USD 327

Superintendent

June may be vacation for our students and most of our staff, but there is no shortage of great news to share about our schools and community.

The reasons to celebrate our students and staff continue to grow.

• The Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo FFA received the prestigious Kansas FFA Triple Crown award and was the recipient of the Bob Garlow Memorial Trophy! Congratulations to our FFA students and advisor Karl Dawn Stover for their dedication and commitment all year to achieve this honor.

• Kendra Ploutz was named the 2022 Dr. Earl Reum Kansas Student Council Advisor of the Year by the Kansas High School Activities Association. Ploutz teaches English/language arts at EJSHS and worked tirelessly all year long to guide Stu-Co to the next level. She has increased collaboration with local businesses and the community, and we are so proud to have her at EJSHS!

• Junior Riley Stone medaled in fourth place in the 3A 100-meter dash at the Kansas State High School Track Meet in Wichita. Congratulations as well to freshman Kylan Turnipseed who competed in javelin and senior Byron Johnson who ran the 3,200-meter. These student athletes were great representatives of their school and our community at the state meet.

Results like these only come with consistency, hard work and the humble dedication of the students and professionals in our schools, and it’s inspiring to reflect on all the good news from the past month — and the last year.

If you’ve wondered about the EJSHS football field, you’re not alone. You’ll be glad to know that a new formal agreement between the Ellsworth City Council and the USD 327 Board of Education will make sure our field is restored and maintained this summer and in the years to come. I especially want to thank Patrick Hammel, Ellsworth Golf Course Superintendent, for his expertise and collaboration. Coordinating taxpayer resources is a win for everyone in our community, and this agreement ensures a commitment to weed control, aerating, mowing and seeding, which means we can all look forward to cheering on the Bearcats at home this fall.

Thanks to community support, improvements are also on the way at our middle school, elementary school and district office. The Kanopolis Sunflower Civic Club generously donated $2,000 recently to purchase a gaga ball pit for middle school students to enjoy. We’re also sprucing up the entrance at the elementary, giving a fresh coat of stain to the district office and additional interior paint at Kanopolis Middle School thanks to a generous paint grant from Nemnich True Value.

As we progress toward the upcoming 2023-24 school year, I want to ask for your help in welcoming some new students and families to our schools. This past month, our school board approved a change to allow our staff who live outside of the USD 327 boundary line to enroll their students as residents in our schools. We are also excited to welcome new students and their families from Wilson and the Lincoln area. These decisions align with two of our strategic focus areas: #4 Connecting with family and community. #5 Investing in faculty and staff. With the privilege of welcoming new students into our school system and the celebration of the great things happening in all our schools, I am proud to be part of USD 327. In fact, I’m as excited as ever to see what our future holds.

We know we are, “Better together, striving for excellence!”

Let’s Grow.

Deena Hilbig is the superintendent of USD 327. She can be reached at (785) 472-5561.