Board Highlights
December 8, 2025
Certified #PurpleReign Award: Talia Dwyer
This month, we are proud to recognize our December Certified Purple Reign Award winner, Talia Dwyer, Interventionist at Piper Creek Elementary.
Her nominator shared, “She puts the children first. She loves and cares dearly for them. She is always smiling showing the children that care is still out there.”
Ms. Dwyer’s unwavering dedication, compassion, and positivity shine through in everything she does. She creates a classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and inspired to learn. Her joyful presence makes a meaningful impact each and every day.
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Dwyer and thanking her for her exceptional commitment to our students and our district. Ms. Dwyer is joined by her principal, Mrs. Jane Martin.
Classified #PurpleReign Award: Cue Johnson
Our December Classified Award winner was unable to join us at last night's Board meeting due to a family commitment; however, we were pleased to recognize him in his absence. This month’s Classified Purple Reign Award is presented to Cueler (Cue) Johnson, Lunch Room Aide at Piper Prairie Elementary.
His nominator shared, “Mr. Cue is a joyful and steady presence in the Prairie lunchroom, always seen with a smile and engaging students in warm conversation. His positive energy creates a welcoming space where students feel comfortable and cared for. Last Friday, his attentiveness and quick response saved a young student from choking. Relying on his district training, he immediately administered the Heimlich maneuver and successfully dislodged the food from the obstructed airway. His calm, decisive action and commitment to student safety exemplify the very best of Prairie. We are grateful for his kindness, his connection with students, and his heroic readiness when it mattered most.”
Last week, we had the privilege of surprising Mr. Cue during lunch, joined by the student’s family, to personally thank him for his bravery and exceptional service during this critical moment. His commitment to our students’ well-being reflects the very best of Piper Unified School District, and we congratulate him on receiving the December Classified Purple Reign Award!
Kansas Teacher of the Year District Nominees
Last night, we were pleased to welcome our Teacher of the Year nominees. Each year the Kansas Department of Education celebrates outstanding teachers across the state as a part of their Kansas Teacher of the Year program. In Piper each building nominates a teacher who meets the KTOY qualifications to represent their building. Yesterday, we were delighted to celebrate our building finalists:
Christy Martin - 3’s teacher at the Piper Early Childhood Center
Mikesha Bradner - First grade teacher at Piper Prairie Elementary
Krystina Williams - Third grade teacher at Piper Creek Elementary
Jennifer Warneke - Eighth grade English Language Arts teacher at Piper Middle School
Rhonda Willis - Math teacher at Piper High School
While all five of these individuals are unbelievably deserving of recognition, the district may only submit one elementary representative and one secondary representative to the state competition. Each finalist submitted responses to three writing prompts that were reviewed by a selection committee. We are pleased to share that Christy Martin and Rhonda Willis were selected as the elementary and secondary district Teachers of the Year. Christy and Rhonda will compete against other teachers across Region 2, and will be recognized at the KTOY Banquet in April.
Piper High School State Cheer - Runner Ups
The Piper High School Cheer Team continues to have success year after year. They recently competed at UCA Regionals and placed first in their division making them UCA Regional Champions in Game Day Large Varsity. Following that competition, they were named 5A State Runner Ups at the Kansas State High School Athletic Association’s Spirit Competition. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the team has made the Final round and the second time the team has placed top two in the state. The girls competed in Columbia, Missouri on Sunday at NCA Regionals and were named back-to-back Regional Champions in the Game Day Large Varsity division. The Piper Cheer team is now working hard to take their routine and represent Pirate Nation at the National level at the NCA High School National Championship in Fort Worth, Texas next month. The team is coached by head coach Morgan Kolenda and assisted by Emma Turley. Congratulations ladies!
Piper High School Boys Soccer State Qualifiers
For the first time in 12 years, Piper Boys Soccer advanced to the state quarterfinals. The season started rocky, but this group never stopped fighting. Their resilience, teamwork, and determination carried them all the way to Blue Valley Southwest, where they battled through a tough quarterfinal matchup and never stopped working until the final whistle.
This season also brought several standout accomplishments within the UKC Conference. Seniors Johnny Vogel, Israel Min, and Chri Htoo earned 2nd Team All-UKC honors. Mason Jones, Tin Mang, Jack Franzen, Conner Johnson, Mason Porter, and Raphael “Ra” Bawi were recognized with Honorable Mention All-UKC honors.
The team is led by Head Coach Jesse Dominguez, along with Assistant Coaches Bryan Croft and Jaime Calderon.
Thank You for Your Service John Bakarich III
We had the honor of recognizing and celebrating the dedicated service of Mr. John Bakarich, who has faithfully served on the Board of Education from 2018 to 2025, including two consecutive years as Board President.
Mr. Bakarich, on behalf of the Board, our staff, our students, and our community, thank you.
From the beginning of your service, you brought a steady presence and a strong commitment to doing what is right for students and for the long term health of the district. Your leadership has been marked by a thoughtful approach to governance, an unwavering focus on quality, and a deep respect for the responsibilities entrusted to a Board of Education.
One of the most visible and lasting impacts of your service has been your contributions in the area of facilities and long range planning. You consistently shared your construction and entrepreneurial and business expertise in ways that strengthened district decisions and protected community investment. In particular, your guidance and involvement in the RFP process for architects and construction firms, especially as tied to Bond 2018 and Bond 2022, helped ensure that our district approached these major projects with diligence, transparency, and high expectations.
You also played a key role in problem solving and innovative decision making related to the PHS athletic practice facilities, helping the district move from ideas to practical, student centered solutions. Time and again, you dedicated hours to walkthroughs of district buildings, asking the right questions, noticing the details, and holding the work to a standard that reflected pride in our schools and respect for our taxpayers. Your focus on quality control and excellence helped ensure that construction and renovation projects did not just get completed, they got completed well.
Equally important has been your consistent emphasis on alignment between Board policy and district practice, and your belief that the work of governance must remain clear and transparent to the community. Through the unprecedented challenges of COVID, you remained anchored in the purpose of public education and in the importance of decision making that was both responsible and understandable to those we serve.
Your commitment to sound governance was evident in your support for regular, monthly review of Board policy, and in your expectations that Board Executive Summaries clearly identify and reflect the appropriate policy basis. That attention to policy and process strengthens trust, improves clarity, and helps ensure the district’s work stays consistent, defensible, and community facing.
Mr. Bakarich, your years of service reflect not only time given, but leadership invested, through expertise, steady judgment, and a genuine commitment to excellence.
As you conclude this chapter of Board service, please know that your contributions will continue to benefit students and staff for years to come, in the quality of our facilities, in the strength of our processes, and in the example you set for principled governance.
On behalf of the entire district, thank you for your service, your leadership, and your dedication. We are truly grateful.
Thank You for Your Service Desiree Fergus
We had the honor of recognizing and celebrating the dedicated service of Ms. Desiree Fergus, who has faithfully served on the Board of Education and the Piper School District community from 2015 to 2025, including leadership roles as both Vice President and President during her decade-long tenure.
Ms. Fergus, on behalf of the Board, our staff, our students, and our community, thank you.
Over the past ten years, you have provided steady, values driven leadership grounded in what matters most, students, staff, and the community we serve. Your service has been marked by thoughtful governance, courageous advocacy, and a consistent focus on ensuring that every person in Piper feels seen, supported, and included.
One of your most enduring strengths has been your unwavering commitment to a culture of belonging and inclusivity for all students and staff. You have consistently elevated the importance of connection, dignity, and opportunity, and you have helped shape district decisions through the lens of who may be impacted and how we ensure every voice counts. That focus has strengthened our culture and helped build a district where people know they matter.
You also played an instrumental role in advancing a major milestone for Piper by championing the district becoming an independent special education district. Your leadership in this work reflected both compassion and clarity, ensuring that systems, services, and supports were built with students at the center and with a commitment to doing what is right, even when it required persistence and long term vision.
In addition, your advocacy for Real World Learning and your championship of the Kauffman Grant work have helped propel Piper’s innovation forward. You did not simply support the vision from a distance, you invested in learning, in asking strong questions, and in ensuring our work remained bold and future focused. Through visits and learning experiences around the United States, you brought back insight and perspective that helped keep Piper’s innovation at the forefront and ensured our students benefited from ideas and practices that are leading education forward.
Another significant contribution has been your service on the District Negotiations Team, including your role as Chief Negotiator for the Board of Education and the District Administration Team. That work requires preparation, professionalism, steadiness, and trust. You carried that responsibility with integrity and focus, understanding that negotiations are not only about contracts, but also about sustaining strong relationships and ensuring the district can recruit and retain excellent staff while remaining responsible to the community.
At the heart of your leadership is something that cannot be taught in a manual, the ability to truly listen. People seek you out because they know you hear them. You bring calm, fairness, and thoughtfulness to difficult conversations, and you work to find proactive solutions so that all parties feel heard and respected. That skill has strengthened trust across the district and has made our work better, more humane, and more effective.
Ms. Fergus, your decade of service reflects not only time given, but leadership invested, through empathy, advocacy, and an unshakable belief in what Piper can be for every student.
As you conclude this chapter of Board service, please know that your impact will continue to be felt for years to come, in our culture, in our systems of support, in the opportunities created through innovation, and in the relationships strengthened by your approach to leadership.
On behalf of the entire district, thank you for your service, your leadership, and your dedication. We are truly grateful.
K-5 Transition & Boundary Update
At the December 8 Board of Education meeting, the Piper USD 203 Board approved Option 2 as the new elementary attendance boundary plan. This decision supports the district’s transition to two K–5 elementary schools beginning in the 2026–2027 school year.
The recommendation was developed by a Boundary Committee made up of parents, community members, and staff who reviewed enrollment data, demographics, student services, and future growth to ensure a balanced and equitable plan.
Families can view the approved boundary map, learn more about the committee’s process, and review next steps on our information webpage:
Learn more here: https://www.piperschools.com/welcome/k-5-transition-information
More details about school assignments and transition planning will be shared in the coming months.
Superintendent November Comments - Dr. Jessica Dain, Superintendent
Follow the link below for updates from Dr. Jessica Dain.
