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Two USD 428 principal positions coming open: Park Principal retiring; Jefferson Principal taking GBHS job
Funds donated for swimming pool touchpads
Kip Wilson
Kip Wilson

Great Bend USD 428 has filled a position for an assistant principal at Great Bend High School next year but now has two openings for elementary school principals. During a luncheon meeting Wednesday, the board approved the retirement of Park Elementary School Principal Phil Heeke and appointed Kip Wilson, current principal of Jefferson Elementary School, to the administrative opening at GBHS. Assistant GBHS Principal Randy Wetzel announced his retirement earlier this year and it was approved at the March school board meeting.

The district will begin searching for the next principals at Park and Jefferson schools.

The changes all take place at the end of the current school year.

Superintendent Khris Thexton noted there were several personnel changes for the board to approve, as there are every spring. Teachers have until April 15 to notify the school district if they don’t intend to return in the fall.

The board also approved the retirement of Karen Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, and four more teacher resignations:

• Courtney Maska, physical education teacher at Great Bend Middle School

• Daisy Kraus, first-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary

• Kirstyn Latham, science teacher at GBHS

• Darwin Bouray, computer technology teacher at GBMS

The board also approved three teacher appointments:

• Bailey Baird, second-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary

• Stacy Kahnt, special education teacher at Ellinwood

• Brooklyn Burkhart, preschool teacher at the new Little Panthers Preschool (opening at the former Head Start classroom near Eisenhower Elementary School)





Phil Heeke
Phil Heeke

Contributions approved

In addition to approving the personnel report, the school board approved several contributions, including $3,815 from the Barton County Pool Endowment Fund to the Activities Department for three touch pads for the Barton Community College swimming pool. The fund is maintained by the Golden Belt Community Foundation and its primary purpose is to provide support to BCC to sustain the indoor pool, equipment and related programs. The USD 428 swim teams utilize the pool.

Other contributions approved by the board were:

• $1,000 from Wheatland Electric to the Vocational Technology Club (VTC)

• $250 from High Plains Farm Credit to the FFA Scholarship Fund

• $200 from Cary Henry to Jefferson Elementary to purchase personal hygiene products.