Bulldog families and staff, on Saturday, April 11, the world-famous Harlem Wizards are coming to the Kearney Fieldhouse for a high-energy show to help raise support for our students! The best part: they’ll be taking on a Team KSD staff squad led by KHS Boys Basketball Head Coach Dillon Starzl and including teachers, coaches and staff members from across our schools! Expect trick shots, crowd interaction, and memorable moments that everyone will be talking about the next day!

This fundraiser supports the KSD Education Foundation for important initiatives like classroom grants, scholarships, and the Grow Your Own program, which helps our students pursue careers in public education. It also directly benefits KHS Boys Basketball team as an event co-host! Thank you for helping us turn a great night into real support for students!

📍 Kearney Fieldhouse (715 19th Street, Kearney)

🕞 Doors open: 3:30 p.m.

🏀 Game time: 4:30 p.m.

🚗 Parking in the South Campus lots

🅿️ VIP Parking: $10 per vehicle (limited spaces)

GENERAL ADMISSION

RESERVED SEATING – $35

COURTSIDE PLUS – $60 Only 40 Available!

A big thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Kearney Trust Company, for supporting this event and our schools. Let’s pack the Fieldhouse and cheer on Team KSD. We are Team Bulldogs!

The Kearney School District Board of Education’s March 18, 2026, business meeting highlighted student achievement, innovative family support work at the Kearney Early Education Center, important district updates, and several significant action items related to facilities, student support, technology and enrollment systems.

The meeting’s School Spotlight featured the Kearney Early Education Center, which showcased its Bitty Bulldogs Clothing Closet and the upcoming Developmental Toy Lending Library. The clothing closet provides a wide range of items for families with young children, including clothing from newborn through age 5, seasonal gear, shoes, diapers, toiletries, household supplies, bedding, and more. District leaders noted that the effort has grown through strong support from staff, families, community donors, the Kearney Optimist Club, and community partnerships. They also shared that the toy lending library grew out of a parent need and is being developed to expand support for families even further.

Board members also recognized outstanding student accomplishments in Cheer Stunt, Boys Swim and Dive, Girls Swim and Dive, Boys Wrestling, and Girls Wrestling. Notes from the meeting reflect strong praise for the grit, perseverance, and competitive success shown by those student groups this season.

Among the district updates, staff reported that final decisions on the remaining 2022 bond work are being slowed by the complexity of the Southview Elementary roof project. While that design work continues, the district plans to move forward with flooring work at Hawthorne Elementary and Kearney Elementary.

The board also received the Special Education/ECSE program evaluation, which showed several encouraging outcomes. District leaders reported that 425 students are currently served through IEPs and 202 students are eligible under Section 504, with the combined IEP and 504 population representing 18.15 percent of KSD students. They also highlighted a 0% dropout rate for students with disabilities in 2024-25, a 92.3 percent four-year graduation rate for students with disabilities compared with 82.3 percent statewide, and 90.9 percent of 2023-24 graduates with disabilities were either employed or continuing their education. In addition, KSD’s students with IEPs have outperformed the state in both ELA and math proficiency over the last three years, and all ECSE students made growth on key performance indicators.

Visit the KSD Board of Education Simbli portal for meeting agendas and supporting documents.

Kearney High School’s FCCLA students represented Bulldog Nation with excellence at the 2026 FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Springfield.

A special congratulations goes to Kelleigh Andell and Ava Mayse, who earned 2nd place out of 19 teams in Interior Design Level 3 and received an invitation to nationals. Their project was an impressive, college-level capstone effort and a tremendous example of the kind of world-class work our students are capable of producing. Both students received invaluable and extensive interior design expertise and guidance from KHS Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher and FCCLA Advisor Kathryn Cash.

We also want to recognize Harper Harris, who competed in Professional Presentation Level 3. While she did not place in the top five this year, she took on a new challenge, stepped outside her comfort zone, and represented KHS with courage and poise. That kind of growth matters, and we are proud of her for embracing the experience.

A big thank you as well to Sloan Glenn, who served as a youth consultant, helped judge competitive events and also represented KHS as a voting delegate. Her positivity, leadership and willingness to serve helped make the trip even more meaningful.

“We are small but mighty, and we are so proud of our girls,” said FCCLA Advisor Kassidy Robertson.

Congratulations to these outstanding students and to Mrs. Robertson and Ms. Cash for helping lead such a successful showing at the state level. We are excited to cheer on Kelleigh and Ava as they prepare for nationals.

A group of Kearney Junior High and Kearney High School students recently took part in a Mock Trial experience that proved beyond all doubt the value of public education.

For more than two and a half months, students met at least once a week to prepare for The State of Louisiana v. Patricia Post, a fictional second-degree murder case built around the alleged killing of Patricia Post’s ex-boyfriend, David Bask. By the time trial day arrived, students were ready to step into a wide range of roles, including attorneys, witnesses, jurors and court personnel.

The experience challenged students to think critically, communicate clearly and work collaboratively as they prepared opening statements, questioned witnesses, presented testimony and examined evidence. They also engaged with written, verbal and digital evidence as they built their cases and worked through the trial process with remarkable focus and maturity.

The Kearney High School Quarterback Club is inviting our Bulldog community to tee it up for a great cause at its Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 2, at Excelsior Springs Golf Course.

This annual fundraiser helps support the Kearney Bulldog Football program while bringing together players, families, alumni and community members for a fun day on the course.

As the Missouri legislative session gets underway, Kearney School District is launching a short Legislative Update email newsletter to help our community understand how proposals in Jefferson City could affect our community's public schools. This newsletter will include a straightforward snapshot and brief analysis of proposals, bills, and laws at the state level that may impact public education, along with contact information for our local legislators. Please visit the KSD Legislative Updates page on our website at www.ksdr1.net/legislativeupdates and complete the opt-in form if you’d like to receive these newsletters.