Olathe Public Schools

Olathe Community,

As we celebrate National Public Schools Week, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work happening in our district every day. Our public schools are the heart of our community, and it is because of our dedicated students, staff, families, and partners that we continue to thrive.

In this newsletter, we are excited to share some important highlights from our February Board of Education meeting, including the recognition of outstanding individuals and programs. We are also honoring Black History Month with our annual Celebration of Excellence, and we are proud to announce that Olathe Northwest educator Andrew Taylor has been named a 2025 Kansas Master Teacher. Additionally, we will provide updates on adjustments to the calendar due to the historic inclement weather, our ongoing bond projects, information about internal student transfers, and more. Thank you for your continued support and for being an essential part of our Olathe Public Schools community.

Your very proud superintendent,
Dr. Brent Yeager

• Marie Jones, teacher at Scarborough Elementary School, and Dr. Steve Murray, teacher at Olathe West High School, were recognized for receiving the Kansas State Department of Education Horizon Award.

• Winston Heilman, teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School, was named the Kansas Council of History Education Elementary/Middle School Teacher of the Year.

• We expressed gratitude to representatives of the Olathe Mayor’s Children’s Fund board for their support of students through the Pennies for Shoes campaign.
  
  

Olathe Advanced Technical Center was this month’s school spotlight. Amy Stolz, OATC administrator, shared that their half-day programs are celebrating 10 years of preparing students for careers and college. In the fall semester alone, students earned 524 college credit hours and 414 industry certifications, with 87% of seniors participating in internships. OATC students from the Principal’s Advisory Committee presented initiatives like Homework Help and Positive Behavior Student Voice, aimed at fostering a supportive environment for students.

This week, as we celebrate National Public Schools Week, we want to take a moment to thank our families for their continued support and partnership. Public schools play a vital role in shaping our community, and it’s through the collaboration between teachers, staff, students, and families that we create an environment where every student can thrive.

We want to give a special shout-out to all our staff members! Did you know that 85% of our teachers have a master’s degree or higher with an average of 14 years of classroom experience? We have 5,000 staff members who choose every single day to come to work and move students toward success. That’s incredible!

We are proud of the work happening across our schools and grateful for the dedication and commitment of everyone involved. Together, we are helping build a brighter future for all of our students. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community!

The Olathe Public Schools' third annual Black History Month Celebration of Excellence was held on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Eagles Landing. The event was a beautiful celebration, made possible through a collaborative effort between the Department of Culture & Belonging, the Olathe Black Educators Affinity Group, students from Olathe’s five high school Black Student Unions, the Diversity Engagement Advisory Council, and the Department of Student and Community Engagement.

This year’s event brought together students, staff, and community members, fostering connection, networking, and recognition of achievements and contributions. The theme for the celebration was "Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Inspiring the Future."

Click here to read more about the event, including a list of winners.

Olathe Northwest High School science and engineering teacher Andrew Taylor was named a 2025 Kansas Master Teacher on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Established in 1954 by Emporia State University, the Kansas Master Teacher awards honor educators who demonstrate exceptional teaching qualities.

Taylor, who teaches in the school’s Engineering Academy and coaches the FIRST Robotics Team 1710, learned of the recognition during a phone call from Dr. Sara Schwerdtfeger, interim dean of ESU's Teachers College, on an inclement weather day. Colleagues, administrators, and students submitted letters in support of Taylor’s nomination.

“We are incredibly proud that Andrew Taylor was named an ESU Master Teacher,” said Dr. Brent Yeager, superintendent of Olathe School District. “This is a huge accomplishment for a teacher in our state, and we want to congratulate Andrew on this achievement!”

Taylor, known for his student-centered teaching approach, encourages curiosity and problem-solving. He will receive a $1,000 award from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The 2025 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day at Emporia State University on April 2, 2025. Click here to read more.

Current Olathe Public Schools families and district employee families who live in the state of Kansas can complete an internal transfer application for the 2025-26 school year. This internal transfer application will close today, Feb. 28. Applications will be reviewed during this time.

Completing the in-district transfer application process by Feb. 28 will prioritize our current families and employee families, while helping the district determine our enrollment capacity for out-of-district students. If you miss today’s deadline, a second application window will open in July, after out-of-district applications have been reviewed. For more information about transfers, please visit http://www.olatheschools.org/transfers.

Current Olathe Public Schools families and employee families, click here to complete an internal transfer application for the 2025-26 school year. If you have questions, please contact 913-780-7000 and ask for General Administration.

After experiencing a historic winter season and an unprecedented number of inclement weather days, Olathe Public Schools will be making necessary adjustments to the remaining school year calendar to ensure that we meet the state required instructional hours for all students. Click here for additional information. The following changes will be made immediately following Spring Break:

• Changes for All Students
• March 24, April 24, April 25 – These scheduled professional development days will now be full school days for all students.

The safety and security of our students, staff, and visitors is a top priority in Olathe Public Schools. The district uses a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to ensure a safe and orderly learning environment. Key safety measures include:

• Crisis Management Protocols: Each building has a detailed crisis management plan, with instant access via an internal app.

• CrisisAlert Badges: All staff have badges that allow them to quickly call for help in emergencies.

• Visitor Management: The Raptor system screens all visitors against the national sex offender registry.

• Access Control & Surveillance: Buildings have access control systems and video surveillance, which is regularly monitored by multiple staff members.

• School Resource Officers: Olathe Police officers support our schools, with ongoing collaboration with law enforcement.

• ALICE Protocols: Annual active shooter response training for students and staff.

• Technology & Threat Monitoring: Software monitors district devices for threats such as self-harm and illegal activity.

Thanks to Bond 2022 funds, the district has upgraded security features across all schools, including enhanced surveillance systems, exterior door locks, and a new districtwide digital radio system. The district continuously evaluates and refines its safety measures to ensure a secure environment for all. For more information, read our safety protocols webpage.

In Olathe Public Schools we are committed to maintaining open lines of communication and providing high quality customer service to our community. To help you quickly connect with the appropriate person for any questions or concerns, we’ve created a graphic highlighting those who can best address your questions and concerns on a variety of topics.

Topics should be addressed beginning at Level 1. If the matter cannot be resolved after contacting the building-level staff listed in the graphic below, please contact the assistant superintendent by level. Please note that staff members are not expected to be available after hours to respond to messages. We kindly ask for your patience to allow for responses during standard business hours and thank you for respecting their personal time. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students!

Construction continues at Olathe Public Schools Innovation Campus, where McCownGordon Construction provides monthly progress reports. Work on the existing building includes continued interior wall construction, ceiling grid installation, painting, elevator work, plumbing fixtures, and exterior wall construction. Meanwhile, the addition is seeing progress with roofing, metal stud framing, and interior concrete masonry unit installation.

At Santa Fe Trail Middle School, warranty items in the new facility are being addressed, with ongoing collaboration between the district and staff to resolve the issues. Site grading for the new football field, track, and retaining wall continues, and the additional parking lot has been completed and opened for staff use. However, winter weather has caused some delays, with the top asphalt course for the parking lot scheduled for installation in the spring.

Planning continues for the Aging Facilities 2025 project, with bids and proposals for various elements being submitted for approval this month, with more expected in the coming months. Construction will take place this summer. Meanwhile, the Olathe District Activity Center long jump and pole vault renovations are progressing, with site grading complete and concrete runways and jump pit boxes constructed. Work will resume with warmer weather for the asphalt track surface installation.

We are so thankful for YOU – our community – who voted YES on these bond projects in 2022. To find more information, please visit our website.

Questions, comments or suggestions? Email them to communications@olatheschools.org.

Website: www.olatheschools.org
Location: 14160 South Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS, USA
Phone: 913-780-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/olatheschools

Instagram: instagram.com/olatheschoolsks
X / Twitter: @olatheschools

YouTube: youtube.com/@OlathePublicSchools233