April 2026 Awards Release

Two Olathe Student Athletes Named Kansas Gatorade Players of the Year

Eve Long of Olathe South High School has been named the 2025-26 Gatorade Kansas Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year. The honor recognizes her outstanding athletic performance, academic achievement and character on and off the court, distinguishing her as the top girls’ basketball player in Kansas for the season.

On the boys’ side, Sam Simmons Jr. of Olathe North High School has been selected as the 2025-26 Gatorade Kansas Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year. The award highlights his excellence in athletics, academics and leadership, recognizing him as the state’s premier boys’ basketball player for the 2025-26 season.

Three Olathe Students Earn Perfect ACT Scores

Anjali Krishnakumar of Olathe North High School, Joshua Golant of Olathe Northwest High School and Connor Johnson of Olathe West High School each earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, an achievement reached by a small percentage of test takers nationwide.

The milestone reflects exceptional academic preparation and performance, placing all three students among the highest-achieving ACT test takers in the country.

Olathe Students Advance to National Merit Finalist Standing

All 19 Olathe high school seniors previously named National Merit semifinalists have advanced to Finalist standing in the National Merit Scholarship Program, marking significant academic achievement and a point of pride for their schools and community.

• Olathe East High School: Elijah Humble, Jack Kennedy
• Olathe North High School: Katherine Chang, Alexander Hanisch, Drake Heimsoth, Aiden Johnson, Arshika Sri Kanna, Arielle Li, Garrett Li, Dominic Marroquin, Bennett Morris, Hrithik Ranganathan, Gavin Winsor
• Olathe Northwest High School: Brady Uden, Samantha Fuller
• Olathe South High School: Nicholas Hammond, Jack Muder
• Olathe West High School: Aiden Strohm, Hayden Renoux

IPMA Silver Award Recognizes “’Twas the Week Before Winter Break” Publication

Congratulations to our Graphic Communications team for winning a Silver distinction in this year’s International Printing and Mail Awards (IPMA) for its “’Twas the Week Before Winter Break” booklet, recognized for its creative design and enhanced visual elements. The publication features dark blue snowflakes printed with clear ink, adding a distinctive and dynamic effect to the final piece.

The recognition highlights the team’s strong design work, collaboration and attention to detail, and clearly shows the effort that went into producing a high-quality publication.

Olathe Seniors Awarded Record Number of HDF Scholarships

Forty-eight high school seniors have been awarded a total of $78,500 in Hispanic Development Fund (HDF) scholarships. This is the largest group of recipients since the program began supporting the Olathe community. Each scholarship will be matched by the student’s college of choice, further expanding the impact this investment will have on their postsecondary plans.

At Olathe North, families gathered to celebrate the students’ achievements at a ceremony that highlighted their hard work and dedication. This event was a meaningful opportunity to recognize both their academic success and the perseverance they have shown throughout their high school career.

District Educators Named Kansas Teacher of the Year and ESU Master Teacher Semifinalists

Congratulations to our district semifinalists for the Kansas Teacher of the Year and ESU Master Teacher awards, recognizing outstanding educators for their impact in the classroom and commitment to student success.

Kansas Teacher of the Year Semifinalists include:

Elementary: Lindsay Frack (Art, Prairie Center), Sarah Jost (Grade 2, Westview), Laura Warren (Center-Based Resource, Madison Place)

Secondary: Cameron Hunt (English Language Arts, Olathe Northwest High School), Melissa Kinzer (Biology, Olathe East High School), Alisha Morris (Theater, Olathe West High School)

ESU Master Teacher Semifinalists include:

Elementary: Kim Buenger (Early Childhood Education, Harmony Early Childhood Center), Amanda Doll (English Language Learning, Tomahawk), Elizabeth Knowles (English Language Learning, Ravenwood)

Secondary: Jonathan Eshnaur (Resource, Olathe Northwest), Breanna Francis (Social Studies, Olathe East), Marc Gibbens (English Language Arts, Olathe South High School)

These educators may advance to district finalist consideration in their respective award categories. The district congratulates all nominees and semifinalists for their dedication and the meaningful impact they make on students every day.

Olathe Students Shine at Final Math Wings Competition of 2025–26 School Year

The final Math Wings competition of the 2025–26 school year was held April 7 at Olathe North High School, bringing together elementary math teams for a strong finish to the season. The event featured highly competitive rounds with standout performances across grade levels, including two fifth-grade teams earning perfect scores to secure first place — an achievement not previously seen in the program.

Fourth grade results included first place for Briarwood Elementary School students Luke Hillen, Nathan Boyd and Wesley Jongenelen. Second place was earned by Sunnyside Elementary students Wei Wang, Benjamin Thielker and Logan Schurr, as well as two teams from Walnut Grove: Lucca Oleksy, Felix Risinger and Avery Vehlewald, and Cora Landwehr and Asha Hauschildt. Third place went to Ravenwood Elementary students Zaynab Talah, Grant Stromberg and Henry Borth, and Regency Place students Eddie Frederick, Grant Herman and Soraya Leslie.

Fifth grade results included first place finishes for Arbor Creek Elementary students Quentin Smith, Addison Baker and Riyansh Anumala, as well as Meadow Lane Elementary students Aarav Madaiah, Immanuel Mathew and Madden Schamberger. Second place went to Prairie Center Elementary students Madison Dennis and Emery Brigman, and third place was earned by Green Springs Elementary students Gibson Lucke, Carter Brown and Ruby Velleca.

The district congratulates all participating students and coaches for their hard work, teamwork and strong representation throughout the Math Wings season.

Meadow Lane Teacher Selected for Midwest STEM Alliance Teacher Corps; Students Recognized at Greater Kansas City Science Fair

Shae Menner, a fifth grade teacher at Meadow Lane Elementary School, has been selected as one of six Kansas educators named to the Midwest STEM Alliance Teacher Corps. The recognition honors teacher leaders chosen to support innovative STEM instruction across the region.

The project focuses on exploring how a multiple literacies approach can improve the quality of science education in elementary schools. The Midwest STEM Alliance will support teachers in integrating science, mathematics and English Language Arts based on the Next Generation Science Standards, while promoting meaningful and responsive sensemaking experiences through transdisciplinary approaches to science teaching. Menner was recognized for her commitment to engaging students from diverse backgrounds in inquiry-based science learning.

In addition to her selection, Meadow Lane students in Menner’s classroom also earned recognition at the Greater Kansas City Science Fair. Fifth grade students Ahaan Sharan and Spencer Puppe competed in the Intermediate Physics & Astronomy category with their project, “Stranger Falls: The Effect of Drop Height on Free-Fall Time.” The students earned a Gold Ribbon, a Blue (Division Winner) Ribbon and placed second in their category, demonstrating strong application of scientific inquiry and experimental design.

Olathe North Students Earn Top Honors at Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair

Seniors in the Olathe North High School Distinguished Scholars Science and Geoscience academies presented their Capstone research projects at the Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair held at Union Station.

Olathe North High School had 28 students enter projects, earning 22 Gold awards and six Silver awards, reflecting a strong overall performance across both academies.

Division winners (first, second or third place in their category) include Olathe North students Arshika Sri Kanna, Dominic Marroquin, Gabriel Mozingo, Colleen Schroeber, Jacob Stuckey and Alice Heisel.

Special Award winners, recognized by various metro-area organizations, include Olathe North students Katherine Chang, Faith Sandberg, Olivia Noland, Ethan Derr, Jacob Stuckey and Alice Heisel.

The district extends its warmest congratulations to all participating students for their exceptional research, professionalism in presenting their work, and the pride they brought to Olathe North throughout the regional competition.

Summit Trail Teacher Selected as Catalyst Classroom Educator for National Civic Engagement Contest

Amy Walker, a social studies teacher at Summit Trail Middle School, has been selected as a Catalyst Classroom educator for the SUNN + USA TODAY “Fly Your Flag” contest, a nationwide civic engagement initiative tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Catalyst Classroom teachers are chosen for their commitment to student excellence and their ability to inspire thoughtful, high-quality student work. In this role, Walker will guide students as they design flag submissions representing their vision of America, with selected works eligible for national showcase through SUNN and USA TODAY platforms.

Olathe Public Schools Students Named 2026 Kansas Career and Technical Education Scholars

The Kansas State Department of Education has announced that 70 Olathe Public Schools seniors have earned recognition as 2026 Kansas Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholars. The announcement was made during the Kansas State Board of Education meeting on April 14, honoring students who demonstrate excellence in career and technical education pathways across the district.

The Kansas CTE Scholar designation recognizes well-rounded seniors who have completed rigorous coursework in a single CTE pathway, maintained a strong CTE GPA, and demonstrated either civic engagement or community service, along with technical skill attainment through industry credentials, work-based learning, or postsecondary coursework. Scholars receive a commemorative pin, certificate, graduation honor cord and statewide recognition.

• Olathe East High School: Adelynn Bartlett, Reagan Brown, Madeline Burke, Emyrald Dabdee, Adyson Dawson, Ryleigh Forshee, Josie Hansen, Ayessa Arriah Hernaez,  TaJohn Hill-Robinson, Brayden Hoffman, Eli Humble, Harkiran Kaur, RJ Lane, Maya McClain, Caydence McGory, Madisynn Milstead, Lamia Mohammed Seghir, Alene Moles, Clara Plumer, Kenna Ratzlaff, Riley Routhieaux, Cameron Sommerfeld, Rebecca Truitt, Mya Unruh, Audra West
• Olathe North High School: Ritadj Sadat
• Olathe Northwest High School: Kina Amin, Connor Byers, Carter Coad, Maya Dawson, Paige Dummermuth, Abigael Mekuria, Abigail Monson, Chloe Sales, Kali Spiezio, Andrew Urban
• Olathe South High School: Elvin Roshan Balan, Zach Bishop, Aaron Bortz, Gabriel Bryant, MaKayla Edmondson, Nicholas Hammond, Jack Muder, Garrett Nielsen, Alexis Montgomery, Arvindh Sriram, Kimberly Teeter
• Olathe West High School: Kaylee Bradford, Karley Brooks, Rylee Donelan, Leslie Duran, Sophie Garey, Hailey Granger, Emelia Greenlee, Amy Helm, Annia Jablonowski, Seth McDaniel, Devon Miles, Brooke Morgan, Trevor Nelson, Emma Pogorek, Nolan Quinn, Nadia Ramirez, Ashley Rodriguez-Beltran, Abby Sitek, Katelyn Smart, Aubrey Thull, Thomas Toth, Reia Waliser

Olathe East Students Excel at TSA Conference

Olathe East High School students earned top placements across multiple events at a recent Technology Student Association (TSA) conference, a statewide competition that challenges students in STEM-related fields including engineering, design, problem-solving and leadership.

• Yusuf Baig: first — Board Game
• Lilly Brooker: second — Architectural Design
• Corbin Bradwell: first — Tech Bowl, Architectural Design
• Lia Bridgeforth: fourth — Tech Problem Solving
• Natalie Darling: first — Forensic Science
• Lila Devore: fifth — Photo Technology
• Radyance Humphery: first — Board Game
• Eva Hoschouer: second — Architectural Design
• Ara Karbasi: first — Tech Bowl, Forensic Science, Architectural Design, Fashion
• Lauren Kingston: first — Fashion, Architectural Design; fourth — Tech Problem Solving; fifth — CAD Architectural Drafting
• Neil Patrao: first — Tech Bowl, Architectural Design
• Casey Robinson: first — Board Game; fourth — CAD Architectural Drafting
• Viviana Romero: first — CAD Architecture; second — Architectural Design
• Saffie Senghore: first — Fashion, Board Game; second — Architectural Design; fifth — Tech Problem Solving
• Emily Wyatt: second — Architectural Design; fifth — Tech Problem Solving

TSA is a national student organization that supports middle and high school students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through competitive events, students apply classroom learning to real-world challenges, build leadership skills and collaborate with peers from across the state.