Red Devil Ready: Supt.'s Message
Supt. Message #3: OctOberlin Fest
131 E Commercial St, Oberlin, KS 67749
October 26, 2026 (Schedule at the bottom, Skip What You Want)
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Oberlin294/
or visit our district website at usd294.org
Decatur Community,
It's hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way through the school year. As I sit here writing this, it is 50 degrees outside and a bit rainiy, a typical fall day in October. Perhaps its the combined facts of it being over 90 degrees a few weeks ago while we were hosting a home volleyball tournament and it seeming to be the warmest start to the school year in recent history, but it has just led it to seem like summer never stopped and that we were left without the usual alottment of fall days this year.
OctOberlin is always one of the busiest months of the school year, a festival of activities if you will, and this year saw us host two big volleyball tournaments (those following a Saturday tournament to end September), multiple home volleyball games that included an extended season as we hosted Regionals, two home varsity football games, JV football games, multiple JH games, and concerts as well. That doesn't include the traveling events.
Even with all of that, there is still a full week of October left, and this last week will be dedicated to two nights of conferences, a road trip almost 3 hours away for football, a day off of school, and the culmination of the month Saturday with Halloween.
I hope everyone is able to make it out to conferences! Even when you have finished talking about your students, there is a whole lot that was listed above that could still be talked about.
There are hundreds of shoutouts that I could probably keep on giving, but here are a few things that are on my mind.
Shoutout to Coaches Lindsey Fortin, Gina Witt, and the girls volleyball team. Though the girls came away one game shy of qualifiying for State, it was a season to be remembered. This season saw our girls win their first Oberlin Inviational Tournament in well over a decade, host and win Regionals, and win 29 matches on the season. The best thing that I witnessed throughout the season was the consistent growth that was visible on the team towards both their play and each other. This team never gave up, and I expect great things to come for DCHS volleyball in the next few years.
Shoutout to our Senior volleyball girls. Elsie Larson, Karen Molina, and Maria Rodriguez all played large roles this year, and the leadership they exhibited helped keep the team focused. They will be missed, but at least they will still be back out there on the court for basketball season.
Shoutout to junior XC runner Trevor Witt who took 3rd this past weekend at the Regional in Tribune. Witt has been a loyal, strong performer going back to his JH days. Witt has improved every year and will now move on to his second State competition, this year in Wamego.
Shoutout to coaches Brandon Gehring and Trevor Williams and the JH Football team on winning another NWKL Championship. The boys had an outstanding season and proved that the success that we have had in the past few years will not soon go away.
Shoutout to the Oberlin Youth Football team for also winning their league championship. Piggy- backing off of what I just said, it is a good sign when you are having success at multiple levels at the same time, a sign that the future looks bright.
Shoutout to 8th grader Kylynn Wentz for trying out for JH Honor Band and qualifying. Kylynn qualified with the flute. I have long said that if there was one thing I would have done differently in my education it would have been to learn how to play instruments. Congratulations, Kylynn.
Shoutout to the Oberlin Red Devil Booster Club and the Oberlin SOS. The involvement of these parent-driven groups is commendable. Whether it be providing meals to staff during conferences, treats and gifts during times of appreciation, having fundraisers for the schools, and even helping to make bigger purchases, these groups are always there for our students and staff.
Shoutout to kindergarten teacher Kristy Ostmeyer. It's always great when I can get around and into the buildings. Last week, I stopped in Mrs. Ostmeyer's classroom and the students were reading the story Chicken Little. It was great to sit in and watch Mrs. Ostmeyer use her voice and expressions to bring the story to life and get the students engaged. The students were all sharing answers to the story and talking about the other characters in the book. Listening to them talk about Lucky Ducky and Foxy Loxy was both fun and memorable. Kudos to the teacher who had created an outstanding learning environment.
JH Football Wins League Championship
Junior Trevor Witt Returns to State for a Second Time
Congrats to coaches Luke Clayton and Tiffany Witt as well.
Students Create Coffee Can Drums in General Music
Shoutout to DCHS music teacher Lisa Johnson for being creative with engaging her students in the learning in her class.
Here's a message from Mrs. Johnson:
In General Music, we are studying Latin American Music! Each student designed and built a “Coffee Can Drum” from donated fruit cans from our very own cafeteria. We sent a form to the faculty to vote for the favorites. Here are the results:
* Most Indestructible: Ryker Dowling
* Most Festive/Colorful: Madison Peters
* Best Fringe: Reyna Dimas Santillan
* Best Overall: Sadae Fuentes
Mr. Marshall Leads Pottery with Parents Night
Mr. Marshall always brings a ton of energy to everything that he does, and it pays off for all of those around him.
Girls Volleyball Wins Regionals
Shoutout to Coaches Lindsey Fortin, Gina Witt, and the girls volleyball team. Though the girls came away one game shy of qualifiying for State, it was a season to be remembered. This season saw our girls win their first Oberlin Inviational Tournament in well over a decade, host and win Regionals , and win 29 matches on the season. The best thing that I witnessed throughout the season was the consistent growth that was visible on the team towards both their play and each other. This team never gave up, and I expect great things to come for DCHS volleyball in the next few years.
DCHS Scholars Bowl Places 3rd
Shoutout to the DCHS Scholars Bowl team for their 3rd place finish to kick off the season at Atwood.
Pictured (Job Kliewer, Kayden Vanorsdol, Wyatt Scott, Harley Barnes, Jade Tuttle, and Sophia Capuzzo)
Third Grade Students Participate in Mock Trial for Constitution Day
Shoutout to third-grade teacher Kerrie Wahlmeier and her third-grade students.
The third-grade class at OES participated in a mock trial in celebration of Constitution Day. Judge Robert J. Wonnell of the Kansas 10th Judicial District Court and Olathe Public Schools USD 233 hosted this national event.
We would like to thank our own Judge Jay Tate, Brooke Graham, Sheriff David Wachendorfer, and Undersheriff Brady Ginther for spending the morning with us. They made the experience even more meaningful and took the time to answer so many awesome questions from our third grade students.
We are grateful to everyone who helped make this such a fun, educational, and memorable Constitution Day experience!
JV Volleyball Wins Oberlin Invitational
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
The timeframe is listed below:
Monday, October 26: 4:00-8:00
Wednesday, October 28: 4:00-7:30
It's been quite awhile since I was in a classroom, but I remember that first conference of the year was always a time of excitement for me. I loved meeting with parents to discuss the kids that I had gotten to know. Often times I knew the parents, but there were many I had never met before. It was always kind of a game to try and guess which parent belonged to which student if I did not know them. Either way, it was always a great way for students, parents, and teachers to show that we are all on the same team.
Students to Visit Sternberg Museum
Over the course of November and December, there will be several trips scheduled for elementary and secondary students to visit the museum. There will be more information coming soon as we get the details worked out.
Halloween Clean-Up
The 101st annual Halloween Clean-Up is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The teachers chose Rustin Bailey, Brycen Ketterl, Elsie Larson, Caden Shaw, and Devyn Stagemeyer to lead the student-led service project.
If you would like your yard raked, please call the high school at 785 475-2231 and leave your name and address.
High School Musical
Mr. Marshall and his students have been working hard, and this year's musical, The Music Man, will have three showings:
Friday, November 13 at 7:00
Saturday, November 14 at 7:00
Sunday, November 15 at 2:00
Synopsis:
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to the naive Iowa townsfolk, promising to train the members of the new band. But Harold is no musician and plans to skip town without giving any music lessons. Prim librarian and piano teacher Marian sees through him, but when Harold helps her younger brother overcome his lisp and social awkwardness, Marian begins to fall in love. Harold risks being caught to win her.
Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Meal Coming November
On Friday, November 20th, we will have our 4th Annual Senior Citizens' Thanksgiving. This event will be open to any senior citizen. Doors will open at 10:30 with a small program beginning at 10:45 in the cafeteria. Lunch will be served at 11:00.
Our record attendance is 140. Can we beat it?
Golf carts will be available to allow for easy access to and from the entrance to the parking lot.
Coats will be hung by students upon arrival.
MENU: Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and more!
Parents and students, please spread the word. We would really like to get a head count so that we can be prepared.
Please reach out to the DCHS office at 1-785-475-2231 or by direct email to mdreher@usd294.org to let us know that you will be attending.
Community Facilities Meeting Tuesday, November 10
We have continued to discuss facilities at each board meeting throughout the year. We have put the bond information from the last bond attempt back on the district website. The primary goal is to share information and to allow everyone to look back on the process. I will send out a separate informational email this week that will focus more on current information and our meeting on November 10.
Below is information that has been shared before, but it still very much applies with where we are going.
As most reading this know, there have been two failed attempts at school bonds dating back to the fall of 2023. As the district continues to look towards the future and how to address some of our big ticket items, I want to recount a little bit about what that looked like in the past and what it may look like for us to move forward.
August 2023:
In August of 2023, the first attempt at school bond failed. At near $29,00,0000, this would have been a one campus, K-12 building. This decision was made after a 27 person committee that included board members, community members, and USD 294 staff looked at multiple options for how best to proceed. A thorough Facilties Assessment and Mechanical & Electrical Systems Evaluation had been completed ahead of time to help with decisions. It was determined that the bond amount set forth was the plan that would address all needs most efficiently and completely.
Here are some key components of the bond and decisions that were made:
1. Additional HS addition built onto the south side of the current building
2. Renovations to the rest of the building, including making the existing building suitable for elementary age children
3. Additional "practice gym" added that would also use hallways to connect Ag. building. This would have allowed for securing all students indoors throughout the day and prevent volleyball and basketball games from disrupting the elementary PE day
4. ADA compliance addressed throughout the building
5. Renovation of lockerooms, HVAC, and plumbing
6. Shared staff and savings on utilities
November 2025:
In November 2025, the second attempt at a school bond failed. The proposed amount was 16.5 million dollars. This bond was two years later and saw many changes that occurred. There were open meetings with all invited to come and be a part of the discussions. This bond was a scaled down, budget version of the first bond that would have met most essential needs throughout the district.
Here are some key components of the bond and decisions that were made:
1. Introduction of Historical Tax Credit concept that would payback up to %40 of eligible projects upon completion. Most of our building projects would fall into this category.
2. These items were a few big ticket items removed in this bond to get to the lower amount:
A. Third Gym = 2.97 million
B. Locker Room Remodel = 1.64 million
C. Auditorium Remodel = 477,000
D. Classroom Addition = 3.2 million
E. 1965 Remodel Scaled Back = 1.27 million
The Future:
We will continue to have discussions about our facilities each month. We started talking about facilites and needs at the June board meeting and will continue to address it each month. In June we met with three totally different types of groups to get an idea of how we can proceed: an architect, a project management company, and an all-incompassing Design Build Contractor. Why? Because there are a lot of different options on the table and a lot of questions to be asked. Here are some examples:
1. What are the absolute needs?
2. Could a much smaller bond be posed to address a primary need? Separate ballot questions are also a possiblity.
3. How do historical credits play into the equation?
4. What about grant opportunities and energy credits? (This was mentioned by one company)
5. What scope is appropriate for our community?
These are all questions that will continue to be hashed out and discussed. In the near future, we will invite the community to be a part of a meeting from the beginning, a part of the process and the decisions being made, as we continue to ensure ways for USD 294 to remain a competitive, desirable school district for both current and future patrons for years to come.
USD 294 Project Fund Enables Donors to Support Current and Future Projects
In May, USD 294 started the Project Fund. This fund allows donors to contribute funds to the district to address various needs that arise. The project fund currrently sits untouched as we look to build the number up to assist with larger projects.
If you have any questions about he USD 294 Project Fund, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can find more informtion on our website here.
It got lengthy, and I didn't even mention everything I wanted to, so I think I will take the opportunity to be brief here.
Enjoy the rest of OctOberlin and have a Happy Halloween!
Until next time,
Jeremy Holloway
Go Big Red!
Monday, October 26, 2026
4:00-8:00 Parent-teacher Conferences
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
4:30 HS VB @ Wallace County/ with Atwood
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
8:15 ACT Workkeys
4:00-7:30 Parent Teacher-Conferences
Thursday, October 29, 2026
6:00 Football @ Ell-Saline
Friday, October 30, 2026
No School
Saturday, October 31, 2026
TBD XC State @ Wamego (Wamego Golf Course)
Monday, November 2, 2026
4:00 JV Scholars Bowl @ Trego
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Halloween Clean-Up
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
1:00 Early Release
School Absentee Picture Day
Thursday, November 5, 2026
JH BB @ St. Francis
Friday, November 6, 2026
Regional Football
Saturday, November 7, 2026
NWKMEA Mini-Conference @ Norton
Monday, November 9, 2026
Buffer Week
No School: Teacher Inservice
4:30 JH Scholars Bowl @ Atwood
6:50 Special Board Meeting
7:00 School Board Meeting
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
4:00 HS Scholars Bowl Home
7:00 Community Facilites Meeting
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Thursday, November 12, 2026
JH BB home vs St. Greeley
Friday, November 13, 2026
Regional Football
7:00 High School Musical
Saturday, November 14, 2026
7:00 High School Musical
Sunday, November 15, 2026
2:00 High School Musical
Monday, November 16, 2026
First Day of Winter Practices
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
4:30 JH BB @ Rexford
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Thursday, November 19, 2026
Nex-Tech Virtual Career Fair
4:30 JH BB home vs Logan
Friday, November 20, 2026
10:30 Senior Citizens Thanksgiving
Monday, November 23, 2026
4:00 JH BB @ Atwood
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
3:00 HS Home Jamboree
Wednesday, November 25, 2026
NO School
Thursday, November 26, 2026
No School
Friday, November 27, 2026
No School
Monday, November 30, 2026
4:30 JH BB @ Dighton
7:00 HS Winter Band Concert
USD 294: Oberlin Schools
Email: jholloway@usd294.org
Website:https://www.usd294.org/
Location: 131 E. Commercial, Oberlin, KS 67749
Phone: 785-475-3076