By Josh Meyer
USD 350 Superintendent
Special to the Tribune
Last month, we proudly hosted our first Academic Showcase Night. Our community has always been incredibly supportive of events like ball games, concerts, and plays. However, many don’t often get a glimpse into the great work happening daily inside our classrooms. What we do in our schools goes far beyond sports and extracurriculars, and this event gave us an opportunity to highlight the academic excellence of our students and staff.
The Academic Showcase featured a variety of student projects and classroom activities. Guests explored the student-run bank, the Tiger Coffee Shop, audio-video production work, and even electric cars from the industrial arts program. We’re excited to make this an annual event to continue celebrating our students’ academic achievements.
In other news, the Board of Education has hired Wien’s & Co. as the Construction Manager at Risk for a potential future facility project. A community committee—made up of parents, community members, board members, and a few school staff—continues to collaborate with Wien’s and Landmark Architects to assess and prioritize the district’s facility needs. The goal is to ensure our buildings are equipped to educate the next generations of students. Any major improvements would require bond financing, and the board is planning to place a bond issue on the November ballot.
The committee is currently evaluating the district’s needs and working toward defining the project scope based on what this community can afford. There is still much work ahead, and more information will be shared with the public in the coming months as plans progress.
On a positive note, the new concession and restroom facility at the football field is nearly complete and will be ready for use at the first track meet. This project was made possible by more than $100,000 in donations from our generous community. The facility includes handicap-accessible restrooms and will be a great addition to our athletic complex. We are truly grateful for the continued support of our community.
Looking ahead, three of the seven Board of Education positions will be up for election in November. These seats are currently held by Shawn Ward, Carl Behr, and Vance Fisher. Board members serve four-year terms, with elections held every two years. Those interested in running for a board position must file with the county clerk by noon on June 2nd. The general election is scheduled for November 2nd, with a primary in August if necessary. For more information about the election or USD 350 board districts, please contact the district office or visit our website.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss any of these topics further, feel free to reach out to me at 620-549-3564 or meyerj@usd350.com. I am proud to be a Tiger and honored to serve USD 350 with Purpose, Passion, and Pride.
