Winter 2026 Awards

Rachel Swearengin Named Kansas History Teacher of the Year

Regency Place Elementary fifth grade teacher Rachel Swearengin has been named the 2026 Kansas Council for History Education Teacher of the Year. She was recognized during the Kansas Social Studies Conference on Feb. 21 in Topeka. Swearengin continues to earn recognition for her work in social studies education. In 2023, she was named the Gilder Lehrman Kansas History Teacher of the Year and a national finalist for the award. Last year, she also published “Making Time for Social Studies: A Four-step Process for Unit Planning in the Elementary Classroom.” Swearengin is known for her innovative teaching and commitment to helping elementary students engage deeply with history.

Health Services Team Receives $18,000 Grant

Olathe Public Schools Health Services has received an $18,000 Legacy Grant for Student Health from AcruxKC to support student hearing screenings. The grant will fund three audiometer/tympanometer machines and two portable audiometers to expand hearing screening and testing services for approximately 600 OPS students. AcruxKC awards health grants to address critical medical and behavioral health needs for students and communities in the bi-state Kansas City region.

Educators Receive Statewide Recognition

Two Olathe Public Schools educators have been honored with Kansas State High School Activities Association / National Federation of State High School Associations Outstanding Educator Awards.

Outstanding Music Educator: Martha Gabel, our district’s fine arts coordinator, has been named the Outstanding Music Educator. Gabel has served our district since 2006, leading more than 200 educators across music, theater and visual arts. Under her leadership, Olathe has repeatedly been recognized as one of the Best Communities for Music Education. Gabel has also served in leadership roles with the Kansas Music Educators Association and the National Association for Music Education, including as KMEA president and Southwestern Division president. She has helped shape music education statewide through her work revising Kansas music standards and establishing the KMEA All-State Elementary Choir.

Middle School Theatre Outstanding Educator Award: Sarah Ackerman, theater teacher at Oregon Trail Middle School, has received the Middle School Theatre Outstanding Educator Award. Ackerman has built an inclusive and innovative theater program where students participate in quarterly one-act plays, as well as annual musicals and mainstage productions. She also launched initiatives such as the Amplify LatinX Voices Playwriting Residency, which secured a $10,000 grant to commission an original play written by students and mentored by a Latin playwright. Ackerman collaborates closely with Autism, CBR and English Language Learner teams to ensure theater opportunities are accessible to all students. Her work creates a supportive environment where students build confidence, creativity and community through the arts.

Students Earn Top Honors at MATHCOUNTS Competition

Olathe Public Schools students earned top placements at the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers Eastern Chapter MATHCOUNTS Competition held Feb. 3 in Overland Park. Two Olathe students placed in the top 10 individually. Sion Park, an eighth grader from Summit Trail Middle School, finished in 10th place, and Vihaan Sripathi, a seventh grader from California Trail Middle School, placed eighth. California Trail Middle School also earned fourth place in the team competition, highlighting the strong performance of our students in mathematics.

Educators Rising Students Qualify for National Conference

Seven Olathe Public Schools students and teams have qualified to compete at the Educators Rising National Conference, scheduled for June 19–23 in Portland, Oregon. Olathe East High School students earned their spots through top finishes at the state competition. Khloe Luckey and Deja De Anda placed first in Project Visualize Service Learning. Izzy Liang and Avah Dunn earned first place in Researching Learning Challenges. Nia Ndumbu placed first in Interactive Bulletin Board Secondary (JV). Brooklyn Bowers and Madisynn Milstead finished second in Inside Our Schools. The national conference brings together future educators from across the country to showcase their work and explore careers in education.

Association Honors Two Olathe Public Schools Leaders

Two Olathe Public Schools leaders have been recognized by the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for their leadership in school athletics.

Matt Johnson, district director of athletics and activities, has been named the 2026 Kansas Athletic Director of the Year. Johnson was first selected as the Class 6A Athletic Director of the Year before being chosen by the KIAAA Past President Advisory Council as the statewide honoree.

Andrew Miller, assistant principal and athletic director at Olathe South High School, has received the 2026 Dr. Art Newcomer Promising Athletic Director Award. The award recognizes outstanding athletic administrators early in their careers who demonstrate strong leadership and service to school activities programs.

Olathe North Students Earn Regional Journalism Honors

Several Olathe North High School students earned awards at the 2026 Kansas Scholastic Press Association Regional Journalism Contest, which recognized outstanding student journalism from more than 1,800 entries statewide.

Students competed in 27 categories across classifications based on geography and school size. Students who placed in the top six in their categories advanced to the state contest.

The following Olathe North students earned regional honors:

• Ryan Rutto — 1st place, Sports Media Portrait Photography
• Jennifer Arcia-Ramos — 2nd place, Social Media
• Landon Batten — 2nd place, Sports Feature Photography
• Kaylana Gray — 5th place, Sports Feature Photography
• Emma Freeman — 6th place, Sports Action Photography

The Kansas Scholastic Press Association regional contest challenges students to demonstrate journalism skills through deadline writing and prompt-based content creation. Students will now advance to the state contest, where top finishers will compete for statewide recognition and school sweepstakes honors.

Educators Receive NFHS Performing Arts Awards

Fine Arts Coordinator Martha Gabel has been named the 2026 National Federation of State High School Associations Outstanding High School Music Educator Section 5 Award recipient. Gabel, who leads over 200 music, theater and visual arts educators, has helped Olathe earn repeated recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education and has influenced arts education statewide and nationally through leadership roles with Kansas Music Educators Association and National Association for Music Education. She was one of only two Kansas educators honored this year.

Olathe South High School band director Chad Coughlin was also honored as one of four 2026 inductees into the Music Education Hall of Fame, celebrating his outstanding career and dedication to student musicians.

The NFHS awards recognize educators for exceptional leadership, dedication, and impact in music, theater and speech/debate.

Students Excel at 2026 KC BizFest Conference

Olathe Public Schools sent 14 students, the largest group from any KC metro district to the 2026 KC BizFest Conference Feb. 25–28 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The four-day event gave students hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, leadership, financial literacy and public speaking.

OPS students excelled in business plan presentations, with three students finishing in the top six and earning automatic college scholarships. Jasmin Marin Ramirez, a junior at Olathe South High School, won 1st place overall with her business SoundBridge3D, which 3D prints orchestra instruments as a cost-effective alternative to traditional instruments. Emily Mendez-Luis, junior at Olathe North High School, placed 2nd overall, and Bruno Cinelli da Silva, senior at Olathe Northwest High School, placed 4th overall.

Additional honors recognized OPS students’ leadership and creativity:

• Isaac Fairchild, Olathe Northwest — Most Entrepreneurial
• Jonathan Zapata, Olathe West High School — Most Courageous
• Erika Sanchez, Olathe North — Most Congenial

All OPS students maintained 100% attendance, making them eligible for KC BizFest scholarships at sponsoring area colleges. We applaud their hard work, innovation and professionalism throughout the conference.

Kim Dahl Receives Literacy Legacy Award

Kim Dahl has been honored with the Literacy Legacy Award from Kansas State University, presented by Dr. Ambyr Rios. Dahl is only the second recipient to receive this prestigious award, recognizing her outstanding contributions to literacy and education.

"Kim Dahl’s dedication to advancing literacy is truly inspiring,” Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tim Reves said. “Her innovative work and unwavering commitment to education have left a lasting impact on countless learners in Olathe, making her a most deserving recipient of the Literacy Legacy Award."

Middle Schools Featured in National Yearbook Competition

Santa Fe Trail Middle School and Indian Trail Middle School have been recognized in the 2026 Jostens Look Book for outstanding yearbook design. Selected from over 1,200 submissions nationwide, this honor reflects the dedication of each school’s yearbook adviser and student staff.

“The Jostens Look Book showcases the hard work and dedication of students who tell the story of the school year through photos and words. It is their collaboration and communication, as well as creative thinking in challenging situations, that results in the fine designs shown in this book,” said Kristen Scott, yearbook marketing senior manager at Jostens. “We are very proud to celebrate the ability of this country’s future leaders and communicators by showcasing their sophisticated designs and photography.”

Students Excel at HOSA and SkillsUSA Competitions

Olathe Public Schools students earned top honors at recent HOSA, SkillsUSA and ProStart competitions, showcasing their skills in healthcare, technical, culinary and trade programs.

ProStart Highlights:

• Culinary Arts Team – 2YA: Congratulations to our team for advancing to Nationals!

HOSA Highlights:

• 1st Place: Kaia Gant, Shae Wessel (EMT/Team Event); Izabella Young (Interviewing Skills); Riley Routhieaux (Leadership)
• Top 10: Alexandra Hayden, Devyn Zimmerman (CPR/First Aid); Elizabeth Ayala-Mendoza, Hanna Seibel (EMT/Team Event); Neva Fritz, Mallory Grant, Mia Huber, Olivia Perry, Caroline Phelps, Elle Russell (Mental Health Promotion); Ritadj Sadat (Nurse Assisting); Taylor Golden (Math for Healthcare Professionals)

SkillsUSA Highlights:

• 1st Place: Emily Echeverry (First Aid/CPR); Nicholas Rotert (Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair); Elliot Barber (Nurse Assisting); Gavin Hester (Related Technical Math); Carter Coad (Plumbing)
• 2nd Place: Jonah Liddell (Electronics Technology); Brody Mueller (First Aid/CPR)
• 3rd Place: Brody Mueller (Medical Math); Sam Dickey (Automotive Maintenance & Light Repair); Wyatt Blair (Related Technical Math); Brayden Wagoner, Santos Nevarez, Leif Larson (Welding Fabrication Team)
• 4th Place: Lamia Mohammed Seghir (Electronics Technology); Yandel Pina Melendez (Welding Sculpture)

These achievements reflect our students’ dedication, leadership and technical skills across healthcare, career and technical education and culinary programs.

Students Honored at JCCC Nerman Museum Pop-Up Showcase

For the second consecutive year, Johnson County Community College’s Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art partnered with the Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club to host a Pop-Up Showcase and Scholarship Reception on March 5. The event included visits from JCCC President Dr. Tony Miksa and Provost Dr. Mickey McCloud.

The showcase highlighted six outstanding Olathe student leaders — three seniors and three juniors/sophomores — recognized for their leadership and artistic talent. Students were joined by their families to celebrate their achievements.

Award recipients included:

• Ashley Pichardo, Olathe Northwest High School — $1,500 scholarship to JCCC
• Valeria Vasquez Gutierrez, Olathe North – $500 scholarship to JCCC
• Eric Vasquez, Olathe North – $750 grant for Bike Club projects
• Yamilet Martinez Vega, Olathe North – $500 grant for Bike Club projects
• Josue Jacobo Ibarra, Olathe West High School — $250 grant for Bike Club projects

OPS celebrates these students’ leadership, creativity and contributions to the community and looks forward to continuing this partnership with the Nerman Museum.