Ft. Larned USD 495 is proud to announce that we have received notice of our continued accreditation status from the Kansas State Department of Education. We would like to thank our educators, students, and community, as this is a significant achievement for our schools and district as a whole that wouldn’t be possible without their contributions.
All public schools in the state of Kansas are required to participate in the state accreditation process. To gain this official recognition, our schools underwent a comprehensive five-year evaluation that was measured by the accreditation model called Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA). Accreditation status is a reflection of our district’s commitment to meeting high standards of quality and effectiveness. USD 495’s status is effective July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028.
The Accreditation Review Council shared the areas that we can focus on for continuous improvement, that is chronic absenteeism, increase state assessment scores, and improve graduation and post-secondary effectiveness rates. All of these align with the same goals we have written in the USD 495 strategic plan which was adopted by our Board of Education in the summer of 2022.
At the beginning of this process, the state of Kansas required our district to assemble an Outside Visitation Team to monitor and provide feedback. We are thankful for the collaboration with the following individuals: Brian Spencer - Pawnee Heights USD 496 Superintendent, Bill Keeley – Lacrosse USD 395 Superintendent, and OVT leader, Bill Day – Lyons USD 405 Superintendent. Additionally, we owe a tremendous amount of thanks to our KESA lead teachers: Jacque Wasinger, Lucia Hagerman, and Jarod Gingerich, as well as our building leadership teams and building administration.
This accomplishment is a true testament of the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and community members. Our work is never done, and we look forward to continuing to provide a high-quality education for our schools and the students who attend them.