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Important dates
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- Aug. 15: First day of school
- Sept. 4: No school, Labor Day
- Sept. 28-29: Parent-Teacher Conferences
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Thank you for supporting the
Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games
Thank you to our OneMa1ze community for helping make
the Special Olympics Kansas
Summer Games a success. The event was
June 2 through June 4 at Maize South High School, and it was Maize USD 266's first time to host the state event.
Comments and feedback have been positive, and the district looks forward to hosting the event again next year.
Employees and community members are invited and encouraged to participate as volunteers and/or supporters. Staff members, including custodians,
maintenance and grounds staff, and administrators, did a tremendous job supporting this event.
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Summer camp central
Enroll your child now in summer camp to learn and sharpen skills in a variety of sports and conditioning options.
Please click here to visit our Online Bulletin Board
for camp flyers and additional information
. While you're there, you can learn about other opportunities available through our partner agencies and
sign up to receive e-mail updates when new information is added.
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Complete High School educators win state awards
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Congratulations to Complete High School Maize Principal Dr. Kristy Custer, who has been named a
Kansas Health Foundation
Civic Health Heroes Honoree, one of only 15 across Kansas!
The Foundation highlighted the following: "
Complete
High School Maize opened its doors as the alternative school for USD 266 in the fall
of 1999. Its primary goal was helping students earn their high school diplomas. CHSM
has evolved into an experiential learning center for students in grades 9-12 who have
either previously dropped out of school or are being unsuccessfu
l at their traditional high school and at risk of dropping out. Throughout its 16 years, CHSM has helped over
365 would-be high school dropouts to reach this goal. More importantly, however, CHSM has attempted to not just graduate good students, but good people. Dr. Kristy
Custer has been a big part of that work." Please click here to read more.
Congratulations to Complete High School Maize teacher Heidi Albin, Presidential Awards State Finalist in science! Her application now goes to the national level. (Pictured above with Heidi is Kansas Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis.)
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Interested in joining our Maize Schools team? Many openings are part-time jobs with full-time benefits, including:
* Group health insurance
* Summers off
* Winter break off
* Spring break off
* No evenings or weekends
School bus drivers start at $11.15 an hour, plus attendance incentives. Please call the Maize USD 266 Transportation Office at 316-722-0582 for more information.
Maize USD 266 also is looking for:
* food service workers.
* Sedgwick County Area Educational Services Paraprofessionals.
Come and work in our OneMa1ze community, supported by parents, graduates, and Maize and Northwest Wichita. This would be a great opportunity to participate in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
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Summer fun for little ones
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Our Maize Early Childhood Center has two
summer playgroup events planned this summer at the Maize Splash Pad and city park at 401 S. Khedive in Maize. The first, on June 7, is pictured above. The second is scheduled from
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
July 6.
See you there!
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OneMa1ze Blood Drive
helped save 93 lives
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Here's an update from the
American Red Cross regarding our May 5 OneMa1ze Blood Drive:
* 31: Number of units of blood donated.
* $750: Scholarship money raised for Maize USD 266 students.
* 93: Number of lives helped saved through the event.
Thanks again to everyone who participated!
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Find legislative contacts on our resource page
Five members of the Kansas House of Representatives and two members of the Kansas Senate represent portions of our Maize USD 266 community.
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OneMa1ze student-athletes
candidates for Catchys
* Best girls' basketball player of 2016-17: Taylor Holmes - Maize
* Best baseball player of 2017: Jacob Taylor - Maize
* Best baseball player of 2017: Jordan Maxson - Maize South
* Best softball player of the 2017: Maura Glatzak - Maize
* Best boys' track and field athlete of 2017: Konner Swenson - Maize
* Best girls' track and field athlete of 2017: Kassidy Johnson - Maize South
* Best boys golfer of 2017: Wells Padgett Maize South
* Best girls swimmer of 2017: Mia Gibson Maize South
* Best girls' soccer player of 2017: Makayla Toth - Maize
* Best girls' soccer player of 2017: Avery Green - Maize South
* 5A Team of the Year: Maize Baseball
* 4A Team of the Year: Maize South Baseball
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Superintendent's Message
State-funded all-day kindergarten levels playing field for Kansas students
BY DR. CHAD HIGGINS
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A highlight of my job, as I have shared with you before, is visiting our students in the classroom. With our youngest ones especially, you never know what they are going to say, including that I am the president or governor. (I am happy to instead be the superintendent.) Our youngest students usually are happy and witty (sometimes unknowingly) and yearn to know more. They are curious and inquisitive, and we are honored to fan those flames of learning.
Those students were on my mind last week as Maize USD 266 made the announcement that we
will not charge monthly tuition fee for all-day kindergarten during the 2017-18 school year.
Historically, the district has charged a fee to families whose children attend all-day
kindergarten because the state of Kansas only funded half-day kindergarten
. Most recently, our all-day kindergarten tuition fee was $225 a month, bringing in about $350,000 a school year for the district. Because the state's new funding formula includes the funding of all-day kindergarten students, Maize Schools will lose that revenue next year. It is a loss that is welcome, as this component of state funding has been desired by education leaders for years. While we are committed to discontinuing the fees for all-day kindergarten next year, the state's
plan is not finalized, as the Kansas
Supreme Court still needs to evaluate the adequacy and equity of the new formula. We should know more soon.
State-funded all-day kindergarten is the best thing for Kansas students. Next year, at least, the monthly tuition will not be an obstacle preventing our students from attending all-day kindergarten. There are many academic and social
benefits of all-day kindergarten, including that teachers can spend more time on lessons and build a strong foundation for future learning.
We are working with our families to determine how many half-day and all-day kindergarten classes we will need next year and are making sure the rooms have the needed furniture and materials. In preparation for this change, we already have hired the teachers we believe we need to address the additional students enrolled in all-day kindergarten next year. As we anticipated, without the financial hardship of a
monthly tuition fee, some families who initially enrolled their children in half-day kindergarten have changed to all-day kindergarten.
This legislative sessions shows promise for Kansas schools and our district in other areas, as well.
Legislators passed a new tax
plan and had enough votes to override the governor's
veto of that plan.
For Maize USD 266, the new school finance funding formula means a $3.1 million increase in budget authority for operational expenses
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Among other needs being addressed, we are investing in our
teachers and employees, who are the very heart of our district, by phasing in delayed compensation. While the state's funding plan falls far short of the financial need identified by legislative studies conducted to measure the cost of suitable funding, it provides short-term relief and optimism for future growth.
This timing is ideal, as we look forward to spending the next year developing a district strategic plan, which will provide focus and clear direction on how to invest in our students, teachers, employees, and community.
 Join me for story time at MOXI Junction!
Parents, please bring your children to hear a few stories from me as I play guest reader during the local coffeehouse's weekly story time event at 10:30 a.m. July 25. Combat summer brain drain one step further by checking out our Summer Bookmobile, which will pull up to the location at 11 a.m. (You can read more about the Bookmobile below.) See you there!
Sincerely,
Dr. Chad Higgins, Superintendent of Schools
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Bond issue update
Maize Early Childhood Center, district's first standalone preschool, scheduled to open for 2017-18 school year
At Maize Middle School, the former locker rooms have been demolished to make way for a corridor and new concessions area. Final work is in process to convert the former sunken
Commons into new choir rooms. At Maize South High
School, the special education addition and remodel is on schedule for a July completion. Rainy weather has delayed components of the locker room project, now tracking for a mid-September completion.
 Crews have raised a significant amount of steel at the Maize Career Academy, pictured at right. The district anticipates a July groundbreaking of one of the final bond projects, the new transportation facility.
Voters' approval in June 2015 will bring these projects to Maize Schools to provide
a safe and promising future for all of our students:
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additions and improvements at Maize South High School, including a new fine arts storage addition and an expanded gym and cafeteria.
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a new transportation facility.
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roof replacements at various buildings.
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technology and infrastructure improvements at various buildings.
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athletic upgrades, including new locker rooms, stadium upgrades, all-weather playing surfaces, bleachers, lighting and equipment.
You can learn more about the bond vision by visiting our bond resource page at www.usd266.com/bond.
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Maize Board of Education update
State champs honored at June meeting
Maize Boa
rd of Education President Matt Jensby and his fellow board members
congratulated state champions June 12. Pictured with him above from left are Maize South High School
track athletes Ethan Kossover (Boys 1600 Meter Run, Boys 3200 Meter Run, and Boys 4x800
Relay), Corey Minks (Boys 400
Meter Run), Britte Magnuson (Boys 4x800 Relay), and Dane
Wedge (Boys 4x800 Relay). Pictured with Jensby below
is Maize High School tennis player Derek Kratzer.
State track champs not pictured:
Kassidy Johnson (Girls 400 Meter Run); t
he
Girls 4x800 relay team of
Katie Wagner, Samantha Bally, Sierra Mortenson, and Kassidy;
Boys 4x800 relay team member Bryce Merriman.
Eagle tennis champs not pictured are Kaden Jobe, Tanner Ohnmeis, Ethan Pfeifer, Brennen Sanders, and Chase Schreiner.
The Maize Board of Education meets next at 7 p.m. July 10 at the Maize Educational Support Center, 905 W. Academy Ave. in Maize. The meeting is open to the public.
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Mavericks, Eagles celebrate state baseball wins together as OneMa1ze
 Congratulations to Maize South High School and Maize High School baseball teams this year for dominating their divisions at state. It is the Mavericks' first state baseball title and a special honor for Maize USD 266 to win two state championships in the same sport in the same season. Please click here for a recent KAKE-TV story about that accomplishment.
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Rock and read with our Summer Bookmobile roving library this July
Ready to read? We're ready to roll!
Our roving Maize USD 266 Summer Bookmobile has a month of stops scheduled in Maize and Northwest Wichita to promote summer reading.
All are welcome!
Check out three books at a time (for pre-K to adults) and simply return them on the last day.
Follow the bus to the next stop.
Mondays in July:
(July 10th, 17th, 24th, & 31st)
- 9-9:30 a.m.: Maize Recreation Commission Fun Factory, Pray-Woodman Elementary School, 605 W. Academy Ave. in Maize
- 9:45-10:05 a.m.: Heartland Credit Union, 3777 N. Maize Road
- 10:15-10:45 a.m.: Walmart, 21st & Maize
- 11-11:20 a.m.: Sedgwick County Park Boundless Playground behind Horseshoe Shelter
- 11:30-11:45 a.m.: Hurts Donuts, 7010 W. 21st
Street (Find us in the back parking lot.)
Tuesdays in July:
(July 11th, 18th, & 25th)
- 9-9:30 a.m.: Target, 29th & Maize
- 9:45-10:10 a.m.: Tammy Hall & Audrey Winget Daycare, 1936 N. Socora St.
- 10:30-10:50 a.m.: City of Maize Splash Pad, 401 S. Khedive
- 11-11:30 a.m.: MOXI Junction, 319 S. Park Ave. in Maize
Sign up now to participate in, support Aug. 21 Foundation golf tournament
Save the date: The 9th Annual Maize Education Foundation Golf Tournament is coming soon! Tee off will be at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at Reflection Ridge Golf Course. The money raised funds the Foundation's annual grants.
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Important 2017-18 enrollment info
 Maize USD 266 will be processing current student enrollment in May this year, a change from previous years. Please click here for additional information about what parents need to know.
We look forward to learning with your child in 2017-18!
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Donate school supplies at Fill the Bus
 Maize USD 266 will join Chick-fil-A at 21st Street and Maize Road for its 5th-annual school supply drive. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 11. Donors will receive a coupon for a free sandwich. The drive helps our students in need be prepared for the new school year. Thank you in advance, OneMa1ze community, for your support!
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