USD 490 eNews

Please visit our website to view the District Strategic Plan and each school's building goals.

As we enter the winter season, we want to remind families about our Severe Weather Policy. Please be sure your child(ren) have adequate protection for colder weather, as outdoor recess will be conducted unless there is precipitation or the wind chill temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If your child needs a coat, hat, or gloves, please reach out to your school’s counseling department as there may be resources available to provide those items.

Student and staff safety is always our top priority when determining whether or not to cancel a school day. Decisions to cancel school will be made by 6:30 a.m. at the latest.

If school is cancelled phone calls, emails and text messages will be sent to all student and staff phone numbers and email addresses on file with PowerSchool. It is critical that parents and staff keep these contact numbers up-to-date with their school office. Information will also be posted on the district webpage, www.usd490.org, and local media outlets will be notified.

There are times where conditions are dangerous in the morning, but not necessarily in the afternoons. In these instances, we may decide to call a late start. A late start or early dismissal allows us to meet our state-mandated instructional requirements while also protecting student and staff safety during the worst of the weather. Although we have not called a late start in recent years, this may be an option we use more of moving forward.

Here's what you need to know if a late start is called:

• School would begin two hours later than the scheduled start time. Students would report to their first hour class.
• Breakfast would be available.
• School would still dismiss at the regularly scheduled time.
• AM PreK/Early Childhood classes would be cancelled.
• PM PreK/Early Childhood classes would still be at their regularly scheduled time.
• Any morning extracurricular activities would be cancelled.
• Afternoon and evening extracurricular activities would continue as scheduled.
• Bus services will run two hours later than originally scheduled in the morning, but would run at regular times in the afternoon.
• Office and instructional staff would report two hours later than their normally scheduled time.
• Maintenance, custodial, transportation, and food service, and administrative staff would report at their regularly scheduled time.

If parents ever feel the weather is too dangerous for their student to attend, they have the right to notify the school that they will be keeping their child home for the day. The absence would be treated as any other parent-excused absence in accordance with district attendance policies.

To view more information about the district’s severe weather policies, please visit our website at https://www.usd490.org/page/severe-weather-procedures.

Tammy Fellers and Drew Wilson joined the USD 490 Board of Education for their first meeting of 2026 on Jan. 12. THANK YOU to all of our Board of Education members for your time and dedication to our staff and students.

BOE President: Bill Rinkenbaugh (on board since January 2022)

BOE Vice President Roger Smith (on board since September 2020)

Dan Davis (on board since January 2024)

Tammy Fellers (new to the board)

Rob Lane (on board since October 2018)

Haley Remsberg (on board since January 2020)

Drew Wilson (new to the board)

Two 2026 Friend of Education awards were awarded at the USD 490 Board of Education meeting on Jan. 12, 2026. Red Devils received one for in the School Volunteer category and Steps For Success received one for Community Leadership.

Visit our website to read more.

Non-resident applications are required to be filled out annually for students who attend USD 490 but do not live within the district's school boundaries.

The 2026-2027 school year non-resident application is available online and should be completed and turned in to the District Office (124 W. Central Ave.) or emailed to Sheila Hogoboom (shogoboom@usd490.org) as soon as possible to save your child's seat for next school year.

The 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year (KTOY) team visited USD 490 on Jan. 29, 2026, to learn more about our district programs and USD 490’s 2026 KTOY nominees Jamie Ball and Anna Arpin’s educational experience in this district.

Visit our website to read more.

Click here to view the December 2025 EHS/Extend JAG-K report.

El Dorado High School is excited to announce the hiring of Robert Isenhour as the new Head Baseball Coach, continuing a strong tradition of leadership and commitment to student-athletes.

Visit our website to read the full article.

Sports Buddies are back for the El Dorado High School winter sports season. Each team is paired with a USD 490 elementary class and they are already doing some pretty awesome things together. Thank you to the students, teachers, coaches and players for all you do!

Basketball teams at El Dorado High School have invited younger USD 490 students to be Ball Boys and Girls during games. The officials and teams love to have them help make the game days a success.

City of El Dorado Parks and Recreation Facility Manager Jason Reiswig visited Extend on Jan. 21, 2026, to talk to students about what the department takes care of around the city and let them know about summer job opportunities with the city.

Visit our website to read more.

Two EHS musicians have been selected to Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) state-wide honor groups. Justus Browne (contra-bass clarinet) and Addison Benner (violin) will perform in the KMEA 1234A Band and KMEA String Orchestra, respectively, at Century II Convention Center in Wichita on Feb. 28, 2026.

Visit our website to read more.

The El Dorado Middle School orchestra is being joined by Kansas State University Music Education Major Katelyn Valdez this quarter. Valdez is a student teaching intern working on the classroom experience portion of her degree.

Visit our website to read more.

El Dorado Middle School History Teacher Brittan Jost received a Kansas Association of American Educators (KanAAE) 2025 Doug Barnett History Teacher Scholarship. KanAAE Executive Director Garry Sigle presented a $500 stipend, certificate of achievement, and small bag of goodies from the organization to Jost on Jan. 20, 2026.

Visit our website to read more.

Several USD 490 students will have artwork featured in the 32nd annual Butler County Student Art Show for grades K-8 at the Coutts Museum of Art Feb. 7 – Mar. 20, 2026.

Visit our website for more information or to see the list of USD 490 students who will be featured.

Blackmore fourth grade student Dayton McReynolds won the school Spelling Bee on Jan. 14, 2026. Noah Divine was the runner-up.

Although it was down to two spellers by round five, McReynolds and Divine battled it out for 18 more rounds before McReynolds won the bee by correctly spelling the championship word of anguish.

McReynolds will represent Blackmore at the Butler County Spelling Bee on Feb. 6, 2026, at Butler Community College. Divine will serve as his alternate.

Blackmore fifth grade students participated in a holiday-themed, project-based learning activity before Winter Break. They were tasked with creating a Christmas tree farm with attractions.

After brainstorming different aspects of a successful business, they learned about the life cycle of a Christmas tree and different types of pine trees. Each student interviewed another student, hoping to hire them for a job. They set tree prices and admission prices. At the end of the project, students had to figure out their revenue, expenses, and profit. Students read peer reviews and reflected on what needed to change for next year. For the final project stage, students had to build a new reindeer barn. Students had a budget to purchase supplies and had to meet several requirements in order to complete this STEM challenge.

Emery Williams and Garrett Hadley were district winners in the 10-11 age group at the Elks Hoop Shoot competition on Jan. 10, 2026, in Parsons, Kan. They will advance to the state competition which will take place on Feb. 14, 2026, at Sunrise Christian Academy.

The Elks Hoop Shoot is a basketball free-throw competition that is open to children ages 8-13. They are divided into three age groups: 8-9, 10-11, and 12-13. Two winners are selected from each age group, one boy and one girl, to advance to the next round of competition. The program has been operating for over 50 years and is focused on teaching grit.

Grandview fourth grade student Camden Scott won the school Spelling Bee on Jan. 23, 2026. Fellow fourth grader Emery Williams was the runner-up.

It was down to three spellers by round five and they had four more rounds where nobody missed any words. The third speller was knocked out in round 10. After Williams misspelled her word in round 11, Scott sealed his first-place spot by correctly spelling the championship word of mosque.

Scott will represent Grandview at the Butler County Spelling Bee on Feb. 6, 2026, at Butler Community College. Williams will serve as his alternate.

Skelly fifth grade student Cooper Bentz won the school Spelling Bee on Jan. 16, 2026. Jax Pohl was the runner-up.

Bentz won the bee by correctly spelling the championship word of mustache after the fifth round.

Bentz will represent Skelly at the Butler County Spelling Bee on Feb. 6, 2026, at Butler Community College. Pohl will serve as his alternate.

Skelly students and staff share good things that have happened to them so far this school year.

Kyrstin Enoch and Samantha Soper from Scribner Enterprises dropped off two boxes of coats, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, and beanies on Jan. 23, 2026, that were collected by local businesses for USD 490 students.

Thank you to Scribner Enterprises, Sundgren Realty, and Acrisure Title for donating warm gear for our USD 490 students! We are grateful to have such caring community partners in #PartOfThePride!

Visit our website to see all of our outstanding Students of the Month!

Each month, our schools practice a safety drill to make sure everyone knows what to do and where to go if an emergency situation arises. February's drill is a lockdown. The purpose of a lockdown is to place students and staff in locked or secured areas in response to the presence of unauthorized or suspicious individual(s) or in any event where mobility needs to be restricted and teaching needs to be paused.

Please ensure that your child is up to date on all immunizations and that your student’s school has an updated copy of the records! This is a state requirement!

Records may be faxed to:

• EHS: 316-322-4811

• EMS: 316-322-4821

• Blackmore: 316-322-4851

• Grandview: 316-322-4831

• Skelly: 316-322-4861

Medical and religious exemption forms need to be on file for every school year.

Please contact your student's school if you need the medical exemption form.

If at any time your student is prescribed medication that needs to be administered during school hours, a medication administration form needs to be on file. This form requires a signature from the parent/guardian and medical provider. Nursing staff will not be able to administer medication without the proper completed forms. If you need assistance with these forms, please contact the nursing staff at your student's school.

Visit your school nurse, counselor, or teacher for access to Simply Hygiene products. Available hygiene products include:

• body soap
• shampoo
• conditioner
• deodorant
• laundry detergent
• lotion
• maxi/mini pads
• tampons
• diapers
• toilet paper
• toothbrushes
• toothpaste
• wipes

“I decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“Love doesn’t discriminate; It embraces all beings, reminding us of our shared humanity.” ~ Bell Hooks

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

SRO, Kimberly Clemons

We will have a Senior Parent Meeting in the EHS Auditorium at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026.

Haven't ordered your yearbook yet? Don't wait! Prices will increase to $85 on February 14th, so get yours now at the lowest possible price. We will NOT order extras!!

Place your order at yearbookforever.com!

Not sure if you ordered? Please email akhill@usd490.org with your student's name, and we will check for you!

Share the love this Valentine’s Day with the junior class.

Support the junior class!

Students and parents can purchase roses, carnations, and other gifts for students and teachers in any USD 490 school. Sales will begin at noon on Feb. 2. Orders are due by Feb. 12 at noon.

Items will be delivered during school on Friday the 13th.

Items can be purchased online, from Mrs. Scherrer, or during lunch.

EHS Encore is selling singing Valentines again this year. You can select an email or in-person delivery for Encore members to sing a Valentine song on Feb. 13.

Cost is $10 with an additional $10 charge if you need to request a specific time for delivery.

Orders and payment are due before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10. Please fill out one form per Valentine you want delivered.

Use this link to order a singing Valentine.

Use this link to make your payment online.

There are still two days of Lady Cat Classic basketball games! Come out and see some great basketball and support our Wildcats in #PartOfThePride!

Friday, January 30
losing teams from Hayden v. Gardner Edgerton and Mill Valley v. El Dorado games at 2:30 p.m.
losing teams from Kapaun v. Goddard and Maize South v. Augusta games at 4:15 p.m.
winning teams from Hayden v. Gardner Edgerton and Mill Valley v. El Dorado games at 6:00 p.m.
winning teams from Kapaun v. Goddard and Maize South v. Augusta games at 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, January 31
for 7th/8th place at 11:00 a.m.
for 5th/6th place 12:45 p.m.
for 3rd/4th place at 2:30 p.m.
for 1st/2nd place at 4:15 p.m.

Picture Day is coming up on 02/05/2026! No order is due now. You may receive an email shortly after Picture Day to view and order the picture. Time to start thinking about the outfit! Tip: Solid colors or patterns look best. Try to avoid green, white and shirts with graphics.

Grandview PTO Presents: Movie Night

When: Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Where: Grandview Elementary

Movie: The Emperor's New Groove, rated G

Cost: FREE

Concessions will be available for purchase. Bring a blanket and pillow to get comfy in our bleachers. Students must be accompanied by an adult for the entirety of the event.

Yearbook orders for the 2025-2026 school year are due by Mar. 23, 2026. The ability to personalize a yearbook with your child's name on the cover ends Feb. 10, 2026.

Paper order forms are available at the school, or you can order online with the code 0347MM. Yearbooks are $15 each.

Kansas Day at EMS

Kansas Day at Blackmore

Kansas Day at Grandview

Kansas Day at Skelly

Congratulations to our January Staff of the Month! We are grateful to have such dynamic individuals as #PartOfThePride!

Support Services: Ethannie Riddle, Transportation Clerk

EHS: Katie Banks-Todd, Vocal Music Teacher

EMS: Natasha Harrelson, Math Teacher

Blackmore: Trasie Bressler, Secretary

Grandview: Cristin Hubbard, SPED Teacher

Skelly: Ira Bane and Amanda Wear, Elementary Art Teacher and Art Aide

This is the district's unified communication platform. Please download the app to keep connected with what is going on in your child's school. If you have not received an activation link, please reach out to your child's school office.

Apple:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/parentsquare/id908126679

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/detailsid=com.parentsquare.psapp&pcampaignid=web_share

Thank you to the middle and high school parents who provided cell phone numbers for their students. This allows coaches and activity sponsors to reach out via text for time sensitive reminders and schedule changes through the StudentSquare platform without actually seeing the student's cell phone number. Providing the student cell phone number is optional and can be added or removed any time throughout the school year by contacting your child's school office.

Be sure to have your child download StudentSquare on their phone if you provided their cell phone number.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/studentsquare-app/id1415402057

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parentsquare.studentsquare&hl=en_US

To help encourage students to begin thinking about post-secondary opportunities, USD 490 will be participating in College and Career Wear Wednesdays on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

All members of #PartOfThePride are encouraged to wear jeans and a shirt representing any of the following:

• College/University
• Military
• Technical/Trade School
• Vocational School
• Certification Program
• Professional Organization

Thank you for helping our students explore their endless college and career opportunities!

EHS Dance Team Presents: Elvis Kitten Camp 2026

Grades: 1st–6th
Practice: February 10 & 12
Location: EHS Commons
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Performance: February 13 at half time during the boys basketball game (game begins at 7:30 p.m.)

Registration Fee: $30 (includes camp T-shirt) to be paid at the first practice or at the game on Feb. 13
Sign-Up: Use this link or sign up during the boys basketball game on February 3 outside the EHS gym

Questions: Contact Coach Scherrer at acscherrer@usd490.org

SKILLS USA JOB FAIR
Looking for summer help? Attend this job fair to fill full or part-time summer positions!

WEDNESDAY
02.25.26

REC CENTER GYM
401 McCollum Rd., El Dorado, KS

EHS STUDENTS: 8:30 – 10:30 AM
GENERAL PUBLIC: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

RESERVE YOUR SPACE:
pcisneros@usd490.org

There is no cost for this event, but vendor RSVPs are requested for planning purposes. Lunch will be provided for vendors.

Save the date and sign up now for the EHS Encore and FCCLA 2026 Father-Daughter and Mother-Son dances!

Location: El Dorado Rec Center
Date: March 7, 2026
Mother-Son Dance: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Father-Daughter Dance: 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Preorder cost (Due 3/1): $30 per pair
Each additional sibling: $10
It will cost an additional $10 if you wait to purchase tickets at the door.

Come join us for fun party favors, crafts, games, snacks, and of course, music and dancing! Photo prints will be mailed to you.

Questions? Contact Larissa Wright (lmwright@usd490.org) or Katie Banks-Todd (ksbankstodd@usd490.org)

Sign up and pay for the Mother-Son Dance here: https://forms.gle/gzx5zLsyQXi7k2qi6
Sign up and pay for the Father-Daughter Dance here: https://forms.gle/WEzZXSsqY472goRY7

Join us for Wildcat Welcome to Preschool on March 24, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Extend Campus located at 123 N. Taylor St.

This FREE event is for any family who has already applied or is interested in applying for a USD 490 preschool program. Attending the event does not guarantee placement in a preschool spot.

There will be fun activities. Parents can learn about programs and transportation and preschool applications will be available. Please bring the child's birth certificate and immunization record.

If you have any questions, please contact Rachael Shipley at rmshipley@usd490.org.

January 29-31 Lady Cat Classic

February 2 No School; Staff Development

February 2-6 National School Counseling Week

February 4 100th Day of School

February 6 Butler County Spelling Bee at BCC, 1:00 p.m.; Homecoming Roadshow; Homecoming Basketball game, 7:00 p.m.

February 4 Winter Homecoming Dance at EHS, 7:00 p.m.

February 10 National Crossing Guard Day

February 13 Dance Kitten Performance during halftime of EHS boys basketball game

February 14 Valentine's Day

February 16 No School; Presidents' Day

February 17 SRO Appreciation Day

February 19 EHS & EMS sixth grade Orchestra Concert at PAC, 7:00 p.m.

February 23-27 Public Schools Week

March 2 National Read Across America Day; EHS Spring Sports Practices Begin

March 2-6 National School Breakfast Week; National School Social Work Week; Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Email: usd490@usd490.org
Website: www.usd490.org
Location: 124 West Central Avenue, El Dorado, KS, USA
Phone: (316) 322-4800
Facebook: facebook.com/eldorado.schools
X/Twitter: @eldoradousd490