August 2025 Maize Pulse

We’re excited to kick off the school year and Keep on Truckin’ together! This year’s theme reminds us to move forward toward success, enjoy the journey, and support one another along the way.

Did you know that, just like our students, I also have assignments to complete each year? Part of my role is to set goals and report progress to the Maize Board of Education. This year, those goals include helping students be ready to use new AI tools in smart and meaningful ways, ensuring we manage resources wisely to support staff and student success, and challenging myself to keep learning and growing as your superintendent.

These goals tie directly to our Lead Forward strategic plan, which we launched in 2023 and will focus on through 2028. The plan centers on four focus areas: Nurture a Cohesive Culture, Attract Expert Educators, Elevate Student Learning, and Build for the Future.

We’re already seeing success—outperforming state averages in every area, including test scores and graduation rates—and we’re keeping the momentum going by aligning our strategic plan with state accreditation goals and using the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX). This framework common in corporate America will help us achieve our most important priorities.

By being strategic, we’re not just going for a spin. We’re building something that lasts for the long haul with a specific destination in mind. Thanks for being part of this journey. Let’s Keep on Truckin’ together for our students!

Dr. Raquel Greer

Maize USD 266 Superintendent

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

September

• Sept. 1: No school, Labor Day

October

• Oct. 6: No school, professional development
• Oct. 15: End of Term 1, Parent-Teacher Conferences 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for 7th through 12th grades only
• Oct. 16: No school, Parent-Teacher Conferences 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for kindergarten through 6th grades and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for 7th through 12th grades
• Oct. 17: No school
• Oct. 20: Start of Term 2

November

• Nov. 24 through Nov. 28: No school, Fall Break

The Facilities Steering Committee continued its work this summer and will carry on into the fall to help shape the future of Maize USD 266 facilities. Made up of students, parents, employees, and community members, the group is tasked with identifying both short- and long-term facility needs to ensure our schools remain innovative and inspiring learning environments.

Committee members have been touring schools across the district all year to better understand opportunities and challenges at each site. This summer, committee members toured Vermillion Elementary School and Maize South High School, and they will meet again soon at Maize High School. In 2024-25, their visits included the Maize Career Academy, Maize Intermediate School, and Maize Early Childhood Center.

Their meetings will continue this fall, with their work culminating in a set of recommendations to be presented to the Maize Board of Education later this school year. We are grateful to our dedicated committee members for helping guide this important work for the future of our students and schools.

Maize USD 266 is proud to support Maslow’s Pantry, a community resource inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The pantry provides not only food and clothing but also dignity, stability, and hope for students and families in our district.

We are excited to share that Maslow’s Pantry will soon be moving into a brand-new location designed to expand services and better meet community needs. Until the new space is open, donations can be dropped off at the Maize High School office during office hours.

This year, special education teacher Thea Lippoldt is coordinating donations and needs for Maslow’s Pantry. The program will be supported by our 18- to 21-year-old and vocational students, who will help keep inventory up to date so we can regularly share current needs with community partners, local organizations, and individuals.

In addition to offering essential supplies, Maslow’s Pantry is working with the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) and school counselors to connect with families in need. One of the pantry’s key goals is to provide families with appointment times for independent shopping—allowing them to browse and select items that best fit their needs in a way that fosters autonomy and respect.

Thanks to the Greater Wichita Partnership for highlighting our expanding STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) program! Our kindergarten through 6th-grade students are learning real-world skills through STEAM that prepare them for future careers and life. We’re proud to see this work recognized as helping build tomorrow’s workforce in our region.

Practice is underway for the inaugural season of girls flag football at Maize High School and Maize South High School. Thanks to the support of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Wichita Sports Commission, both schools are receiving funding, equipment kits, and uniforms to help launch this exciting new opportunity.

The season will officially kick off in early September. This marks an important step in expanding athletic opportunities for Maize USD 266 students, and we are proud to be part of the history-making growth of girls flag football in Kansas.

We can’t wait to cheer on our Eagles and Mavericks this fall!

As part of our commitment to the health and safety of our students and to ensure that our families are well-informed, we are informing parents that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issues an annual notice detailing required inoculations and booster shots for the school year. Please click here to access the KDHE Kansas School Kindergarten through Grade 12 Immunization Requirements for the 2025-26 School Year resource. All students are required to be up-to-date as described.

Please note that the inoculations section of the Maize Board of Education policy is in section 9.33. Ensuring that all students are properly immunized helps protect not only the individual child but also the broader school community. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our schools safe and healthy.

Maize USD 266 uses RevTrak, a secure national online payment processor, for school-related fees and Food Service payments. A processing fee of 4 percent is added to all online payments.

Families may always choose to pay by cash or check instead. Send payments directly to your child’s school. Find our Building Directory, complete with school addresses, on the Contact Us page of our district’s website at www.usd266.com/contactus.

Please include your child’s name and the purpose of the payment in the memo line of the check or with your cash payment.

The Maize Board of Education's next regular monthly meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center, 1155 W. Academy in Maize. There will also be a Revenue Neutral Rate Hearing at 6:20 p.m. and a District Budget Hearing at 6:25 p.m. 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.

We’re proud to announce that Maize USD 266 has three schools ranked among the top 10 high schools in the Wichita area by U.S. News & World Report!

• Maize Virtual Preparatory School, No. 3
• Maize South High School, No. 5
• Maize High School, No. 9

Want to spend a day on the green while making a difference for Maize students? The Maize Education Foundation is looking for adult volunteers for its charity golf tournament on Monday, Sept. 15 at Reflection Ridge Golf Club!

Volunteers get to enjoy a beautiful day outside, socialize with other supporters of Maize USD 266, and be part of the fun, from exciting contests to cheering on teams. We encourage you to rep your business with branded apparel and bring a friend to keep you company.

This is also the last call for team registrations and sponsorship opportunities. Reach out by Tuesday, Sept. 2 to be included.

Help us make this event a hole-in-one success! Interested? Contact Emi Kniffin Simmons, Director of Community Relations and Maize Education Foundation, at esimmons@usd266.com.

Maize Education Foundation's Student Enrichment Grant program encourages students to explore their passions and consider how those interests could influence their future careers. This summer, one student had an incredible opportunity to do just that.

Maize South High School senior Dale Freund utilized Student Enrichment Grant funds to attend the International Thespian Festival, where she made professional theatre connections and explored post-secondary theatre training opportunities. Dale qualified to compete at the International Thespian Festival by receiving a Superior Rating (and perfect score!) on her costume design at the Kansas Thespian Festival. After presenting her design at the International Thespian Festival, she received another Superior Rating.

Dale shared that attending the International Thespian Conference confirmed for her that theatre is not only a viable career path but also something she truly wants to pursue after high school. She said, “Listening to and learning from so many theatre professionals and educators expanded my view of what opportunities will be available to me when I graduate.”

Dale highly recommends that other students apply, as the Student Enrichment Grant offered her a unique learning experience she wouldn’t have had otherwise.

The fall Student Enrichment Grant application closes on Friday, Oct. 31. Students in grades 7 through 12 are eligible to apply.

Be a hero in a safety vest — join Maize USD 266 as a crossing guard! Help students safely get to and from school each day.

• Earn $13 an hour.
• Training and equipment included.
• Flexible morning and afternoon shifts at multiple district locations.

Apply now at usd266.com/careers.

Students at Maize South Middle School recently heard from guest speaker Joe Coles, who encouraged them to become uncommon leaders by lifting others up and leading by example.