Dear USD 329 Families,
Yesterday, I am pleased to share that the Kansas State Board of Education approved USD 329 Wabaunsee's application to become a Public Innovative District by an 8-1 vote. This designation provides our district with an opportunity to expand locally delivered career and workforce-readiness experiences while continuing to uphold the high academic standards and accountability measures that our students, families, and community expect. This work is a direct result of the feedback we received throughout our district strategic planning process. During community listening sessions, surveys, and stakeholder discussions, one message was heard consistently: families and community members wanted additional real-world learning opportunities for students, particularly in career and technical education and the skilled trades. This approval allows USD 329 to respond to that feedback by creating new pathways that connect classroom learning to meaningful workforce experiences. Over the coming years, USD 329 will build upon our existing Construction and Design Career and Technical Education pathway with a more intentional focus on workforce preparation, industry partnerships, and opportunities for students to earn valuable industry-recognized credentials. Our goal is simple: provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop real-world skills while preparing them for success after graduation. Importantly, this designation does not change our commitment to academic excellence. USD 329 will continue to participate fully in all state accountability systems, including Kansas assessments, accreditation requirements, graduation standards, and reporting measures. We remain committed to ensuring students are prepared for college, careers, military service, and life beyond high school.
This approval provides the opportunity to develop innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of our students and community. By partnering with local industry professionals and employers, we can expand learning opportunities and help students explore careers vital to the future of Wabaunsee County and rural Kansas. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our Board of Education, community members, local business partners, legislative leaders, staff, students, and families. We are grateful for the confidence placed in our district and excited about what lies ahead. Yesterday's vote marks an important milestone, but it is only the beginning. In the months ahead, we will continue sharing updates as we work with our community to implement this vision and create new opportunities for our students. Additional information, including a summary of the initiative and the full application submitted to the Kansas State Board of Education, will be made available on the district website.
Thank you for your continued support of USD 329 and the students we serve!
All the best!
Troy Pitsch, PhD
Superintendent of Schools
USD 329 Wabaunsee
Wabaunsee USD 329 is seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals for the following coaching positions:
- Junior High Head Girls Basketball Coach
- High School Assistant Boys Basketball Coach
Apply Today!
Visit usd329.org or contact the district office for more information at 785-765-3394.
We are so proud of our WHS Spirit Squad for their outstanding performance at UCA Camp this week! The team brought home a 🥇 1st Place finish in the Dance Competition and a 🥉 3rd Place finish in the Spirit Competition.
A special congratulations goes to Lea Huske, Nora Mumaw, and Josie Mayer for being selected to the All-American Cheerleader Program—an incredible honor that recognizes their talent, leadership, and dedication.
Way to represent WHS with pride, spirit, and excellence! We can't wait to see what this talented group accomplishes this season. 💙📣✨
#WHSSpiritSquad #UCAcamp #AllAmericanCheerleader #ChargerPride
P.s. A belated thanks to all who helped with move, build, set up etc. of the new K-5 art room (in the old wrestling and established music room), in January! SO blessed to teach in such a wonderful community!! ~Ms. Stott
From Jennifer Slagle | Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Office of Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach
120 SW 10th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Topeka, KS 66612
Office: 785.296.0684~
"We are excited to let you know that your artwork was selected as the 3rd place winner in the 6-8th grade category for Youth Suicide Prevention Awareness Art Contest. We truly appreciate the time and effort you put into your submission and are honored to showcase your art.
You will receive a packet in the mail with a certificate signed by all agencies sponsoring the contest, a letter from the Governor, and the $25 Amazon gift card. Your art will be posted on the Kansas Suicide Prevention Coalition website at https://kansassuicidepreventioncoalition.org/#. And your art will be featured in an art walk at a Youth Suicide Prevention Conference in August at Emporia State University.
Congratulations again and thank you for helping make a difference through your art!"
See more information, here, with all the pictures of student submissions etc.~ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QStqoF0D0WvslCsG6lGxk4bcgSvfeO-X?usp=drive_link ~Ms. Stott
P.s. Her artwork will eventually be on this page~ https://kansassuicidepreventioncoalition.org/youth-art-contest-gallery/
USD 329 has been cleared by the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Department, and all campuses are no longer in lockout status.
We want to thank our students, staff, families, and law enforcement partners for their cooperation and support throughout this situation. The threat received earlier today was taken seriously, and we followed our safety procedures while law enforcement assessed and cleared the situation. We have also learned that USD 329 was among the multiple districts that received similar threats recently. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has been contacted, and we understand this matter remains under investigation. We are grateful for the quick response of local law enforcement and trust they will continue to follow through appropriately regarding this disruption to our schools and community.
Because of the interruption to the school day, we will not hold afternoon PreK today. All other school operations will continue as normally as possible for the remainder of the day. Again, all students and staff are safe. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and trust as we worked through this situation carefully and responsibly.
Dr. Troy Pitsch
USD 329 Superintendent of Schools