Community News

Last week, we celebrated student graduates at the district's 6th annual Mid-Year Graduation ceremonies for seniors who completed their graduation requirements early. Photos can be downloaded from Flickr, and videos of ceremonies are on our social media channels.

We congratulate all of our 85 graduating scholars and we look forward to supporting them in college, their future careers, and military opportunities. Any graduating student who would like immediate employment with Topeka Public Schools can apply for a position and schedule a virtual interview at topekapublicschools.net/careers.

Throughout January, our students were engaged in learning about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We extend a special thank you to the organizers of Living the Dream, Inc. for highlighting so many scholars in the various art, poetry, and essay contests. We congratulate all of our students and staff who were honored for their service to the community and received scholarships.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our Black History Month programs this month, as we celebrate the diversity across Topeka Public Schools. As the first African American female superintendent serving in Topeka, it is a privilege to serve alongside incredible educators and community members in a district committed to inclusivity.

As we enter the final four months of the school year, we thank all of our staff and families for your support during the inclement weather. We remain hopeful for mild weather as we navigate the remainder of the winter season.

Thank you for your continued support.

Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Superintendent

As a reminder, there will be no school on Monday, February 9.

Enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to seeing students when we return on Tuesday!

On January 27, Topeka Public Schools celebrated our seniors who completed their high school graduation requirements early during Mid-Year Graduation Ceremonies at Topeka High, Topeka West, and Highland Park.

These scholars have already started to move into their post-secondary college and career experiences, and we know they are destined to do great things in the future. All of the graduates were offered career opportunities with Topeka Public Schools (apply here).

Click here to watch a video highlighting some of our outstanding mid-year graduates. A live stream of each ceremony is available on each of the schools' YouTube pages, and our Presentation of Graduates commemorative videos can be viewed on the district's Facebook and YouTube. View photos from each school on Flickr.

Topeka Public Schools is proud to recognize Miranda Stallard, a student-athlete from Topeka West High School, who was recently named the recipient of the Children’s Mercy Rising Star Award for her participation in Unified Sports.

The district offers Unified Champion Schools programming at all elementary, middle, and high schools in the district in partnership with Special Olympics Kansas, providing inclusive athletic opportunities for students of all abilities.

On February 4, Miranda was honored at the Win for KC Women’s Sports Awards at the T-Mobile Center for her courage, determination, and leadership through sport. This recognition highlights not only her athletic accomplishments, but also her commitment to breaking barriers and modeling inclusion.

We congratulate Miranda on this well-deserved honor and thank her for representing Topeka West and Topeka Public Schools with pride!

Congratulations to Hope Street Academy social studies teacher, Mr. Thomas Fulbright, who was recently awarded a $5,000 Teaching America250 Award to create an innovative educational project commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Selected as Kansas’ honoree, Mr. Fulbright and his students will develop a series of traveling banners that explore the meaning and impact of the Declaration across history and into today, helping students connect founding ideals to modern civic life.

The interactive display will travel across Kansas so students and educators statewide can engage with the lessons, and it will eventually have a permanent home at Constitution Hall in downtown Topeka. The grant will also support a statewide student competition this fall, inviting students to present what the Declaration of Independence means to them. Learn more in this Salute Our Heroes segment from WIBW.

Congratulations to our February Senior of the Month, Julian Spooner, an outstanding scholar at Capital City School.

Julian has shown remarkable personal and academic growth during his time at Cap City, finding success in the school’s supportive, small-school environment. Through strong relationships with staff and hands-on learning opportunities, Julian strengthened his confidence, improved his grades, and even graduated a full semester early. He credits Capital City School with providing the individualized support he needed to thrive and envision his future.

Following graduation, Julian plans to attend Washburn Tech to pursue a career in plumbing while entering the workforce! Learn more in this Senior of the Month video.

On January 26, the highly anticipated Topeka Invitational Championship game lived up to the hype, and for the second year in a row, two Topeka Public Schools teams competed for the title!

At the end of the hard fought game, Topeka West defeated Topeka High 71-57. The Chargers had reached the title game for their second straight season and earned the program its 5th Topeka Invitational Tournament Title.

Congratulations to the Chargers team and coaching staff on all of their success! Learn more about the exciting game in this feature from the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Last week, we celebrated a special milestone in Topeka Public Schools: the 100th day of school!

Our elementary schools marked this occasion with fun and engaging activities that allowed students and staff to reflect on all they’ve accomplished in the first 100 days and look ahead to the rest of the school year. From creative projects to exciting classroom celebrations, it was a day filled with joy and smiles.

Here’s to many more milestones ahead as we continue to make this school year one to remember! View photos from the 100th day of school on Flickr and Facebook, and check out activities from McCarter Elementary in this segment from WIBW.

The week of February 2-6, students and staff across the district are celebrating National School Counseling Week!

Each year, this special week highlights the impact school counselors have on the lives of students. School counselors are instrumental in providing social-emotional support, encouraging academic success, and assisting with college and career plans.

Watch our video highlighting the role of school counselors in elementary, middle, and high schools, including Ms. Aubree Rineberg from State Street Elementary, who was recently recognized as a finalist for the School Counselor of the Year Award by the Kansas School Counselor Association.

On Friday, Ms. Rineberg and State Street scholar, Henry Paine, also had the opportunity to join Governor Laura Kelly at the official state recognition of Kansas School Counseling Week! View additional photos on Flickr.

In celebration of Black History Month, schools across the district are hosting educational seminars, art displays, music and dance performances, and more throughout February.

During the Board of Education meeting on February 5, we recognized McCarter Elementary as the winner of the annual Living the Dream Food Drive, which collects thousands of nonperishable food items each year for the TPS Community Cupboard and Washburn University Food Pantry to serve families in need. This year, we collected over 7,600 food items across the district!

Pictures and stories related to Black History Month in Topeka Public Schools can be found by viewing our Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr pages.

On January 29, students across the district proudly celebrated Kansas Day in many meaningful ways!

Our partners from the Flint Hills Discovery Center visited our youngest learners at Sheldon Head Start with some reptile friends, including the state reptile, the Ornate Box Turtle. Learn more in this highlight from WIBW and view photos from all of the Kansas Day celebrations on Flickr.

Pictured are some of our kindergarten scholars from Whitson Elementary, who made Sunflower hats after learning more about the official symbols of Kansas.

February is National Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month! We are so proud of our programs that provide 21st-century academic and technical skills for our students.

In 2024, the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning & Careers (TCALC) was highlighted nationally in a CAPS Network case study, which discussed the success of local business partnerships in supporting TCALC students in their career pathways.

The district extends special thanks to TCALC Principal, Mr. Dustin Dick, and Associate Principal, Ms. Laura Nichols, for their leadership in continuing to build new partnerships and guiding students through the pathways and into internships and careers.

Visit the TCALC website to learn more about the CTE pathways offered by Topeka Public Schools.

On February 7, Topeka Public Schools will host the annual Shawnee County Spelling Bee at Topeka High School (800 SW 10th St). Registration begins at 8:00 AM and the event will begin at 9:00 AM.

Students across the county studied hard to place at the top of their school spelling bees, and will now compete to see who moves on to the Sunflower State Spelling Bee on March 21 in Salina.

Topeka Public Schools is honored to support students across our community by hosting the Shawnee County Spelling Bee through 2027.

District-wide Parent Conferences will be held on Wednesday, February 25 and Thursday, February 26.

Teachers will reach out to schedule an in-person or virtual conference for each student. As a reminder, there will be no school for students on Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27.

Secondary

• Wednesday, February 25 from 3:30 - 7:30 PM
• Thursday, February 26 from 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Lunch from 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Elementary

• Wednesday, February 25 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM
• Thursday, February 26 from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Lunch times will vary by location

Check out our new College Connections Newsletter on Smore! With an easy to navigate Table of Contents, it's now simpler than ever for high school students and families to find helpful information on college and career readiness.

This month's newsletter covers the following topics:

• Applying for Federal Student Aid
• The Kansas Promise Act
• College registration/admissions process & deadlines
• Scholarships
• ACT/SAT testing dates
• Job opportunities for students
• College Credit at TCALC & College Prep Academy (watch video)

Topeka Public Schools is excited to announce that Ms. Rachel Swartz will serve as the district's Chief Human Resources Compliance Officer.

Her career spans more than a decade in human resources, compliance, auditing, and HR systems across Kansas educational and governmental organizations, including senior leadership roles with Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, KPERS, and most recently the City of Overland Park as HRIS Administrator.

As a Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP ) certified professional, Ms. Swartz is committed to building strong, compliant systems and fostering a respectful workplace. As a Topeka native, Ms. Swartz is a graduate of Topeka High School and Washburn University.

Dr. Anderson shared, “We are excited to welcome home one of our graduates to lead in recruiting and selecting staff who will impact future generations.” Ms. Swartz shared that, "Serving the district she once attended is both a professional honor and a personal calling.”

During their January 22 meeting, the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education elected Ms. Lisa Schmitt as President and Dr. Ashley Beason as Vice President for the upcoming year.

We thank Dr. Randall Schumacher for his service as the 2025 TPS Board President.

As we celebrate School Board Recognition Month throughout January, you can learn more about our outstanding board members by visiting topekapublicschools.net.

It is with tremendous sadness that we share information about the unexpected passing of Caiton Armstrong, a Topeka West High School student, as a result of health complications.

Caiton was an excellent student and was loved by her many friends. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her at Topeka West, McCarter Elementary School, and French Middle School. Caiton's kindness and warm presence left a lasting impression on those around her, including the many staff members and students in Topeka Public Schools, who will miss her dearly.

Once information regarding her celebration of life is shared, we will pass it along to allow members of our community to extend support. The family has asked for privacy as they process the unexpected loss of their daughter.

Please keep the family and friends of Caiton Armstrong and the Topeka West High School community uplifted in your thoughts and prayers.

Throughout the winter season, we want to remind families and staff of school closing notification procedures.

As we make decisions about closing school, a number of factors come into play, including the safety of travel but also the safety of students who will be home during the day. Additional information is available on our website at topekapublicschools.net/weather.

Should school be canceled, we will:

• Send a text, email, and/or phone call via SchoolMessenger
• Update the district social media pages
• Update the district website
• Contact our local media partners

To sign up for text message updates, text Y to 67587. To learn more about school delay and closure notifications, please review our How We Communicate With Families document.

Parents can stay updated on transportation by downloading the Here Comes the Bus app!

• View the real-time location of your child’s bus.
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
• Receive push notifications or email alerts.
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time.

How to get started:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Sign Up by visiting the Here Comes the Bus website.
3. Enter school code 29036 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add" then enter your child’s last name and student ID number
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

As families prepare for the upcoming year, the 2025–2026 academic calendar is available to help with planning for important dates, breaks, and events. We encourage families to review the calendar early as they make arrangements for the coming year. The district Google Calendar is also available on our home page.

Below are important dates for February 2026:

• February 1-28: Black History Month
• February 2-6: National School Counseling Week
• February 6: Harvesters Food Pantry
  4:00 - 5:00 PM | Robinson Middle School
• February 7: Shawnee County Spelling Bee
• February 9: NO SCHOOL
  NO SCHOOL IN SESSION
• February 14: Harvesters Food Pantry
  9:00 - 10:00 AM | Jardine Middle School
• February 19: Board of Education Meeting
  5:30 PM | Burnett Center
• February 25-26: Parent Conferences
  Teachers will reach out to families to schedule conferences
• February 26-27: NO SCHOOL
  No school for students for Parent Conferences
• February 27: Harvesters Food Pantry
  9:00 - 10:00 AM | Hummer Sports Park

The TPS Foundation is here to help support students and staff in Topeka Public Schools through grants, scholarships, summer programs, and student resources. Information about our programs and services is available on the TPS Foundation website.

TPS STAFF: If you would like to support the Foundation through our Employee Giving Campaign, please complete this form.

Stay up-to-date with everything you need to know about the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session on the Current Events page at kslegislature.org.

• Topeka Public Schools Blog
  
• Topeka Public Schools YouTube Channel
  
• Board of Education Meeting Minutes & Agenda

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. For students, the Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 compliance coordinator is the General Counsel for the district. For employment, the EEO/AA and Title VII compliance officer is the general director of human resources. Compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000.The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3059 or by writing to 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66611-1294.

Copyright © 2018, All rights reserved.