The USD 450 Scoop
Shawnee Heights USD 450 Newsletter - Date
Quarter 3 Newsletter
2023-24 School Year
Open Border Law To Take Effect Next School Year
The 2024-2025 school year will bring Kansas's new Open Border Law. This new law mandates that public school districts enroll any student within or outside the district's boundaries, regardless of their residence, if the district has the capacity.
As the law continues to evolve under the scrutiny of legislative deliberations, we have yet to find all the answers to how some of the details of this law will affect our district. Before we review what we know about the new law, let's start with a quick overview of how our district currently handles non-resident applicants.
Shawnee Heights USD 450 has always had an out-of-district transfer request process for non-resident students. The current process allows us to gather information about students who want to transfer to our schools. The information collected helps our educators determine if we have the physical space and helps us prepare any educational resources that the students may require. Students are never turned away due to ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disabling condition, proficiency in the English language, or measure of achievement, aptitude, or athletic ability. The information allows us to prepare and place the student in the environment most helpful to the student's future.
Shawnee Heights has consistently received around 400 out-of-district transfer requests and has accepted around 200 of those requests each year. Non-resident students must apply each year they would like to continue at Shawnee Heights but are typically re-accepted as long as the student stays in good standing.
Many of our current processes and the new Open Border Law look the same from the outside. However, our district has concerns about the new law.
- What if our capacity greatly minimizes over the years as more families move into our district?
Currently, the law reads that once we have accepted the non-resident student, they stay in the district until they graduate or transfer out, regardless of district capacity in the proceeding years, providing they continue to meet the student in good standing requirements in terms of attendance, grades, and behavior. This is a major concern for Shawnee Heights as more families continue to move into our district. Our Elementary school enrollment is already at its designed capacity, and middle school enrollment will soon surpass 600 as larger classes move into grades 7 & 8. We also have program limitations and capacity limits that impact the ability to accept additional out-of-district students at elementary, middle, and high school. We want to ensure we can service our in-district families as they grow.
- How will we know if we can provide the best education for a student if we are not allowed to gather information?
In our current process, we can gather information about a student to be proactive and have honest discussions with parents about what we can offer to ensure their students are set up for success. The new law does not allow us to gather information on students before they are accepted. Therefore, we will only know the student's educational needs once they arrive, which may result in not having the tools and resources the student needs to succeed.
- Will our current non-resident students be subject to the lottery?
The new Open Borders Law does not address currently accepted non-resident students. At this time, the district plans to count all current non-resident students in good standing as part of our current capacity numbers. Therefore, those students can continue to be a part of the Shawnee Heights family as they have been in previous years.
As the legislature continues to discuss this law, some things may change or be clarified for districts in Kansas. For now, you can expect the following from our district regarding the Open Borders Law:
- By May 1st of each year, the Superintendent will present the recommendations concerning capacity and student-to-teacher ratios to the Board of Education.
- On June 1st of each year, the district will publish the number of open seats available to non-resident students on the website (www.usd450.net).
- From June 1st to June 30th, the district will accept applications for non-resident students.
If the number of applications exceeds the number of available seats, the district will randomly select non-resident students using a confidential lottery process. This process will be completed before July 15th of each year.
Priority in Filling Open Seats
The new law states that certain students have priority in filling open seats and are not subject to the open lottery process.
- Any sibling of a non-resident student who was accepted in the lottery selection.
- Any non-resident student who is a military student.
- Any child who is in the custody of the Department for Children and Families.
- Any non-resident student who has a parent or person acting as a parent employed by the district.
- Any child who is experiencing homelessness.
Additional Open Border Law Guidelines
- Students, except for a child in the custody of the Department of Children and Families or a child who is experiencing homelessness, shall not transfer more than once per school year.
- Transportation is not required by the district for non-resident students.
- All non-resident students can participate in activities as long as they meet KSHSAA requirements.
- A student meeting one or more of the following criteria shall automatically be deemed not in good standing and may be denied continued enrollment:
- Attendance/tardiness concerns.
- Inappropriate conduct.
- Not making adequate academic progress.
- Outstanding fee balance.
- The non-resident student or student's parents or person acting as a parent provided false or fraudulent information in the application process.
- The non-resident student is not a resident of Kansas.
- The student is currently under a period of suspension or expulsion from any Kansas school district, and such suspension or expulsion will not expire until after the next school year has begun.
- The student has been given a long-term suspension or expulsion by the district in the current school year.
We'll keep you updated as things may change before next school year. We're committed to ensuring that every family in our community receives the best education possible.
Shawnee Heights' Next Leader, Sheila Meggers!
The Shawnee Heights USD 450 Superintendent Search has ended! In a momentous decision, the Board of Education has selected Sheila Meggers as our next Superintendent of USD 450. The resolution was approved unanimously at a special meeting on February 19, 2024. Mrs. Meggers will assume leadership on July 1, 2024, after the retirement of Tim Hallacy, at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Mrs. Meggers has broad educational experience as a teacher, administrator, and educator of educators. In the last seven years, she has been an Assistant Superintendent of Finance for Hutchinson Public Schools, PreK-8 Principal in Renwick Public Schools, and Assistant Principal of Hutchinson High School.
Mrs. Meggers shared, "I am humbled and honored to serve as the next Superintendent of Shawnee Heights USD 450. I am eager to work with the high-quality board members, administrators, and educators I met while visiting the district."
Mrs. Meggers was drawn to Shawnee Heights because of its excellent reputation and community support. She believes investing time to get to know others individually is essential in building strong relationships and fostering collaboration. Having a solid background in leadership and school finance, along with a passion for education, she is confident she can contribute to the continued success and growth of the Shawnee Heights school district.
Board President Rosa Cavazos says that Mrs. Meggers emerged from an extensive search process as the right candidate to lead the School District. "The Board is certain in our choice of Sheila Meggers and confident that she will be a collaborative leader in the Shawnee Heights community and that under her leadership, Shawnee Heights will continue to be recognized for providing outstanding academic education for all students."
Board President Rosa Cavazos explained that community members were a key factor, providing valuable input to ensure the chosen leader aligns with the collective vision and values of the district. The committees included district staff and administrators, parents, and community members. "The input from the community as a whole was very helpful to our process," said Rosa Cavazos, Board President.
The Board expresses gratitude for the active participation and support from the community throughout the selection process. The Board selected three finalists whom they interviewed. "As a board team, we believe Sheila is the right choice for the next Superintendent to serve our students and our community," said Rosa Cavazos, Board President.
Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation Making a Difference
Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation stands as a pillar of support, exemplifying a commitment to educational excellence. Through a series of events, the Foundation not only raises funds for the students and staff of Shawnee Heights but also fosters a sense of community and togetherness. These events play a crucial role in enhancing the learning experience for students and providing essential resources for our dedicated staff.
The Foundation hosts various events throughout the year, each designed to engage the community and generate financial support for educational initiatives. One of the highlights is the annual Breakfast, a morning that brings together teachers, community members, and local businesses. Attendees enjoy breakfast and experience a little of Shawnee Height's impact on its community. The Breakfast serves as a fundraiser and a platform to showcase the items teachers purchased for their classrooms through the Foundation's Teacher Grant program.
Another popular event is the Golf Tournament, where staff, community members, and local businesses come together to enjoy a day of golf while raising funds for the Foundation's educational initiatives. The Golf Tournament has become a much-anticipated tradition, fostering camaraderie among participants. With friendly competition on the golf course, participants support a good cause and strengthen the community bonds that make Shawnee Heights a unique and vibrant place.
The funds raised from these events enable the Foundation to provide invaluable support to Shawnee Heights students and teachers. Teacher Grants are awarded to teachers to enhance initiatives in the classroom; Scholarships are awarded to students looking to pursue higher education; and Care Funds are put aside to assist students and families in our community in a time of need.
Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation stands as a beacon of community-driven support, embodying the spirit of collaboration and dedication to education. If you would like to donate to the Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation or want to learn more about their upcoming events, visit their website at www.shawneeheightsfoundation.net
Students finish the second window of FastBridge Screeners
Three times a year, Shawnee Heights students take the FastBridge Screener, which is a nationally normed universal screener for reading and math. This assessment data is used to identify students who are demonstrating a risk of having reading or math difficulties.
Classroom teachers, specialists/interventionists, and special education teachers all work together to review the data of students to determine what targeted interventions, if any, are needed for each student.
What should families know about the reading screener?
Kindergarten through 12th grade students are required to take the screener three times a year. Starting this year (23-24), high school students can stop taking the screener early if they score:
- at the 40th percentile or above on the FastBridge assessment, or
- earn a 16 or above on the PreACT 8/9 Reading, or
- earn a 16 or above on the PreACT 10 Reading, or
- earn an 18 or above on the ACT Reading.
Once students take the FastBridge assessment, they are identified into 4 different groups:
- High Risk
- Some Risk
- Low Risk
- T-Bird Ready
Our reading goal for the district is to have 70% of our students scoring in the Low Risk or T-Bird Ready groups. At the conclusion of the Winter 23 window, 70% of our students are in those two groups. Five of our grade levels have met or surpassed the 70% goal, and several more are nearly there as well. In addition, all grade levels increased the percentage of students scoring in those top two groups for reading.
What should families know about the math screener?
Students from kindergarten through tenth grade are required to take the screener three times a year.
Kindergarten and first grade students take the earlyMath assessment of early numeracy skills that measure accuracy and automaticity. Second through tenth grade students take aMath which measures broad math abilities and predicts overall math achievement in counting and cardinality; operations and algebraic thinking; number and operations in base ten; number and operations with fractions; measurement and data; and geometry.
Our Math Winter FastBridge data was really good. All our grade levels scored at or above the nationally normed expected scale score for their grade level. Note: The 9th and 10th grade high school students only take the math screener in the Fall and the Spring.
When will the students take the screeners again?
Each building schedules dates for each grade/teacher to give the screeners for reading and math.
- The spring window runs from 4/15/24 through 5/17/24.
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Tim Hallacy, Superintendent
Matt Hirsch, Associate Superintendent
Board of Education
Rosa Cavazos - President
Erica Price - Vice President
Rocky Busenitz
Christina Flaming
Sarah Sanders
Lauren Tice Miller
Kristy VanMetre