This process replaces the paper forms sent home at the beginning of each school year. You will use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access the PowerSchool Registration.
Free school meals for all students enrolled in USD 234 during the 2023-24 school year!
YES, THERE IS ENOUGH TIME BETWEEN CLASSES…
The most effective way to prevent back pain is to avoid carrying heavy loads. Each FSHS Tiger is provided with a secure personal locker. Doors open at 7:30 each morning. Unload at the locker and meet the peeps in the Commons for free breakfast!
From JAG-K’s website, https://jagkansas.org/ : “We will partner with students to help them identify a career path compatible to their interests and skills and overcome the various challenges they face that put them at risk of not attaining educational and career success.”
FSHS RECOGNIZED AS A KANSAS ALL STAR HIGH SCHOOL!
Fort Scott High School was one of less than 100 Kansas high schools recognized at the June meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents. Click below to see the video!
AG’s Medicaid fraud unit recoups $42,000 in restitution
TOPEKA – (July 31, 2023) – The Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Unit (MFCU) recently prosecuted six Medicaid fraud cases recouping more than $42,600 in restitution from fraudsters, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced today.
“Our top priority is the protection of crime against one of the most vulnerable groups of our population – the elderly and disabled. These prosecutions should put Medicaid fraudsters on alert. If you hurt Kansas’s most vulnerable, we will prosecute,” said Jackie Williams, First Assistant Attorney General for Kobach’s office.
The AG’s MFCU unit is dedicated to ensuring that Kansas citizens receive the services Medicaid is allocated to provide. The unit investigates and prosecutes Medicaid fraud cases statewide to stamp out corruption and abuse of Medicaid dollars and services.
The unit’s recent cases include the prosecutions of:
Michelle Kisha Taylor of Shawnee. She pled guilty to making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid Program and unlawful acts concerning computers and was sentenced to 24 months in jail, suspended, and 12 months supervised probation. She was ordered to pay more than $12,000 in restitution to the Kansas Medicaid program for Medicaid fraud. While working another job, Taylor was working as a personal care attendant for her mother, a Medicaid beneficiary. Taylor submitted fraudulent claims for payment to the Medicaid program as if she was providing personal care services to her mother, when in reality, she was working another job or her mother was in the hospital. Taylor’s prosecution was part an “Operation Keeping Them Honest,” a cooperative effort between the attorney general’s office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General to investigate fraudulent billing to Medicaid for personal care services provided in Medicaid beneficiaries’ homes. Senior Assistant Attorney General Eve Kemple of Kobach’s office prosecuted the case. She was assisted by analyst Dalton May.
Marquita Francine Standard of Lansing. Standard pled guilty to one count of making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid Program. Standard, a personal care attendant, submitted false claims for payment from Medicaid as if she was providing care to several beneficiaries residing in different locations, all at the same time. Standard was sentenced to six months in the Kansas Department of Corrections, suspended, and 12 months supervised probation. She was ordered to pay $4,093 in restitution. Her case was also part of the “Operation Keeping Them Honest” program. Kemple prosecuted the case with assistance from analyst Sharon Balmain.
Myshia Robertson, 49. Robertson pled guilty to making a false claim to the Medicaid program. She submitted a fraudulent claim to Medicaid for personal care services she did not provide. She was sentenced to nine months in jail, suspended, and 12 months supervised probation. She was ordered to pay $18,200 in restitution – the amount Medicaid lost from her false claims. Assistant Attorney General Debbie Moody of Kobach’s office prosecuted the case with assistance from special agent Natasha Ward, analyst Kim Epps, and nurse investigator Kimberly Smith.
Courtland Edward Allen, 35 of Leavenworth. Allen pled guilty to making a false claim, statement, or representation to the Medicaid program and unlawful acts concerning computers. Allen claimed to be working as a personal care attendant for his brother, a Medicaid beneficiary, when Allen was actually working another job and times when his brother was in school. Allen was sentenced to 24 months in jail, suspended, and 12 months supervised probation. He was ordered to pay $3,687 in restitution. Kemple of Kobach’s office prosecuted the case with assistance from special agent Ward and analyst Epps.
Kevin Matney, 51 of Garnett. In a civil action, Matney was charged with making false claims. He agreed to pay $4,202 in restitution as part of a settlement agreement. Kemple litigated the case. Special Agent Julie Hart, analyst Kimberly Clearwater, and nurse investigator Smith assisted with the case.
Kierra Drinnen, 37 of Sedgwick County. Drinnen confessed to fraud. Drinnen worked as a clinical coordinator nurse in Wichita. While on duty, she stole medication that was paid for by Medicaid for a Medicaid patient. She agreed to a plea deal for that included a sentence of 12 months of jail time, suspended, and 12 months supervised probation. She agreed to continue in substance abuse treatment. Drinnen must pay all court costs in addition to standard conditions of probation. Moody of Kobach’s office handled the case. She was assisted by investigators Kevin Kasl and Smith of the attorney general’s office.
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. Through the Policy Academy, Kansas will develop a strategy to expand apprenticeship opportunities to youth ages 16 and older to help them build the skills needed for the modern workforce.
“My administration has focused on apprenticeships as a way to build the Kansas workforce in a way that is both pro-business and pro-worker,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Now, we are furthering our efforts by developing a plan to ensure more of our high school students graduate with the skills they need to get good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.”
With Kansas’ unemployment rate at 2.8% and a surge in economic development activity that continues creating new jobs, the state is pursuing multiple avenues to build up the pipeline of prospective workers. Apprenticeship is one proven method of developing home-grown talent.
“Expanding the apprenticeship pipeline to include younger Kansans is a logical next step to support our historic growth,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship is developing top-tier talent that makes it easier for businesses to invest in our rural communities.”
Youth apprenticeship is defined as a structured, work-based learning program that supports high-quality outcomes for young people and employers include:
Paid, on-the-job learning under the supervision of skilled employee mentors
Related classroom-based instruction
Ongoing assessment against established skills and competency standards
Industry-recognized credentialing and postsecondary credits
“With more than 160,000 high school students across the state, Kansas youth apprenticeship has significant potential,” said Shonda Anderson, Director of Apprenticeship and Internship for the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship. “The Policy Academy will support Governor Kelly’s focus on improving employment opportunities for young adults, especially in rural parts of the state.”
The Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship officially kicks off in Washington, D.C., in August when teams from six states convene for a day of learning and action-planning with state peers, federal leaders, and national subject matter experts.
“From my perspective, this collaboration between unions, industries and educators across multiple sectors to engage young people in Registered Apprenticeship opportunities is exciting,” John Nave, Executive Vice-President of Kansas AFL-CIO, said. “I believe this strengthens the economic prosperity in Kansas now and for generations to come.”
The Kansas team includes officials from the Governor’s Office, Kansas Office of Apprenticeship, Kansas Apprenticeship Council, Kansas Department of Education, Wichita Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, IBEW 304, Kansas AFL-CIO and other stakeholders representing education and industry. To see a list of members of the Kansas Youth Apprenticeship Collaborative, or to find out more about Youth Apprenticeship in Kansas, click here.
This is a series featuring new teachers at Fort Scott School District USD234.
There are 21 new teachers in the district this year.
The first day of school is August 18.
Tracy Comstock is the new teacher at Fort Scott High School for English 1 and Dual Credit English.
She earned BSEd from Missouri State University and a
MA in English from Pittsburg State University.
“This will be my 16th year teaching. I have taught at several schools in both Missouri and Kansas, and also worked as an adjunct for Crowder, Cottey College, and PSU,” she said.
“The best thing about teaching is getting to know and work with so many amazing students,” she said. “I love sharing my passion for reading and writing.”
“The challenging thing about my job is that English is definitely not everyone’s favorite subject!” she said.
She lives in Pittsburg, and has been married to Jason for 26 years.
“Our oldest son Garrett will be a freshman at PSU this fall,” she said. “Our youngest son Trevyn will be starting as a freshman at FSHS.”
Emily Peterson. Submitted photo.
Emily Peterson, 22, is a special education preschool teacher at Fort Scott Preschool Center.
She worked as a special education paraprofessional for 4 years.
She earned an associates degree at Labette Community College and then transferred to Wichita State University and joined the TAP program to receive a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Unified and Elementary education K-6.
Her hometown is Columbus, Kansas.
In her spare time she enjoys being active in the gym and running with friends, she said.
“Throughout school I had some amazing teachers that positively impacted my life and still are some of my biggest supporters today,” she said. “They motivated me to want to be that positive role in someone’s life.”
“The best thing about teaching is getting to experience something new everyday,” she said. “Each day is full of adventures, challenges, and success. It’s such a rewarding job.”
“The greatest challenge for me is never really being done with work,” she said. “As teachers, we are always thinking of things to improve and work on for the kids.”
Rayanne McKinsey, 24, will be a new second grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
She worked at Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center the past five years-three of those as coordinator of Erie Summer SEKA, a children’s program, she said. She student taught at Sheridan Elementary in Junction City, Kansas, in 2021-2022.
“This past school year, I finished my first year of teaching within preschool, 3rd grade Title, and elementary P.E.-as well as helping coach middle school girls’ basketball,” she said.
She graduated high school from Chanute Christian Academy in 2018 and then went to Neosho County Community College. She graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, in May 2022. She is also currently working towards gaining a coaching certificate from Kansas State University and a Master’s of Biblical Ministry from Ozark Christian College.
“I grew up on my family farm outside of Chanute and Erie, Kansas,” she said. “While growing up I participated in church activities, sports, high school leadership; and I was highly active in 4-H for 12 years.”
“I enjoy exercising, spending time outside, playing with my dog, working with my livestock, baking, and spending time with my friends and family,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was little; and the passion to become one continued to grow while experiencing my own teachers and gaining employment through SEKMHC and various Kansas schools as an emergency substitute,” she said. “I’ve seen that children are wanting to know that they have people in their lives that care about them…Not only are we there for our students for academics; but we should also be there for them for whatever is going on in their lives. My past teachers made this impact on me; and I want to continue making this impact.”
“I love the connections that I make with my students and to see their excitement for learning,” she said. “I’m looking forward to meeting new students, their families, and faculty; all the new opportunities USD 234 is offering me; and becoming involved in this community.”
MONDAY, JULY 31st – Land Bank Work Session – 4:00PM – CITY HALL. The Land Bank will be discussing issues such as minimum bid requirements, the current rubric and the possibility of a secondary rubric (NOT REUNIFICATION)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1st – REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING – 6:00PM – CITY HALL.
The agenda for the meeting is available on www.fscity.org
My long-time friend and animal lover has pet donkeys. When he and his wife moved here from the State of Washington in 2002, the donkeys (Paco, Cupcake, Biscuit, and Bullet) came too because they were part of the family. They were meticulously transported in a tractor-trailer rig that was specially built to haul race horses. Although donkeys are generally known as “beasts of burden,” these cute and curious animals never worked a day in their life. They’ve been carefully maintenanced, faithfully fed, lavishly loved on, and provided with toys to entertain them in their pampered life on the farm.
Man is usually smarter than a donkey, but in the Old Testament, we find that Balaam is three bales dumber than his donkey. As he set off on a journey riding his donkey, “…God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. ’What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?’ it asked Balaam” (Numbers 22:22-28 NLT) .
“Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.” The angel of the Lord said, “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey” (Numbers 22:31-33 NLT).
Because of His unfailing love and mercy, God will go to great lengths to get our attention when we‘re heading in the wrong direction and acting dumber than a box of rocks. We shouldn’t be surprised that He’ll use whatever is available to get His point across. God used a meek-and-lowly talking donkey to get through Balaam’s thick skull. God’s bound and determined to get us to stop, drop, and roll in the right direction.
Wisdom comes from the one and only true God. Book smart is certainly beneficial, but it’s not enough to walk the Kingdom journey. We must honestly admit that we don’t know it all, and constantly seek God’s life-changing truths. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you” (James 1:5 NLT). We need all the wisdom we can get and it’s available just for the asking! Christ followers simply need to acknowledge that we’re not as capable (by ourselves) as we often think we are. “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7 NLT).
The Key: Keep your spiritual eyes and heart open to God’s wisdom and leading.
Judah Whitson mans the cash register at his family’s booth at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on June3, 2023. He sells homemade mini-donuts.
Following the first set of stories on young entrepreneurs in our community, an anonymous donor wrote fortscott.biz that he wanted to grant each one of the featured youth with $50.
If you know of a child, under 18 years of age, that is creating products or providing services to sell to the public, please send their name and phone number to [email protected]
Fortscott.biz wants to encourage the youth who are learning business by doing it.
