Tessa Stoner, a senior at Turner High School, has been named one of two recipients of Park University’s Presidential Honors Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year, earning a full-ride package valued at more than $117 thousand. The scholarship is the school’s highest competitive academic award. The scholarship covers full tuition, […]
Tag: Education
“He never missed a Wednesday”: Banneker Elementary honors fallen officer’s devotion
In a poignant ceremony filled with tears and smiles, Banneker Elementary School dedicated a memorial plaque Wednesday honoring KCK police officer Hunter Simoncic, who was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 26, 2025. The plaque, presented by KCKPD Chief Karl Oakman to school principal Amirah Pughsley, will hang […]
Turner Elementary teacher wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award in surprise ceremony
What Turner Elementary School teacher Lexcee Oddo thought would be a routine assembly to honor retiring Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson turned into a life-changing moment when she learned she had won the prestigious Milken Educator Award, including a $25 thousand prize. The surprise announcement came during a schoolwide […]
KCK schools under investigation by US Dept. of Education
The U.S. Department of Education announced today that it is investigating the Kansas City, Kan. school district for violations of federal laws designed to protect students from sex discrimination (Title IX) and protect the rights of parents to have key information about their children (FERPA). The department’s Office of Civil […]
KCK students graduate with honors at Central Missouri
The University of Central Missouri, in Warrensburg, conferred degrees on seven undergraduate and two graduate students from Kansas City, Kan. at its commencement ceremony on May 9. Jeweliet Nigh, who attended Piper High School, graduated summa cum laude, signifying a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 or higher. Ashley Robinson […]
Leadership Roles and Faculty Support Help KCK Student Earn Degree at UCM
Article courtesy of University of Central Missouri: After capping off her senior year with a national championship win, Criminal Justice and Criminology major Lauren Gruber is heading into her next chapter with plenty of confidence, skills and accolades. Gruber, of Kansas City, Kansas, said she chose the University of Central Missouri because […]
Park University Awards Sumner Alumna at Honors Convocation
Lauren Buck, a 2022 graduate of Sumner Academy, received the Louisa Davidson Hinde / Carolyn Hinde Zarkaryan Memorial Award from Park University, where she is currently a junior majoring in graphic design. The award is given “to students, faculty, staff and/or alumni who best represent the spirit of Park University […]
Bishop Ward student wins top Park University scholarship
Park University announced today that Bishop Ward senior Jose Gonzalez has been awarded the Presidential Honors Scholarship, the university’s most prestigious academic scholarship. Only two incoming freshmen each year receive this honor. The scholarship award covers full tuition, fees, and room & board for four years, plus a $5,000 stipend […]
Turner Elementary teacher honored as Sporting Samaritan for May
First-year Turner Elementary kindergarten teacher Maddy Shackelford suspected something was up. Principal Tara Hudson had called her out of class to give her a Teacher Appreciation Week T-shirt, but the principal was “acting a little weird.” The secret was revealed when she got back to her classroom to a big […]








