Personnel
Heather Stapp Sees Teamwork in Ness City's Small Size as Enrollment Edges Up
Ness City's new superintendent centers relationships and shared responsibility as enrollment rises from a recent low but remains below 2015.
Kansas
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Kansas, grounded in Kansas Department of Education data.
Mark Farrar Takes Over at Silver Lake, Where Enrollment Has Held Its Ground for Five Years
Silver Lake's new superintendent arrived from two high school principalships and says his first priority is listening, in a district that ended the last five years within eight students of where it started.
Independence and Osage City Finished Kansas's Attendance Series Below Baseline
A historical comparison ending in 2021-22 identifies unusual district results and the limits of calling them sustained recovery.
Shawn Poyser Moves From Interim to Permanent Superintendent in Tonganoxie
As Dr. Shawn Poyser settles into the permanent role, he points to relationships, budget discipline, and the district's community reputation.
Argonia's New Superintendent Also Runs the High School and Coaches the Football Team
Luke Greenwood took over after Argonia reported 142 students in 2025-26, while keeping the two jobs he already held. The state's staffing file shows why.
More Coverage
Personnel
Will Pfannenstiel Starts With Listening as Arkansas City Plans Its Next Chapter
Arkansas City's new superintendent brings deep district experience to bond work, strategic planning and an uneven enrollment path.
Personnel
Ashley Bugbee Takes Oxford's Top Job With Graduation Holding Above 94%
Ashley Bugbee became Oxford's superintendent as graduation remained above the Kansas rate and enrollment pulled back from a recent high.
Personnel
Stacey Parks Takes Over Peabody-Burns as Enrollment Sits 25% Below Its 2014-15 Level
Stacey Parks became superintendent of Peabody-Burns after leading a special education cooperative. The district's published enrollment is down 25% from 2014-15.
Personnel
Eric Hoops Arrives at Waconda, Where Students Have Outscored Kansas Every Tested Year
Waconda's new superintendent starts in a district whose students have topped the Kansas assessment in every subject on record. His first priority is relationships.
Personnel
Shay Demlow Wants Eureka's Size to Be Its Strength
Eureka USD 389's new superintendent brings a special education career to a 523-student district, and says small-town scale is an advantage worth protecting.
Graduation Rate
Kansas's Lowest-Rate District Was a Statewide Online-School Host
Elk Valley posted Kansas's lowest 2025 graduation rate among 136 districts with at least 40 enrolled twelfth-graders; West Elk ranked third.
Graduation Rate
Salina's Graduation Rate Fell 7.8 Points From 2020 to 2025
Salina USD 305's graduation rate fell from 91.4% in 2020 to 83.6% in 2025, the largest decline in a 66-district size-filtered peer set.
Graduation Rate
Kansas's 2020 Graduation Increase Was Followed by a 0.2-Point Dip
Kansas's graduation rate rose 0.8 point in 2020 and slipped 0.2 point in 2021; neither transition was the largest annual move in the 2016-2025 panel.
Graduation Rate
Kansas's Foster-Care Graduation Rate Rose 12.3 Points but Still Trailed the State
Kansas's foster-care graduation rate reached 71.6% in 2025, up 12.3 points since reporting began in 2022 but still 18.9 points below the state rate.
Personnel
Paige Prouty Centers Relationships as She Steps Up at West Franklin
West Franklin's incoming MS/HS principal says literacy work, experienced staff, community traditions, and expanded learning pathways will shape the next chapter.
