Kearney, Mo., April 22, 2025: Kearney School District is hosting 2025 Kindergarten Orientations from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at Dogwood Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary, Kearney Elementary and Southview Elementary.

This will be an opportunity for students who are eligible for kindergarten this fall to prepare by spending time with their teachers and other school support staff. Parents and guardians will get to meet and interact with school administrators during a Q&A session.

In addition, these orientations will include devices and support for parents and guardians who want to complete the kindergarten enrollment process for their children. Families should go to the orientation at the school their child will be attending when school starts this fall.

Visit www.ksdr1.net/enrollment for details about how to enroll your child in kindergarten for the 2025-2026 academic year.

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Kearney, Mo., January 15, 2025: Kearney School District’s kindergarten enrollment will launch on Jan. 21 for the 2025-2026 academic year. If you have a child who will be age five on or before July 31, 2025, that will be the time to enroll them in kindergarten.

More details and a link to the enrollment process will be provided when it launches. 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 our online district boundary map to locate the elementary school your child will attend. 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/guardians will be responsible for providing transportation to and from school if the transfer request is approved.

After completing the enrollment process, one of our Parents As Teachers program Parent Educators will contact you to schedule a kindergarten screening. Parent Educators screen to help KSD plan for classes and the needs of each incoming kindergarten class. Parent Educators will also provide at-home activities and information about summer programs, as well as answer any questions parents/guardians may have.

Kindergarten Orientation events will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at each of KSD’s elementary schools. Stay tuned for details. This is an opportunity for families to receive helpful information about KSD, tour their school and meet their child’s teachers and building principal. We’re excited to welcome the Bulldogs Class of 2038!

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Kearney, Mo., December 17, 2024: On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Kearney School District’s Board of Education approved the changes recommended by the Elementary School Boundary Team.

These changes will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 academic year:

• Students who reside in Grid 15 on the approved boundary map will switch from attending Dogwood Elementary to Kearney Elementary
• Students who reside in Grids 12A and 12B on the approved boundary map will switch from attending Kearney Elementary to Southview Elementary

As part of these adjustments, we are changing our practice regarding private daycare providers. Starting next year, KSD will provide transportation to the school in the attendance zone where the daycare is located:

Families always have the option to have their children attend the elementary school in the attendance zone of their home residence. If a family lives in the Southview Elementary attendance zone, for instance, their child may attend Southview. However, if their child is at Radiant Life in the morning, the family or the daycare will have to provide transportation to Southview.

As our community continues to grow, so does the need to ensure our schools operate effectively and efficiently. These adjustments are part of our ongoing commitment to providing equitable access to quality education while addressing our district’s growth and evolving needs.

The new boundaries will better align our resources with the needs of our students, maintain class sizes, and optimize the learning environments at each elementary school. These changes are the result of a thoughtful process led by parents/guardians that included analyzing enrollment data, gathering community feedback, and ensuring that our elementary attendance boundaries will help us achieve our long-term district goals.

We will work hard to help everyone have a smooth transition to their new school. All of our elementary schools are truly outstanding. Our principals and their teams will go above and beyond to help ensure that each new student is welcomed and nurtured.

Our principals will be contacting impacted families directly to share more details about this process and the steps we’re taking to make this a positive experience, including:

• Open House & Orientation Events: To help families get to know their new school, we will host open houses and school tours in the coming months. These will be opportunities to meet teachers, administrators, and fellow families.
• Additional Support: Our counselors and administrative team are available to assist with questions or concerns regarding the transition.

We are dedicated to supporting each student and family through this adjustment. Our goal is to provide every child with the tools and environment they need to thrive academically and socially.

Visit www.bit.ly/ksd-boundary-process for additional information about the boundary process. Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can be reached at communications@ksdr1.net.

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Kindergarten through fifth-grade princesses and their favorite adult “knights” of their choice in Kearney School District are cordially invited to the “Knight with a Princess” gala from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at Kearney High School.

Entry will be $20 at the door for each princess-knight pair; an additional $5 will be charged for each additional princess same household who attends.

The event will include punch and light snacks. The attendees will enjoy princess-themed activities, photo opportunities and dancing.

Each princess must be accompanied by a responsible adult knight while they are at the event. This is not a drop-off-a-go event. The expectation is that knights will enjoy the evening with their princesses.

This special event is being organized and hosted by the KHS chapter of the Future Business Leaders Association (FBLA). KHS business teacher Alyssa Stevens is the group’s sponsor.

Learn more and register today for this fun event: Knight With A Princess Sign-Up

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Sponsored by the Kearney School District Education Foundation, this will once again be a fun event for all of our pre-K and elementary school students and their families to get fired up for reading.

• Purchase Dinner and Dessert – Seven Food Trucks in the KJH Loop
• Mr. Stinky Feet Performances at 5 & 6 p.m. in the KJH Gym
• Magician Shows at 5:30 & 6:15 p.m. in the Southview Gym
• Little Red Hen Puppet Show at 6 p.m. in the Southview Cafeteria
• Multiple Family Fun Reading Activities (BINGO, Tattoos, Games, Book Walk, Crafts, etc) throughout the event

Visit bit.ly/KSD-Spring-Read-23 for an event map and schedule. Please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult while attending this event. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there!

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As you are doing spring cleaning these next few weeks and you have gently used children’s books that your family is no longer reading, Kearney School District would love to have them for our 2023 Spring Reading Night! Collection boxes are located in the front entryway at each of our elementary schools. We will accept donated books through April 28.

Our Spring Reading Night will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3 at Southview Elementary and Kearney Junior High! This will once again be a fun event for families to get fired up for reading! We will share additional details as they are finalized.

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A charismatic third grader at Hawthorne Elementary School, Gunnar is just one of many students with disabilities who are already benefitting from a specialized adaptive bike purchased with grant funds provided by Variety KC. He spun around the school gym and smiled wide when asked if he was having fun.

“Yes!” Gunnar exclaimed.

The bike cost $5,963, according to Kearney School District Physical Therapist Anne Hayter. Variety KC was able to help a whole group of students with its grant.

“They work with children with disabilities and their families all over the KC metro,” Ms. Hayter said. “I was thrilled that they were willing to award a grant to a school district. This one grant can meet several students’ needs.”

Some students with health conditions or physical disabilities can find PE and recess very challenging, Hayter explained. She and her team work creatively to modify or adapt activities to ensure access for all students, but even with those changes, PE and recess can be a source of frustration. This tricycle can offer these students an energy-efficient means of mobility while still working to improve strength and activity tolerance.

“Plus, it’s fun!” Hayter said. “We used the bike last week in PE for students to be able to participate in relay races with their classmates. It’s wonderful to see these children included with their peers!”

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Kearney, Mo., June 6, 2022: Gerri Spencer wants Kearney’s children to have a better view of their own history.

Ms. Spencer is the Director of the Kearney Historic Museum. She and two museum volunteers visited Southview and Dogwood elementary schools today to help launch Kearney School District’s summer school program for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

Holding up a 150-year-old stereoscope that is part of the museum’s collection, Spencer explained how the device helped children in the 1870s experience places around the world before the advent of modern media. She wore a blue and white dress from the same time period in order to enhance the experience for the students.

“If you were a third-grader back then in Kearney, you might never have been able to visit places like New York or San Francisco, but you could still see them by using a stereoscope this like this with special stereo-card images,” she said. “Unlike a regular photo, this would give a more realistic viewing experience. It was their version of virtual reality.”

The 2022 Bulldog Summer program for elementary school students is focusing on helping Kearney students better appreciate their community’s past, present and future, according to program coordinator Kirsten Timchak. Each week through the end of the month will include presentations from different community organizations, including Watkins Mill.

“We’re looking forward to providing some really fun, interactive activities for our students while also helping them stay on track academically,” Ms. Timchak said. “I’m very grateful for all of our partners from the community who are working with us this summer!”

As part of this summer’s program, Timchak oversaw a client-connected project through KSD’s Real World Learning initiative. Kearney High School students produced four videos with community partners to introduce each week’s theme for the elementary summer school program. These video feature Spencer, Kearney Mayor Randy Pogue, Kearney’s Darrell “The Barber” McClung and Kearney Fire and Rescue District Captain David Pratt.

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Kearney, Mo., April 28, 2022: It takes a real Bulldog to protect a helpless kitten.

Kearney High School engineering teacher Shane Remley’s students and third-graders at LENS joined forces this month to design and build shelters for stray cats as part of Project Based Learning. Kittens from Ace’s Sanctuary & Cat Rescue visited LENS today to test out the feline homes.

“Our Project Based Learning unit is about natural disasters,” LENS teacher Abby Madison said. “Our driving question is how can we design a home for feral cats to stand up to Kearney weather hazards?”

The furry product testers got plenty of attention from the young designers and engineers at LENS as they scampered around the room. It appeared that the building projects were a big success. The wood houses were then donated to the sanctuary.

MORE PHOTOS: Kitten House Projects at LENS

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Kearney, Mo., March 7, 2022: Kearney School District early education and elementary families are invited to celebrate spring and plant the seeds of success for our students during our “Spring into Reading” event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24 at Southview Elementary and Kearney Junior High School!

This special event will feature reading games, a performance by Mr. Stinky Feet, a magician, prizes, food for purchase and more.

Support for “Spring into Reading” is being provided by the Pamela Bier Memorial Fund, which is administered by the KSD Education Foundation.

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