Teacher Earns Invite to Innovative Classroom Training

Kearney School District is pleased to announce that Hawthorne Elementary kindergarten teacher Ashlyn Mansil is one of only 93 educators across Missouri selected to participate in the inaugural class of the Personalized Competency-Based Master Teacher Cadre program.

This professional learning opportunity is hosted by the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN) in partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to master personalized competency-based learning (PCBL) through a dynamic blend of in-person and virtual experiences.

“I know everyone in Team KSD joins me in congratulating Ms. Mansil for being chosen to represent our school system in this cutting-edge program,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “Her work with the cohort aligns perfectly with our focus on fostering innovative teaching and learning in every classroom.”

Mansil was picked for the program after a rigorous application process that included strong recommendations from district administrators. She’s in her second year at Hawthorne and eighth overall as a teacher.

The program will be divided into cohorts across the state led by seasoned educators with vast experience and knowledge in this area. In total, approximately 40 hours of learning will be completed between February and June through a combination of pre-work/self-study, four in-person sessions and a series of virtual sessions.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Mansil quietly and purposefully read a children’s book to her assembled students dutifully arrayed on the carpet at the front of her classroom. She then walked through the basic elements of fiction and had the students disperse to locate and read works that fit those criteria.

“I was really surprised and grateful to be chosen for this program,” Mansil said during a break from providing individual attention for various students. “I’m looking forward to working with a group of outstanding educators to learn how we can create even better classroom experiences for our students.”

Program participants will deepen their understanding of personalized competency-based learning and learn how to enhance classroom practices to design powerful, student-centered learning environments. As they engage with the content, they will build a collaborative network of educators dedicated to refining their craft.

By the end of the program, participants will have developed the expertise and leadership skills of a “master teacher” who not only excels in their own classroom but also serves as a mentor and resource to colleagues, guiding them in the effective implementation of PCBL. These educators will be prepared to take on supportive professional development roles within their districts and across others, expanding the impact of PCBL and benefiting both teachers and students across their schools.

“Ms. Mansil is a great choice for this program,” Hawthorne Elementary Principal Chauncey Rardon said. “Of course, I’m happy for her, but I’m also happy for our team at Hawthorne and the whole district because she’s going to help all of us learn how to implement these techniques in our classrooms.”

Visit www.srsnmo.org to learn more about the Success-Ready Students Network.

KPGZ News – Ray Weikal contributed to this story.

School District Fills Two Key Leadership Positions

The Kearney School District is preparing to welcome two new members for important administrative roles.

Doug Schwinn will become Kearney School District's new Director of Business Services. His hiring was approved by the Board of Education during a special meeting on Feb. 4.

Dr. Valerie Utecht is slated to step in as the district's new Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services. The school board signed off on her hiring during its Feb. 19 executive board meeting.

Mr. Schwinn and Dr. Utecht will officially begin their contracts on July 1. Both will also be participating in a wide range of training and onboarding this spring so that they can hit the ground running by the time classes start again in August.

Doug Schwinn

Schwinn will be replacing current Director of Business Services Ginger Elsea, who has been with the district since 2012 and is retiring. Assistant Superintendent for Academic Services Jennifer Kopp has been with the district for 23 years and is also retiring.

"I'm looking forward to having Doug Schwinn and Dr. Valerie Utecht on our leadership team at Kearney School District," Superintendent Emily Miller said. "They both have big shoes to fill and I'm confident that they have the expertise and mindset to help us achieve our strategic goals. I also know that the Bulldog community will welcome them with open arms and help support their success."

Schwinn will take charge of Kearney School District’s Department of Business Services, which includes oversight of Payroll Services, Accounts Payable and Bookkeeping. His big-picture focus will be on building financial and operational strategies and metrics, ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve district assets, and reporting accurate financial results. In this critical role, Schwinn will work closely with Dr. Miller and school and district administrators to plan and manage the district's roughly $60 million annual budget.

"I am very excited about what the future holds for KSD and look forward to making Kearney my new home," Schwinn said. "I was so impressed by both the level of achievement in this school system and the culture of teamwork. I know from experience that these are the signs of a great district."

Dr. Valerie Utecht

As skipper of the school system's pivotal Academic Services Department, Utecht will be responsible for charting and navigating teaching and learning across the district. This job demands collaboration and strategic planning in order to help ensure that schools are meeting the needs of students, staff receive the right training and tools, and the system is achieving the community's desired outcomes.

"I am honored to begin serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services for the upcoming school year," Utecht said. "It is truly a privilege to join this outstanding district, and I look forward to collaborating with our dedicated educators, students, families, and community members to support continued academic excellence and student success."

Schwinn comes to Kearney School District after serving for 22 years as the Director of Business at Unified School District 230 in Spring Hill, Kan., about a half-hour southwest of Overland Park. That position involves oversight of all business/financial activities for a school district with a $120 million annual budget.

Dr. Utecht has been the Assistant Superintendent at Cameron R-1 School District since July 2023. In that position, she oversees curriculum and professional development, evaluation and assessment, federal programs, safety and security, district compliance and Title IX coordination.

KPGZ News – Ray Weikal contributed to this story.

School District Opens Kindergarten Enrollment

Kearney School District’s kindergarten enrollment launched on Jan. 21 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Now is the time for children who will be age five on or before July 31, 2025, to enroll in kindergarten.

Parents/guardians will be required to provide a birth certificate, a record of required immunizations, and a proof of residence for their child during kindergarten enrollment. Use the district’s online district boundary map to locate the elementary school your child will attend. Parents should note that those boundaries were recently changed and will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.

Any request to transfer an incoming kindergarten student to a different elementary school for the 2025-2026 academic year must be submitted by Feb. 11 for consideration. Transfer requests will only be considered for the reasons outlined in the request form. Approval is not guaranteed. A decision will be made as soon as possible and is contingent upon a wide variety of factors including classroom space and available resources. Parents or guardians will be responsible for providing transportation to and from school if the transfer request is approved.

Kindergarten Orientation events will be held from 6 to 7 pm on Thursday, May 8, at each of the districts’s elementary schools. This is an opportunity for families to receive helpful information about KSD, tour their school and meet their child’s teachers and building principal.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

School District Prioritizes Security with Personnel Changes

During its Aug. 21 business meeting, the school board signed off on two items designed to help meet the safety and security objectives in Kearney School District’s five-year strategic plan.

The Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Kearney to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) for the district. District and city officials collaborated over several months to update the MOU, which dates back to 2014.

District Superintendent Emily Miller

The most important change to the MOU is that the District’s SRO will now be an employee of the city and report directly to the Kearney Police Department. District administration will have input on the selection process and work collaboratively with the Chief of Police and City Administrator regarding the SRO’s duties. Kearney School District will reimburse the city for the SRO’s time spent within the school district.

In addition, a motion to designate a district employee as a School Protection Officer (SPO), which is allowed under state law, was also approved by the board.

“It just gives the school district some flexibility to add additional safety and security personnel,” Superintendent Emily Miller said.

The SPO can perform functions similar to those of an SRO in schools. The only exception is the ability to make an arrest, which is reserved for law enforcement officers.

current KSD SRO Adam Kirkland

The plan is to have current KSD SRO Adam Kirkland become the district’s SPO, according to Director of Operations Erek Noland. KPD Ofc. Cameron Philip has been selected for the SRO position. It’s anticipated that he will start his new role in September.

Stakeholders identified increasing safety and security as a top priority in the district’s strategic plan. The administration made difficult budget decisions in order to find the resources to expand KSD’s safety and security team.

Dr. Miller assured the board that staff members, students and families won’t see a decrease in the level of service from the new SRO. In fact, the revised MOU combined with the addition of an SPO means that KSD will now have two trained safety and security professionals on-site.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

School District Celebrates Southview Upgrades

Principal Rebecca Parks and Director of Operations Erek Noland gave Kearney School District’s Board of Education members a tour on Wednesday, Aug. 21 of the Proposition B bond projects that were completed recently as promised at Southview Elementary.

The Southview upgrades included a new secure entry and front office area, additional rooms designed to serve students with special needs, collaborative learning spaces and furnishings in every grade-level pod, improved HVAC systems, and other significant work. The project began in the spring with architectural designs by DLR Group and was managed by Newkirk Novak Construction Partners.

Dr. Parks expressed her gratitude to Southview staff members, parents, guardians and students for adapting to the disruptions caused by the project. She was also grateful to the community for supporting the zero-tax-rate-increase Prop B capital improvement bond when it went to voters in April of 2022.

“I just want to thank our entire team, our students and our families for their patience and good spirits throughout this process,” Parks said. “I know our teachers are thrilled by the new collaborative learning spaces and I’ve heard so many positive comments from everyone.”

In addition to the work at Southview, Newkirk Novak also completed important upgrades to the HVAC system at Kearney Middle School this summer, according to Operations Manager Ben Vanderau.

During the school board’s regular business meeting Wednesday evening, Mr. Vanderau and DLR Group representative Kevin Greischar shared some plans for the next round of Prop B projects. That work will include upgrades and expansions at Hawthorne Elementary, Kearney Elementary and Dogwood Elementary. Those projects should be completed by the time classes begin for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The school board also learned from Mr. Vanderau that the total cost estimate for the renovations at the remaining elementary schools has come in significantly lower than expected. This will potentially free up funds for more capital improvements. Mr. Noland will work with the district’s long-range facilities planning committee, which includes key stakeholders, to identify high-priority projects for the additional funds.

Ray Weikal contributed to this story.