Paige Prouty is stepping into the West Franklin MS/HS principal role with an insider's view of what she wants to protect.

Asked what she wants to carry forward, Prouty pointed first to literacy and instruction.

"One of the biggest things I want to carry forward is the work we've done around literacy and high-quality instructional practices," Prouty said in a written response to EdTribune. "Over the past several years, our district has invested significant time and effort into improving instruction and ensuring students have the skills they need to be successful."

She also named staff retention as part of the leadership transition.

"We are fortunate to have teachers and staff members with years of experience -- not only in education, but specifically at West Franklin," she said. "That institutional knowledge and commitment to our students is one of our greatest strengths."

A Small District at Its Low Point

West Franklin^↗ET enrolled 525 students in 2026, the low point in the Kansas package window. The latest year-over-year move was a decline of 35 students, or 6.2%.

In a small district, that kind of movement is suggestive context for conversations about staffing, scheduling, extracurriculars, and the breadth of options a school can offer. In 2026, 54.7% of West Franklin students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and 14.7% were in special education, according to Kansas enrollment subgroup data.

Prouty did not frame the enrollment challenge as a reason to retreat. She said the district is looking at ways to expand options while keeping the community identity intact.

"We have begun exploring opportunities to expand educational options for students through both hybrid and fully online learning pathways," Prouty said. "Our goal is to meet the needs of today's students and families while maintaining the strong sense of community that makes West Franklin unique."

The Relationship Advantage

Prouty described small-district leadership as relational before it is managerial.

"I truly believe relationships are the most important driving force in education," she said.

In a smaller district, she said, staff know students beyond grades and test scores. They know activities, interests, and often families. That knowledge changes how adults support students when school gets difficult.

"When students know you genuinely care about them as people, it becomes much easier to build trust and help them see the value of their education," Prouty said.

The part of the job she wants to put her own hand on is community tradition: increasing involvement, celebrating what makes West Franklin distinct, and giving students more ways to connect with the people and organizations around the school.

"When schools and communities work together, students benefit," Prouty said.

For West Franklin, the leadership transition is not a clean break from the previous chapter. It is an attempt to hold onto the pieces Prouty thinks are working -- literacy, staff experience, relationships, and community pride -- while adjusting to a smaller enrollment base and changing family needs.

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