M’Axe Throw House doesn’t have a sign up yet, but is located at 212 E. First Street.
A year in the making, the M’Axe Throw House is open as of the first of June 2022.
Similar to darts, axe throwing is a sport in which the competitor throws an axe at a target, attempting to hit as close as possible to a bullseye, according to https://bargames101.com/axe-throwing-101.
A few of the rules are: 1) no one with sandals on may throw and 2) children can throw if under age 18, but parents must be there also.
Mac Stoughton began working on the building storefront that would house his axe throwing sport business in April 2021. It is located at 212 E. First Street, between Scott Avenue and State Streets in Fort Scott, near the downtown area.
Mac Stoughton. Submitted photo.
“It took me that long because the building was in bad shape,” Stoughton said. By day he works at Stoughton Electric and Heating and Air Conditioning.
“We opened Good Ol’Days Weekend,” Stoughton said. “We offer entertainment and participating in a league.”
For walk in customers, he provides axes to throw.
League players have their own axes, he said.
For walk-in customers, the cost if $25 for 1.5 hours and he also offers knife throwing for $35 for 1.5 hours.
There are four seasons for axe throwing leagues and the first summer league event was on June 13.
“There are eight weeks of game play, then on week eight, we hold a tournament,” he said.
He currently has one employee, Cassandra Hueston.
Stoughton began an interest in axe throwing when looking for something to do, other than baseball, he said.
He found Main Street Axe Corp, in Pittsburg and started playing there in 2019.
“It sparked an interest,” he said. “I went on to enter three national championships. I placed in the top 20, a couple of times. In Tulsa there were 350 in the tournament, from all over the nation.”
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed in December 2018. It currently houses Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department, and I AM Rehab.
In December 2018, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed its’ doors.
Following this, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas reopened a medical clinic at the site at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. and Ascension Via Christi Hospital opened an emergency department, sharing a portion of the former hospital.
They both have leases until December 2022.
Noble Health Corporation entered the picture in 2021.
They completed a feasibility study for the Bourbon County Commission for reopening a hospital.
The City of Fort Scott contributed $200,000, the county contributed $800,000 towards the feasibility study, according to the contract that was signed June 25, 2021. The local government entities used American Rescue Plan money from the federal government for the project, according to Bourbon County Commissioner Clifton Beth in a prior interview with fortscott.biz.
A prior feasibility assessment by Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas had helped that health care system to make the decision to move to a different building, Krista Postai, CEO and President of CHC/SEK said.
In an interview with her, Postai was asked to compare the Noble Health Assessment to the CHC Assessment that was completed after CHC moved into the former Mercy Hospital building in 2018.
“We have a very comprehensive, detailed report county-by-county that has all the data one needs to make an informed decision on services, location, etc.,” she said. “We also have a strategic plan that is updated annually that maps out where we’re going, new services, etc. Prior to accepting Mercy’s offer to take their clinics, we had already prioritized Ft. Scott because we had almost 2,000 patients from Bourbon County which is enough to justify a site.”
“There was nothing new in Noble’s report that we already didn’t know or hadn’t already been discussed, including the rural emergency hospital concept that Ascension had always planned on pursuing if feasible,” she said. “In fact, much of our data is more current (2021) although, unfortunately, southeast Kansas isn’t getting healthier or wealthier so changes over the last 20 years have been minimal.”
Ascension Via Christ medical system brought an emergency department back to Fort Scott following Mercy Hospital’s closure and shares part of the former Mercy Hospital building with CHC.
“When we first agreed to transition Mercy’s clinic in the hospital over to us, Mercy indicated we had two years to find another location,” she said. “It was their belief that the building would ultimately be demolished unless we wanted to assume responsibility for it.”
“We sliced and diced all the costs based on actual operational data that Mercy supplied us and factored in roof replacement, the chillers and the boilers….all the things that were nearing the end of their useful life,” Postai said. “We also visited with multiple organizations about their interest in leasing space on a long-term basis that would cover the cost to operate and maintain it.”
“At that point, the county opted to present a counter proposal to Ascension at a much lower price per sq. ft. that would require the county to subsidize it, which they indicated they were willing to do. It seemed wise at that point to step back and let the county take the lead since emergency services was their priority.”
Decision to Move to Another Site
“Concerned about the ongoing costs of maintaining the building – and wanting a more efficient design plus a drive-in pharmacy, plus more diagnostic equipment and space to expand behavioral health services — we begin laying plans to move….and approached the Price Chopper owners about their building,” Postai said. “At that time, the asking price was way too high for us, so we asked Mercy for land on which to build which is how we got the eight acres behind the hospital. As we began design on a new building, the Price Chopper price dropped and we agreed it would be faster to renovate….and it was an ideal location. As we calculated, it was more financially feasible to own the building and make loan payments than it was to pay rent on space in a building with an uncertain future.”
The Price Chopper building, 2322 S. Main, is currently being remodeled into a health care clinic by Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
David and Addi Foster with their children. Submitted photo.
June is National Dairy Month and fortscott.biz interviewed David and Lynda Foster, whose family operates Foster Dairy Farm southwest of Fort Scott on Hwy. 39 to get their perspective on the current state and the future of the dairy industry.
David and his wife, Addi, are in partnership with his mom and dad, Lynda and Gary Foster.
Lynda and Gary Foster, from her Facebook page.
Lynda’s grandfather, Ed Davis began the farm in the 1940s, she said.
Now the fifth generation, David and Addi’s oldest daughters, Ansley, 15, and Mayla, 13 are helping on the farm.
The following is an interview with David and Lynda.
Tell about the state of dairy farms in Kansas.
“Currently there are 209 dairy farms in Kansas and while we may have lost numbers of dairy farming operations, we are growing in cow numbers with Kansas currently having about 142,000 mature milking cows,” Lynda Foster said. “Kansas is ranked 15th in the nation.”
“There is a new Hillmar Cheese plant in construction expected to come online in about 2.5 years from now, where we also expect to see an additional 100,000 cows to be added to the state,” she said.
The Hillmar Cheese Processing Plant will be a state-of-the-art facility in Dodge City, in western Kansas.
How did the pandemic effect your farm?
“We experienced primarily supply chain disruptions,” David Foster said. “It didn’t change the work that needed to be done daily. We still traveled to get supplies like alfalfa, and feed and mineral. It canceled annual meetings in organizations that we are a part of. Like everyone, there were certain precautions that were to be made if someone got sick.”
What is happening now in the industry?
“Exports are still up, and expected to be higher this year, 1 in 6 semi tanker loads of milk gets exported” Lynda said.
“Milk prices are on the rise and setting records in some areas, so are a lot of our inputs, especially feeds, fertilizers, fuels – all of these input costs are outpacing the increased milk price,” she said. “Some of the most notable current events in the dairy industry was, of course, the baby formula shortage.”
What is on the horizon for the dairy industry from your perspective?
“I believe that we will continue to see consolidation, dairy farms getting larger, smaller farms disappearing,” David said. “I believe that the days of families deriving their sole income from the dairy are gone. Today, a farmer on a smaller dairy, less than 300 cows, needs a spouse off-farm to make it and provide for their families additional income as well as health insurance.”
“Automated Milking Systems will continue to grow in use and will allow farms to alleviate the woes associated with a depleted/barely existent labor market,” he said. “Recent reports showed that for every person that doesn’t have a job, there are 2 jobs available. This means that farming operations struggle to compete in wages against other industries and also struggle to entice labor due to the traditional physical demands and long hours of a farming operation.”
Automatic, or robotic,milking systems usually operate without someone being present to supervise the milking process and have been in use for the past decade on commercial farms, according to sciencedirect.com
The Foster’s have an automated milking system that allows the cows to come in at will when they need milked. Submitted photo.
“I believe that you will see dairy farms continue to diversify operations to include other agricultural ventures that complement milking and farming, such as trucking or custom harvest, and hay operations,” he said.
“Technologies such as methane digestors will allow a value-added return from cow manure and allow dairies to derive additional profits,” David said. “Dairies will utilize solar and wind to reduce peak energy costs.”
“I am always probing and putting efforts into exploring options for emerging technologies that would make our operation more efficient,” David said. “The goal of sustainability is always to do more with less. We are the only dairy left in Bourbon County and one of a few left in all of southeast Kansas. There may be interest in adding on-farm processing in the future to serve the needs of this 4-state area with a local, quality, nutritional product.”
“I believe with food shortages touted and supply disruptions experienced, we will continue to feel an increasing demand for consumers to want to source local,” he said. “We saw this ramp up significantly in the beef industry as consumers wanted to buy direct from the farmer. We see this in farmer’s markets. Other areas have supported their local operations, and we may not be far from considering, but to expand our operations to include processing, or other technologies, we have to expand our team of people that can share our vision and hopes for a better future.”
“Some of the biggest obstacles I see for dairy and maybe shared by all businesses, will be labor, inflation, which is then tied to interest and increased taxes, and supply prices and availability,” David said.
The jail is known as the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center, Fort Scott.
Bourbon County Jail inmates are being sent to other counties, according to the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Administrator.
“The Bourbon County Jail will be farming out most, if not all, of their inmates to other counties in southeast Kansas,” said Major Bobby Reed in an email with the daily reports sent to news entities. “The facility is doing this because of staffing shortages.”
“Approximately 56 inmates out of 65 are being housed elsewhere,” Reed noted to fortscott.biz.”The cost (to the county) is $40 per day per inmate.”
That amounts to $2,240 per day in payments to other counties, by Bourbon County.
Yesterday six inmates were transferred to another county, according to today’s Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office report.
Inmate’s families are not being notified ahead of the transfers, due to security reasons, Reed said.
Staffing is at a critical point.
“I have 16 positions when fully staffed,” he said. “I have not been fully staffed in a long time. Twelve employees is the minimum to operate the jail 24/7. That is 3 per shift. Next Tuesday I will be down to 8 employees.”
Low wages are what seems to be making the employee retention critical.
“Starting Correctional officer’s make $12.50 per hour,” Reed said. “(Bourbon County) Correctional Officers can get pay increases through the rank structure and a sargent makes $13.80 per hour. I can not retain employees because of the low pay. Then the employees that I have are getting worked all the time and are getting burnt out then they are resigning.”
People making $12.50 per hour, 40 hours a week make $500 a week. $500 times 52 weeks in a year is $26,000.
“Money wise, that is a commissioner and finance question,” Reed said.
He said the county offers standard benefits of eye, health, dental , major medical, sick time and vacation.
“I can not make people apply and I can not make people work,” Reed said.
“In my opinion the solution is to increase the pay,” he said. “But to what, I don’t know. Agencies that start out at $15/hour are having issues retaining and hiring and agencies that start out at $17 are having the same issues.”
“Jails are being short staffed through out the nation…I know it is in Kansas,” Reed said. “I think we are the first county in Kansas that has had to drastically reduce our numbers of inmates because of staffing issues.”
Teri Hulsey, 53, is the new Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services Director as of May 1, 2022.
She had previously worked 11 years at Mercy Hospital until the unit became Bourbon County EMS.
Hulsey and her husband Shannon have four children and nine grandchildren.
In her spare time she volunteers at Kansas Rock Recreation Park.
The following is with an interview with fortscott.biz:
Why did you pursue your career?
“I chose this career to give back to my community and for the opportunity to be an influence to others.”
What will your duties be in this new role?
“To be a leader for the EMS department, to oversee all employees and the responsibilities of those employees, scheduling, billing, and filling the void with shift coverage when needed. Also, hiring and maintaining full rostered staff.”
How many EMS personnel are there?
“There are nine full time and 10 part time employees.”
Teri Hulsey’s office is located at 405 Woodland Hills Blvd,
Fort Scott, KS. 66701 and can be reached at 620.644.7951.
EMS Agreement
Dave Bruner, the former director, was a part of the Fort Scott Fire Department, and was employed by the city.
“EMS is under the county governorship, with Susan Bancroft’s oversight,” Fort Scott City Manager Kelley Zellner said. Bancroft works for both the city and county as the financial director.
On May 1, 2022, the City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County governments signed an agreement that the county will work with, and compensate the city, for dispatch services and an EMS truck operated by the Fort Scott Fire Department. The city agreed to continue maintenance of the EMS vehicles and allow Bourbon County EMS to fuel their EMS vehicles at the city’s fuel pump and then turn in a bill to the county for these services.
This is part of a series helping the public get to know the new school administrators in Bourbon County.
Tema Gilion, is the new West Bourbon Elementary School Principal, Uniontown. She is replacing Vance Eden, who is the new USD 235 Superintendent.
West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown.
Gilion completed her administrative preparation program at Pittsburg State University.
She has experience in elementary, middle and high school teaching-1st and 3rd general education, 5th grade math, high school Spanish and English as a Second Language and a sub-director and teacher at a private bilingual school.
When not teaching she loves traveling, reading, gardening, and time with family.
Her hometown is Carthage, MO.
Why did you become an educator?
“I was privileged to have some amazing teachers in the Carthage school system who inspired me to become a teacher. I’ve always loved school and learning, so becoming an educator was a very natural path for me to follow.”
I enjoy seeing students learn and grow academically as well as in character. Inspiring students to be life-long learners is something for which I strive as an educator.
Chance Gosewisch (pronounced Go-switch), 25, started his auto detailing business in May 2022, called Prestige Auto Spa & Ceramic Coatings.
He offers professional auto detailing, specializing in paint correction, ceramic coatings, interior detailing, waxing, paint sealants, headlight restoration, LED installment according to his Facebook page. And he is willing to tackle marine, RV, SXS’s, quads and motorcycle coatings/corrections
“I started this business because God had placed it on my heart to follow my passion and what fuels my soul,” Gosewisch said. “I love cars and have always had a passion for them. I especially love taking care of them and preserving their beauty and sharing my passion with others.”
“I am professionally licensed, trained and certified as well, through a prestigious school with elite leaders in this industry,” he said.
The business is offering a Father’s Day special on Facebook for the days up to Father’s Day, June 19.
Gosewisch said he can make a dad or husband’s day special by getting rid of scratches, stained seats or carpet or renewing worn out leather seat.
A sign in front of the Bourbon County Courthouse in Nov. 2021.
For the August 2, 2022 election, there will be a Kansas Official Primary Election Constitutional Amendment question on abortion.
“Because Kansans value both women and children, the Kansas constitution does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion,” according to information on the ballot.
“As permitted by the constitution of the United States, the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion…laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circumstances of necessity to save the life of the mother,” according to the ballot.
“The Value Them Both Amendment would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion, and would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion, including, but not limited to, in circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or when necessary to save the life of the mother.
“A vote for the Value Them Both Amendment would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion, and would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion,” according to the question that will be on the ballot.
“A vote against the Value Them Both Amendment would make no changes to the constitution of the state of Kansas, and could restrict the people…from regulating abortion by leaving in place the recently recognized right to abortion.”
To view the ballot, provided by the Bourbon County Clerks Office:
This is part of a series helping the public get to know the new school administrators in Bourbon County.
Zach Johnson is the new Fort Scott Middle School Principal. Submitted photo.
Zach Johnson, 34, is the new Fort Scott Middle School Head Principal.
Fort Scott Middle School.
Johnson received his bachelors and masters degree from Evangel University in Springfield MO and also has a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Lindenwood University in St. Charles MO.
“The past four years I have served as the Activities Director/Assistant Principal at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville,” he said. “Before that I taught technology courses, physical education, construction and manufacturing, in Neosho MO. I also served as the head baseball coach for three years in Pleasant Hope, Mo just north of Springfield.”
He is married to Bethany and have three kids Cole, Greyson, and Sadie.
“Cole will begin kindergarten in the fall,” he said. “My wife is from Liberal MO. She has worked for a non for profit counseling clinic out of Springfield. However, she has been a stay at home mom for the past six years.”
His interests include spending as much time with family as possible. “We enjoy just about anything outdoors such as hunting, fishing, sports, and hiking,” he said. “We also enjoy having our kids in sports and attending their events throughout the year.”
Johnson’s hometown is Willard MO.
Why did you become an educator?
“I became an educator to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around me. I believe education provides a platform to impact people in a way that can be transformational.”
Did someone inspire you?
“I had a baseball coach in high school that was influential in my life during that time and is still influential to this day.”
What is the best thing about being an educator?
“The best thing about being an educator is the lifelong relationships that are built with kids and staff.”
What is a challenge?
I believe a challenge is the impact that COVID has had on education.”
From left: Ryan Irsik, Walmart Public Affairs & Government Relations CO, KS, NE, SD; Rhonda Hoener, Student Support Coordinator Communities in Schools of Mid-America, Uniontown Public Schools and Heather Magruder, Walmart Fort Scott Store Manager.
Two Bourbon County school districts recently received a $10,000 grant each for student support from Walmart to help with the Communities In Schools programs.
The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life, according to https://www.communitiesinschools.org/.
The name of the grant is the Walmart Community Grant – Communities In Schools Programming in Uniontown and Fort Scott, Kansas
Rhonda Hoener is the Student Support Coordinator for Communities In Schools at Uniontown, and wrote the grant proposal.
Uniontown High School.
Her counterparts in USD 234, are Lewis Dunkeson at Fort Scott High School and Winter Moore at Fort Scott Middle School.
Walmart presented the check for $20,000 to Communities In Schools via Hoener, recently.
“This grant will support our work helping more than 1,400 students and their families served by Communities In Schools of Mid-America programming in Uniontown and Fort Scott, Kansas,” according to a press release, from Cheri Faunce, Vice President of Resource Development for Communities in School of Mid-America and Victoria Partidge, Vice President of Communications.
“Communities In Schools of Mid-America is addressing the academic and non-academic impacts due to the extended time out of school buildings from the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the press release. “Our program works by building trusting relationships, re-engaging students in the learning process, and helping students identify and break down barriers preventing them from reaching their goals.”
The Student Support Coordinators (SSCs) provide whole-school programming to promote a positive school climate and combat risk factors.
Youth risk factors include low attendance, student and parent disengagement, and access to basic needs such as food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene products.
SSCs also work one-to-one with a minimum of 55 caseload students per school to help with academic, attendance, and/or behavior/social-emotional concerns and the students are at high risk for dropping out.
Examples of programming include, but are not limited to, lunch hour mentoring, life/social skills, behavioral interventions, resource referrals to other social service providers, and grief support.
In the Uniontown program, Hoener has helped with:
Family Engagement Night at West Bourbon Elementary School
Guest speaker Julia Cook at WBE
Attendance incentives at Uniontown Junior and Senior High School
Guest speaker Mark Potter at UHS/UJH
Both buildings provided are provided with basic need items
For caseload students only, she has helped wit:
Academic support
Behavior support
Social emotional learning support
Attendance support
Referrals to other agencies
Utility/rent/ grocery/gas assistance to families
College visit
College/career conversations with outside agencies
Fort Scott Middle School, 2019.
At Fort Scott Middle School, Winter has helped with:
– School-wide academic incentives
– One-on-one behavior intervention
– Homework assistance
– Individual grade and attendance checks
– Basic needs distribution (school supplies, food, snacks, hygiene products)
Fort Scott High School.
At Fort Scott High School, Dunkeson has helped with:
– FutureNow: Finance
– Career Fair
– Homework assistance
– Individual grade and credit checks
– Mentoring program
– Basic needs distribution (school supplies, food, snacks, hygiene products)
This is part of a series of helping the public get to know the new school administrators in Bourbon County.
Shelly Carter. Submitted photo.
Shelly Charter, 48, is the new principal of Winfield Scott Elementary School, Fort Scott.
Winfield Scott Elementary School, 316 W. 10th Street, Fort Scott.
Charter earned her Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education at Emporia State University, and a Building Leadership Certificate at Pittsburg State University.
She has been the Tri-County Interlocal #607 Gifted Facilitator for three years, a 3rd grade elementary teacher for 20 years, and a Title 1 Math instructor for 2 years.
Charter has two sons, AJ (23) and Aiden (22) and one daughter, Lynnsey (20), and Dexter, her Golden Retriever dog.
In her community she has been involved in various church activities, was a FabLab instructor and head director of the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM camp for middle schoolers, a Zumba class, and she loves to travel to new places.
Her hometown is Independence, Kansas.
Why did you become an educator?
“I became an educator to make a difference in the lives of my students. I wanted to teach them that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.”
Did someone inspire you?
“I was inspired by my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Wanda Rush. She made every student feel important.”
What is the best thing about being an educator?
“The best thing about being an educator is knowing that I could be the one person that inspired a student to do their best and never give up on their dreams.”
What is a challenge?
“Not being able to change circumstances that affect a child’s life outside of the school environment.”
Dalaina Smith, who has served as the Fort Scott High School Director of Academics will become USD 234 Assistant Superintendent, as of July 1.
Dalaina Smith begins duties as assistant superintendent of USD234 on July 1. Submitted photo.
Although she will maintain many of her previous duties, she is “excited to move into an administrative role and get more involved with staff and students in the classroom,” she said.
She highlighted some of the changes in the district as of this date.
New Teaching Model
“This past academic year, the district embraced the Professional Learning Community model and began training teachers and administrators,” Smith said. “A group of twenty, including staff and a board member, had the opportunity to attend the PLC Summit in Phoenix, Arizona in February and returned excited for the direction the district is moving.”
At this summit there were keynote speakers and breakout sessions designed to help infuse the PLC at Work process into every aspect of the district, according to information from Smith.
The group returned to their school system ready to work in collaborative teams to achieve results for the students, according to the information from Smith.
“In May, the district was able to bring in Regina Owen from Solution Tree, to speak to the certified staff about the PLC framework and the district’s continued commitment to giving all students the best,” she said.
“The Professional Learning Community model focuses on four questions,” she said. “1. What do we want students to know? (Essential Standards); 2. How do we know that they know it? (Common Assessments); 3. What do we do when they don’t know it? (Remediation) and 4. What do we do when they already know it? (Extension).”
“Through this framework, the district is committing to giving teachers time to ensure that there are clear expectations, data driven decisions, and appropriate interventions for all students,” Smith said.
COVID-19 Effects Student Achievement
“Since the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have seen an increase in student achievement gaps,” Smith said. “Although Spring 2020 affected all students, we see the greatest impact in our elementary students who missed out on fundamental skills. Continuing into the 2020-21 academic year, numerous students had their learning interrupted when they were out ill or for quarantine. For many they were able to participate remotely while absent, however, for others they were unable to continue their learning during the time they were offsite.”
“Additionally, we must consider the social emotional effects we’ve seen in the students,” Smith said. “I don’t know that we still truly know the impact. From feelings of isolation and loneliness to students who struggled to learn to identify emotions and facial expressions through masking, it’s hard to say that many were untouched. Thankfully students are resilient and our teachers are rock stars! Together they’re working to overcome the gaps that Covid created, however, it is a process.”
“Through the use of PLCs, the district will provide a structured environment for teachers to make the necessary changes to approaching student learning. USD 234 is excited for the impact to come,” she said.
Early Release on Wednesdays
For parents these PLC days will mean students will be released early nearlyevery Wednesday through the USD 234 2022-23 school calendar.
“During Early Release, teachers will be meeting in grade levels or departments (depending on their building) to work collaboratively as professionals,” Smith said. “It’s during this time that they will determine their essential standards, build and refine common assessments, review student data, and plan for interventions.”
“Preschool will operate in a different manner, to ensure they are in compliance with their required minutes,” she said. “More details related to preschool will come following the approval of a new preschool principal.”
“This time will allow teachers to participate in their PLCs and ensure the grade levels and departments can give their best to all students,” Smith said. “The district recognizes that not all families have the ability to pick up their students early on Wednesdays and will have age appropriate opportunities for students to stay in a fun, safe, and educational environment until the regular dismissal time.
“At this time, students K-8 will have supervised activities/areas in place during the early release (Wednesday until 3:15),” she said. “Additionally, the elementary schools will both offer a daily After School Program that will run until 5:15 p.m. More information about each of these opportunities will be shared as the district administrative team solidifies the necessary details.”
New Faces at USD 234
“Each school year brings new faces as some retire and others explore new opportunities, and this year is no different,” Smith said.
“Mr. Destry Brown will be joining Fort Scott from Clinton, MO and serving as the USD 234 Superintendent,” she said. “Brown brings numerous years of experience, as he returns home to Fort Scott. Although he doesn’t officially start until July 1st, he has already begun working with staff in a variety of capacities to ensure a smooth transition and clear direction for USD 234. Not only will Brown be seen within the district, but also within the community as he works to encourage the relationship between the school and local organizations.”
“Mrs. Shelly Charter will be serving as the Winfield Scott Principal. Charter comes from Independence, where she has taught gifted, third grade, and Title for over 20 years,” Smith said. “In addition to her years of experience in education, she also has served in a variety of leadership roles and is excited to begin her work with her staff and students.”
“Mrs. Krystle Griem will be coming to Winfield Scott from Junction City, KS,” Smith said. “Griem will be serving as the Assistant Principal, where her licensure as a Registered Behavioral Technician and summer work at children’s camp will serve as valuable experiences. In addition, Griem has taught English Language Arts at the middle and high school level. Griem and Charter have already been collaborating on ideas for next school year.”
“Dr. Zach Johnson will be joining the Tiger Team at Fort Scott Middle School,” she said. “Johnson has been the assistant principal and athletic director for Coffeyville’s Field Kindley High School for the past four years. Previously, Johnson was a physical education teacher. Johnson brings experience with the PLC process, as well as a student-centered approach to education. Johnson began his first day of summer joining the current administration to learn more about becoming a Tiger!”
“The district is still in the process of hiring a preschool principal and will be sharing information once a candidate is board approved,” she said.
Familiar Admin Faces
“Although there are many new faces, there will also be familiar ones returning next year Mina Query (Eugene Ware Principal), Brandon Boyd (Eugene Ware Assistant Principal), Matt Harris (Fort Scott Middle School Assistant Principal), Scott Kimble (FSHS Principal), Alex Specht (FSHS Assistant Principal), and Jeff DeLaTorre (FSHS Athletic/Activities Director),” Smith said. “USD 234 is excited for another great year.”
