Sept. 20, 2022

Before setting goals and then working together to reach them, it is important to first assess current strengths and weaknesses.

Maize USD 266 has produced a district-level needs assessment, and each school building has done the same to identify common barriers students face and recommendations for improvement. This process, now required by Kansas state statute to be posted for public view, will guide district leaders and the Maize Board of Education to take actions to address and remove barriers for student success. Our Superintendent Student Advisory Council, a group of students from Maize High School, Maize South High School, and Complete High School Maize, will provide further feedback this year to help us continue to address barriers to learning. I invite you to read more below about the Needs Assessment and how our district is planning for the future. There are many resources available now on our district website, www.usd266.com, for those interested in learning more.

This month is also a great one for students and their parents to connect with our educators to identify those individual success stories and student needs that we can address together. Please plan to participate in Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, Sept. 22, and please know that we support frequent, open, and mutually respectful and productive dialogue between families and teachers.

On that note, we also have developed a Parent Concern Procedure document, a new visual tool to help families navigate the path toward a solution if you ever have a school-related concern about your child. Please see below, and I hope this provides clearer direction for families looking to engage with the school on behalf of their child’s needs.

I am excited to support all of these processes to help Maize USD 266 continue to reach its full potential, so we can help our students do the same!

Dr. Raquel Greer

Superintendent of Schools

• On Twitter: @rockigreer
• Email: rgreer@usd266.com
• Online: www.usd266.com/superintendent

During the Sept. 12 Budget Hearing, Maize School Board members approved a slight increase of 1.331 mills to the district's mill levy to avoid a deficit and prepare for rising costs due to inflation. The increase will take the mill levy less than 1 percent above where it was during the 2016-17 school year. The 1.331 mill levy increase would equal approximately $3.46 a month for the average $250,000 home in the Maize school district. Click here to read more.

During the Sept. 12 regular monthly meeting, school board members approved the hiring of Overland Park, Kansas, firm RSP and Associates to conduct a demographic study for the district. RSP will conduct an enrollment analysis and boundary analysis, with plans to deliver a final report in February or March.

The district plans this school year to review whether potential elementary school boundaries could provide efficiencies and improvements and alleviate traffic, busing, and other challenges in the growing district. RSP builds individualized data-driven strategic plans to help school districts plan for the future and better support academic success of students. The firm has worked with Kansas districts including Shawnee Mission, Spring Hill, and Wichita. Click here to read more.

The Maize Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. for its next regular monthly meeting on Oct. 10 in the classrooms at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center, 1055 Academy Ave. in Maize. Meetings are open to the public. Find a link to meeting agendas and minutes, school board member information, and policies at www.usd266.com/schoolboard. Meetings are broadcast live at bit.ly/Maize266YouTube.

Congratulations to Maize Career Academy Robotics and Engineering teacher Zack Helgesen and Maize Elementary School music teacher Katie Todd! They have been selected as Maize USD 266's 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominees. The Kansas State Department of Education annual award recognizes and celebrates excellent teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms across Kansas. Its mission is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance, and the teaching profession.

Thank you to sponsors, teams, and volunteers for making this year's Maize Education Foundation Golf Tournament a huge success: raising nearly $52,500 to support Maize USD 266 students and educators. Thank you, Vince Stallard and One Maize Media, for shooting and editing this video.

Click here to see the impact donors and volunteers are making in support of Maize USD 266 student success.

Please check out this visual representation of components of Maize Board of Education policy to help parents navigate steps of contact to work toward a solution when they have a school-related concern regarding a child.

The district has launched a webpage, which you can access by clicking here, that celebrates the statistics that make us shine, including the following.

• Kindergarten readiness
• Median district and state performance data
• ACT and ACT WorkKeys
• College and career readiness

The website also has a section devoted to what's next for Maize USD 266, including the identification of six district-level barriers that related to students' needs, listed here.

• Recruitment and retention
• Student safety and support
• Curriculum resources
• Tiered system of support
• Academic progress
• School attendance

Click here to for the complete version of the Maize USD 266 district and schools Needs Assessment reports, which detail and identify barriers and recommendations for improvements. District leaders and the Maize Board of Education will be working toward improvements in these areas.

There is no repercussion for students or individuals who make legitimate reports about safety-related concerns, and Maize USD 266 relies on all in the community to help keep our schools, students, and employees safe. If you see something, please say something immediately. School voicemails are not intended for emergencies and urgent matters. If you learn about a threat after school hours, please report it to the police immediately by calling 911.

There are also three ways to submit an anonymous tip:

1. Click here to be taken directly to a secure tip reporting website.
2. On your smartphone, download the free P3 Tips app from the App Store or Google Play. Then, follow the onscreen prompts to submit your tip.
3. Call 316-267-2111.
   

Maize USD 266 has updated its 2022-23 district calendar to correctly reflect that high school seniors' last day of school will be May 17, 2023. This is not a change to the Maize School Board-approved schedule but corrects an error from a previous print version.

September 2022

• Sept. 22: No school, Parent-Teacher Conferences, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sept. 23: No school

October 2022

• Oct. 14: End term one
• Oct. 17: No school, Professional Development
• Oct. 18: Term two begins

November 2022

• Nov. 21-25: No school, Fall Break

Access the 2022-2023 Maize USD 266 Calendar by clicking here.

Maize South Intermediate School teacher Gina Wiechman was recently selected as the Kansas winner of the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was selected in recognition of her teaching excellence and her love of history.

Congratulations to students who have winning entries showcased at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson!

• Maize High School junior Ian Thiessen, whose entry is pictured here, won first place in the Small Enclosed Terrarium Division and won Overall Grand Champion Terrarium.
• Maize High School freshman Ava Berry won Overall Reserve Champion Agronomic History Display.
• Maize South High School junior Taylor Jones won Overall Grand Champion Horticulture Plant Life Cycle Display.

Students also competed in Ag Mechanics Outdoor Furniture, Agronomic Crop Life Cycle Display, Horticulture Plant Life Cycle Display, and Large Enclosed Terrariums.

The Maize USD 266 Food Service Department has a new partnership with RISE Farms, a 15,000-square foot urban farm that grows a variety of produce through no-waste practices and is located on the top floor of the Fidelity Bank’s car park development in downtown Wichita. Maize USD 266 is excited to be the first school-based partner with RISE Farms.

The partnership is part of a larger initiative to go green. This year, Food Service is moving toward becoming more environmentally friendly and sustainable inside cafeterias across the district. Students in Maize USD 266 elementary schools are using reusable silverware and plastic trays rather than Styrofoam and plastic products.

Through this new partnership, students will have the choice of locally grown produce each week at both Maize High School and Maize South High School, which includes mini bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, tri-colored carrots, kale, arugula, and spinach.

Brick masons and construction crew workers at Maize Elementary School have been working to build up and renovate the exterior of the school building. At the same time, first grade students are building up the crew members’ morale through affirmation and sweet treats to brighten their day. Students recently delivered posters, banners, water, Gatorade, and snacks as a way to thank them for their work. The workers said that construction is often a thankless job. Hutton Construction Superintendent Kyle Haworth provided a brick demonstration for the students and shared a few fun facts about their school building, including: If all the bricks were piled together, they would weigh as much as 50 elephants.

Kansas State Board of Education member Jim McNiece recently visited the Maize Career Academy and learned more about the pathways and course offerings there, including BioMedical, Health Science, and EMT and Fire Science. He represents Maize USD 266 and other school districts in District 10.

Please click here to learn more.

The Boys & Girls Club of South Central Kansas, the latchkey provider for the before- and after-school program in the Maize School District, continues to hire for the 2022-23 school year. The before-school program starts at 6:30 a.m. and goes to the start of the school day, and the after-school program goes from the end of the school day to 6 p.m. Applicants must be 18 years old to apply. Visit bit.ly/BGCSCKcareers to apply online.

On Sept. 9, Maize USD 266 Superintendent Dr. Raquel Greer sent her first Super Note to all students. The e-newsletter included a message to students, a Surprise and Delight Challenge, information about the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, and more.

Click here to check out the inaugural issue.