Welcome Aboard! Barth, Deeds, and Smallcomb Join KPS Board of Education: What This Means for Our Schools

On January 13, 2025, the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education held its first meeting of the year. Newly elected members Niki Deeds and Amanda Smallcomb joined Amy Barth, who was appointed in 2024. Barth was elected to serve her own term after filling the vacancy left by Dave Brandt’s resignation.

During the meeting, the board reorganized its leadership. John Icenogle became president, Paul Hazard was named vice president, and Drew Blessing took the role of secretary.

The board recognized Jeana Peterson as the 2024 Outstanding Orchestra Teacher of the Year. Peterson, an orchestra teacher at Horizon and Sunrise Middle Schools, was honored by the Nebraska Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. With over a decade of teaching in Kearney, she believes every student can benefit from music education.

Another award recipient, Brooke Boroff, a social studies teacher at Hanny Arram Center, was recognized as the Nebraska Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars. Boroff was nominated for her citizenship and innovative teaching methods. She will be honored at a banquet in Lincoln on January 31, 2025.

Meredith Johnson, the principal of Emerson Elementary, shared updates about the Core Connections program. This initiative aims to increase parental involvement and was relaunched after being halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school collaborated with the University of Nebraska – Kearney to engage more parents and understand their needs.

The board approved several resignations and retirements, including special education teachers Barbara Wegner and Crystal Warner. Notable retirements included Melinda Reid, the special education coordinator, and Lori Moore, a math intervention teacher.

New hires for the 2025-2026 school year were also announced, including Eve Edwards as a 6th grade English teacher and Shena Jensen as a 2nd grade teacher. Jenn True will serve as the PK-5 Education Director, while Sheila Sanford takes on the role of Nutrition and Food Service Director. Taylor Peters and Connor Williams will become principals at Park and Meadowlark Elementary Schools, respectively.

As the Nebraska Legislature begins its 90-day session, Superintendent Jason Mundorf highlighted key issues, such as a significant projected budget shortfall of $432 million, which could exceed $1 billion by 2029 if not addressed. He also mentioned discussions around a potential statewide ban on cell phones in classrooms.

Board member Drew Blessing discussed several proposed bills, including the Hunger Free School Act, which aims to provide free lunches for students, and a bill requiring schools to adopt surveillance policies. Other bills could mandate the display of national and state mottos in classrooms.

At the end of the meeting, the board entered two closed sessions for strategy discussions regarding negotiations for the upcoming school year and real estate purchases.

The next board meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Administration Building’s Staff Development Room.