives us an opportunity to not only collect feedback about the standards, but to really showcase what they are and what they require students to learn,” says Interim Commissioner of Education Brad Neuenswander. “We are hearing from our schools and educators that the standards, while not perfect, are creating some really great things in the classroom. The public’s feedback will help us tweak them to ensure they are providing the very best framework for our students to succeed in whatever path they choose after graduation.”

The online tool will be available until October 30, 2015 for teachers, administrators, parents, students, higher education representatives and all others who are interested to read the standards by grade level and content area and provide feedback. Participants may make suggestions on moving a standard to another grade level, creating a new standard, or rewriting a specific standard.

“The College and Career Ready Standards raise the rigor, encourage relevance, and provide the complexity that will help students be successful in the 21st Century,” says Jeff Baxter, Leavenworth High School English language arts teacher and 2014 Kansas Teacher of the Year.  “The standards align with a logical learning progression for students from one grade to the next that makes academic sense and promotes responsible citizenship.”

Comments provided about specific standards will be evaluated by a team of Kansas educators from all levels specializing in the specific content areas. Any changes recommended by this team will be presented to the Kansas State Board of Education for its consideration.

To Join the Conversation!, go to http://standards.ksde.org.

New Kansas Education Commissioner Hosting Community Conversations

NOTE:  The following news release was written by KES Principal, Adrian Howie for release to the elementary parents. I felt it needed to be shared to the district. 

Incoming Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson will host “Kansas Children. Kansas’ Future” community conversations across the state to give Kansas residents the opportunity to answer the question, What is the future we want for our children and what role should education play in supporting that future?

Parents, educators, legislators, school board members, business community members and other interested parties are encouraged to attend. Your feedback will be used to help shape Kansas’ strategic plan for education.

While there are 13 opportunities to be a part of this event, the conversation will come to our area on:

Date: January 27

Location: School Service Center

Address: 3850 N. Hydraulic

City: Wichita, KS

Time: 1:00-3:00

Date: January 28

Location: ESSDACK

Address: 1500 E. 11th, Suite 200

City: Hutchinson, KS

Time: 1:00-3:00

The outcomes of these conversations will impact all schools in Kansas, including ours. As such, I encourage you to attend this important event and let your voice be heard.

For more information, please visit the Kansas State Department of Education website at www.ksde.org 

School Board Recognition Month

January 2015 is School Board Recognition Month, a time to say a formal ‘thank you’ to a dedicated group of individuals - our school board members. The theme this year is “School Boards Lead so Student Achieve.” This reflects the invaluable contribution our elected school board members who volunteer countless hours in their roles as leaders in our community.

School board members in USD 331 Kingman-Norwich develop policies and make decisions that help shape the future of our education system, and in turn our community. This community entrusts them with the responsibility of an annual budget of approximately $10 million, 1000 students, 160 employees and three attendance centers along with numerous other assets.

Our board of education preserves the core of our democracy - public education. They ensure that decisions affecting our communities’ children in both Kingman and Norwich are made by people who are elected locally to represent our local values, hopes and dreams for our children.

Showing appreciation for the important work of school boards should be a year-round process, but too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women.  This January, the staff and students of our district are asking all members of the community to take a moment and thank a school board member. Thank them for volunteering their time and fulfilling this very important civic responsibility to make local control of public schools in our community possible.

We applaud them for their dedication for leading our schools so that today’s students can become tomorrow’s leaders. The men and women serving USD 331 Kingman-Norwich and their years of service are: David Lux, president, 4 years; Andrea Shipley, vice president, 6 years; Allen Young, 12 years; Matt Ricke, 4 years; Jeff Branstetter, 4 years, Tammy Schrag, 4 years; Jeff Samuelson, 2 years.