Back to School Resources - Kearney School District

Header image for KSD's back-to-school resources webpage.

The first day of school for the 2025-2026 academic year will be Tuesday, Aug. 19. Please mark your calendars for the following important back-to-school dates.

Early Education Center

Open House – TBA

Elementary Schools

Open Houses – 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

KMS

6th-Grade Transition & Schedule Pickup – 8 to 11 a.m. or 12 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7
7th-Grade Schedule Pickup – 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
Open House – 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

KJH

8th-Grade Transition – 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
9th-Grade Device & Schedule Pickup – 12 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
Open House – 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

KHS

12th-Grade Schedule Pickup – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7
11th-Grade Schedule Pickup – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
10th-Grade Orientation & Schedule Pickup – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9
Open House – 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15

DOWNLOAD: 2024 Back-to-School Events Flyer

Student Handbooks

Enrollment and Proof of Residency

KSD’s online Back-to-School Registration for the 2024-2025 school year will open on Monday, July 22. All families who will be returning should take time to update their contact information for each student, answer required annual questions, and sign off on annual agreements and acknowledgments.

To access our Back-to-School Registration, please use the following link and login information:

Link: cas.ksdr1.net
Username: Provided in email from Kearney School District
Password: Provided in email from Kearney School District

As noted, the username and password for each student will be provided in individual emails sent from Kearney School District to each parent/guardian. After logging in, click “Back to School Gateway,” and then click “Edit” next to your child’s name. Then proceed through the wizard to complete registration.

IMPORTANT:

Class schedules will be withheld at schedule pick-up events for students entering grades 6-12 if their registration information has not been updated. Devices and support will be available to update student registration information during the class schedule pick-up times at Kearney Middle School, Kearney Junior High and Kearney High School.
Students in grades 3, 6, 8 and 10, and any student who has had a change of address are also required to provide an up-to-date proof of residence.
Complete the Back-to-School registration process separately for each of your students. Click Logout once you are finished and proceed to login with your other child’s username and password.

Should you have questions or trouble accessing Back-to-School Registration, or if you need to change any information that the system does not allow you to change, please email reghelp@ksdr1.net or contact your child's school.

1:1 Device Insurance

KSD will provide all students in grades 6-12 with access to a Chromebook for classwork. Families are required to purchase district device insurance if their student is going to take the device home. KSD offers this insurance program at a minimal cost to protect against accidental damage to these devices.

This insurance is strongly recommended. If parents/guardians do not register for the insurance program, the student’s parents/guardians will be responsible for the full cost of any damage to their KSD-issued device, including any damage that occurs while the device is at school.

To enroll in the 1:1 insurance program, please visit the One2One Risk site, and enter the Student ID <<Contact ID>> when prompted.

PLEASE NOTE: The 1:1 insurance registration process must be completed separately for each student.

After careful consideration, KSD has decided to adjust the 1:1 device program at the elementary level beginning with the 2024-2025 school year:

Grades K-2 – There will be one iPad for every two students in each classroom.
Grade 3 — There will be one Chromebook for every two students in each classroom.
Grades 4-5 — There will be one Chromebook for each student in each classroom.
All devices in grades K-5 will remain at school in charging carts or charging stations.
One2One Insurance will not be offered for K-5 devices. KSD will repair devices as needed for damages.

Reducing the number of devices and keeping them at our schools promotes more balanced and purposeful use of technology in our classrooms. This will help our elementary students focus on the Four C’s: Collaboration, Creation, Critical thinking and Communication.

Additionally, keeping devices at school reduces the potential for equipment damage which significantly reduces the financial burden associated with maintaining the student device program while still providing adequate access to technology for learning purposes. This cost reduction will help KSD direct funds toward addressing strategic priorities, including safety, security and compensation.

This change will also enhance student online safety and digital well-being. Keeping devices at school provides additional supervision and safeguarding of student online activity, reducing the risk of exposure to inappropriate content and online threats.

Immunizations

All children who are enrolled in KSD must be in compliance with Missouri’s current immunization laws and regulations:

Those immunization records must be on file with your child’s school nurse. If the child has actually had their scheduled immunizations, please obtain a letter, statement, or record from your health provider showing each dose of vaccine and the full date (month/day/year) administered. The law provides that students not in compliance with these requirements must be excluded from school until the student provides verification of the immunizations received, has a scheduled plan signed by the physician, or obtains an exemption signed according to the provisions of the law. Visit our Health Services webpage to learn more.

DOWNLOAD: Clay County Public Health Center Back-to-School Immunization Guide

School Year Calendars

Supply Lists

Student Transportation

Kearney School District contracts with Durham School Services for bus management and operations. The Bus Barn can normally be reached from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at (816) 628-9003. If you are not able to reach anyone at that number, please call our central office at (816) 628-4116 or email communications@ksdr1.net. Bus routes for the 2024-2025 school year will be posted soon. Families with children who are new to KSD or who have not been school bus riders before should call Durham School Services to confirm their routes.

LINK: 2024-2025 School Year Bus Routes

BusZone App for KSD Families

Durham School Services offers a convenient mobile app for our families: BusZone. BusZone has enhanced features that allow parents/guardians to safely and securely check on their child's school bus.

Set up BusZone:

Download the BusZone app from the App Store or Google Play.
Enter the School Access Code: 3033KSD
In the search field, enter the bus or route number you want to follow. Complete this step for all the buses your students ride throughout the week.
Enter the unique student ID for Ray:
Create alert zones around drop-off and pick-up points.

DOWNLOAD: BusZone Info Flyer

When your child’s bus enters an alert zone, you will receive a notification by email or text. You will need to go through this process separately for each of your children who are enrolled in our schools.

Visit the BusZone website to read or download a guide for parents/guardians. Kearney School District is not responsible for the functions or content of BusZone. Please email buszone3033@nellc.com if you have questions about the BusZone app.

School Bell Times

Early Education Center

Session 1 - 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Session 2 - 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Elementary Schools

Regular Schedule - 8:35 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
2-Hour Early Out - 8:35 a.m. to 1:25 p.m.
Half-Day - 8:35 to 11:35 a.m.
2-Hour Delayed Start - 10:35 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.

Kearney Middle, Junior and High School

Regular Schedule - 7:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
2-Hour Early Out - 7:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
Half-Day - 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
2-Hour Delayed Start - 9:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.

Please read your student’s school handbook for more details about schedules and pick-up and drop-off procedures.

School Meals and Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Applications

Southwest Foodservice Excellence provides healthy meal choices in our schools. Menus are available at ksdr1.nutrislice.com.

Please be advised that KSD was compelled to raise lunch and breakfast prices by 10 cents for the 2024-2025 school year. The price for extra milk remains unchanged at 50 cents.

2024-2025	PK-5	6-12	Adult, Child Visitor & Second Student Meal
Breakfast	$2.05	$2.05	$2.05
Lunch	$2.75	$2.85	$3.80
Extra Milk	$0.50	$0.50	$0.50

All KSD families, regardless of income, are encouraged to complete and submit an application for free and reduced-price meals to the district for processing. A new application must be submitted every school year. This will ensure that KSD has the resources to provide support services for every child. Families may qualify for additional services when submitting a meal application.

Use the following link to complete the application as soon as possible: Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Application

Email morrisc@ksdr1.net or call (816) 628-4116 if you have questions about the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch application process.

Emergency Response Guide

Emergency Response Guide for Parents/Guardians

Statistics consistently show that schools are among the safest places to be due to the strong commitment of educators, families, and our community to our students and schools. We strive to be proactive rather than reactive. This guide outlines the key elements of the state of preparedness in Kearney School District. We hope it will answer questions you have concerning our actions and intentions in the event of an emergency.

Terms

For consistency, we have developed the following terms to use:

Drill: An activity that covers a specific safety circumstance and is designed to prepare your student to act quickly and minimize questions and fears should an emergency take place. State law requires fire, tornado, and other emergency drills, including an unannounced lockdown.
SRO: School Resource Officer, a trained, certified and uniformed law enforcement officer assigned to schools to help build and maintain relationships between police, students, families, and employees.
Lock and Teach: Lock and Teach is the term used when a non-threatening situation is in or around the building. Students remain in the classroom and class can go on as planned.
Lockdown: Lockdown is the term used when there is a dangerous threat in close proximity of the building but is not inside the building. Occupants are kept in rooms or areas that are secured. There is no movement within the building. Lockdown procedures are followed.
A.L.I.C.E.: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (A.L.I.C.E.) is the safety training staff and students undergo in their buildings. A.L.I.C.E. is the term used in the event of an intruder in a building.
Shelter-In-Place: All occupants remain in the classroom/building. Movement within the building is at the building administrator’s discretion.
Evacuation: Evacuation is the term used when a dangerous threat is in the building. Students and staff need to get out of the building.
Rally Point: Area where students and employees are transported.
Reunification Point: Location designated at a school or reunification site where families may pick up students. This location will be communicated to you at the time of an emergency.

Contact Info

As soon as possible, please ensure your contact information in PowerSchool is current and accurate, including who is authorized to pick up your student. We will use this information and multiple communication channels (phone calls, emails, text messages) to provide accurate and timely information in the event of an emergency.

If necessary, we may also use our district and school website, social media accounts and local news outlets to share important and timely information.

Explain to your student that cell phones should not be used during an emergency unless directed by an adult. Your student must pay attention to instructions from trained personnel.

What to Expect

During an emergency:

The emergency plan will be implemented and the district/school emergency teams will respond.
All appropriate emergency response agencies will be dispatched to the school.
Depending on the situation, students and employees will be secured within the building or relocated to a Rally Point and Reunification Point.
Families will be kept informed on the situation with as much detail as possible. The first and official way for us to contact you in an emergency is using our automated SchoolMessenger system. Please only rely on these official communications.
In an emergency, phones are needed to manage the situation and lines must remain open. Calling could also put students and employees at risk in an intruder situation. For example, if they did not have time to turn down their ring volume, your call could potentially give away their hiding spot.
You will not be allowed on school grounds during an emergency. Emergency personnel responding to the situation need the area clear to do their job. After emergency responders determine that a safe student release is possible, arrangements will be made to reunite students with their families. This will occur at a reunification site.
Students will not be allowed to take their property (coat, backpack, etc.) with them in an emergency.

After an Emergency:

You will be directed to the Reunification Point, and you will need photo identification.
Students will only be released to a parent, guardian, or other adult listed on the student’s PowerSchool account. The individual picking up the student will be asked to sign a Student Release Form. This procedure is designed for your student’s protection and your peace of mind.
Please be aware that reunification can be very time-consuming, and we appreciate your patience.
It is important to remain calm as students are greatly influenced by their family’s sense of well-being. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their student speaks of an emergency. Please seek help from the school, district, or community resources if you/your student have concerns.

Press Pause

Families should be aware that Kearney School District will ask students and employees to “Press Pause,” or wait five minutes before communicating (calling, texting, posting, tweeting) in an emergency to give authorities sufficient time to assess the situation and communicate accurate information. This helps to avoid an environment that shares misinformation, which may escalate a situation. Teachers and/or administrators will give students the “green light” to utilize their devices.

Additionally, all Kearney School District employees, students, families, and community members are encouraged to report anything they see, hear, or are made aware of that may impact a school. If you see or hear something, say something. All KSD staff are trained to respond appropriately when they hear about potentially concerning situations. Anonymous tips can be shared using the Scholastic Crime Stoppers program by calling (816) 474-TIPS or visiting KCCrimeStoppers.com. KSD SRO Adam Kirkland can be reached at kirklanda@ksdr1.net. Call 911 if there is an immediate threat.

When providing information, please be as detailed as possible. Include the name of the school(s), person(s) involved, type of alleged activities, and when they occurred/may occur.

All threats are taken seriously. Police are notified, and officers and school administrators work together to thoroughly investigate any threat, whether it is made verbally, in writing, email, text message, or online. The earlier we know about a potential threat, the earlier an investigation can begin.

Anyone who makes a threat against a school could face criminal charges. If a student is involved in making a threat, the school/district will respond as outlined in the student handbook.

WARNING: it is forbidden to impersonate an official Kearney School District social media account or post false information about or from the school system under an anonymous account or alias. Depending on the nature of the post, such action may result in notification to local law enforcement. If made by an employee or student, it could result in disciplinary action.

The way in which we respond to an emergency is greatly influenced by the specifics of an incident. Our plans do not replace the authority of emergency personnel. Our employees work in full cooperation with these agencies.

For security reasons, components of our emergency plans are not publicly available.