KCK student named to dean’s list at Georgia State

Stan Park, Kansas City, Kansas, has been named to the fall dean’s list at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Students on the dean’s list have a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the semester and have completed at least nine semester hours of academic credit with no incomplete grades.

Nearly 52,000 students attend the urban public research university.

Applications being accepted for KCKCC Foundation Scholarships

The Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation has announced the fall 2018 scholarship application is now available.

KCKCC Foundation offers the following scholarships:

• Rita M. Ahart Nursing Scholarship – Nursing
• Dr. Lelia H. Alexander Memorial Scholarship – Nursing
• Asian American Chamber of Commerce Scholarship – General
• Dr. Reginald T. Buckner Memorial Jazz Scholarship – Music
• Etta Blanche Smith Dahlgren Scholarship – Education
• EMT Certification Minority Scholarship – EMT
• KCKCC Foundation Scholarship – General
• Paul and Fern Jewell Scholarship – Nursing and Business/Accounting
• Ralph McMorris Memorial Scholarship – Auto Mechanic/HVAC
• Juanita Miller Scholarship – Nursing/Health Care
• Philip W. Miller Memorial Scholarship – AHSS/Creative Writing
• William Nelson Nicoll Jr. Scholarship – Nursing
• George Powell Applied Technology Scholarship – TEC
• R.A. Long Scholarship – TEC
• Dorothy Rice Scholarship – Adult Education
• Dr. Karin Ogden Roberts Nursing Scholarship – KU/CC Nurse Partnership
• Rycken Memorial RRT Scholarship – Respiratory Therapy
• John Stocksen Memorial Scholarship – Business
• Frank and Doris Schlagle Scholarship – General
• Frances Speer Memorial Scholarship – Nursing
• Thomas and Teresa Sullivan Scholarship – Computer Information/Math
• Dorothy E. Swanson Mortuary Science Scholarship – Mortuary Science
• Clarence L. Turpin Trust Scholarship – Mathematics
• Vern’s Agape Nursing Scholarship – Nursing
• Wyandotte HS Class of 1955 Scholarship – Graduate of WHS
• Wyandotte County Association of Retired School Personnel Scholarship – Education

In addition, the KCKCC Foundation has announced a new scholarship for fall 2018. InTouch Solutions in Lenexa, Kan., recently donated $1,000 to the foundation to be used for student scholarships in education. Funds were raised during the Diwali celebration at InTouch Solutions in October 2017.

As a result, two $500 scholarships will be awarded. Criteria include:

• Students must be enrolled in an education program as determined by a KCKCC degree plan (early childhood, elementary or secondary education).
• Applicant may not hold a previous degree or certificate
• Student must have 80 or fewer college credit hours
• Minimum 3.0 GPA

The KCKCC Foundation Scholarship Application, Scholarship Criteria and On-line Instruction Sheet can be found on the foundation webpage at www.kckcc.edu/foundation/scholarships.

Complete applications and required documentation for non-TEC scholarships are due to KCKCC Foundation on or before Sunday, April 1, 2018. TEC scholarship applications are due on or before Monday, April 23, 2018.

Applicants should submit their applications as soon as possible so they can be notified if additional information or documentation is needed. Applications received with missing information or required documentation on the deadline date will not be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee. Applications and documentation can be submitted by email at [email protected] or delivered to our office on Main Campus, Mathematics 3500.

Piper school bond election to be Thursday, Feb. 22

Piper Public Schools voters will go to the polls Thursday, Feb. 22, to vote on a $35 million school bond issue.

“This is so crucial for our kids now, to help with overcrowding,” said Piper school board vice president Ashley Biondi. There is overcrowding at three school buildings currently, she said. “We have kids split between buildings, and having to travel between buildings.”

There is a modular unit at the middle school, and there are third-graders who are between two elementary buildings currently.

The new school bond issue would address the overcrowding and add more safety for the children, she said.

Housing permits in the Piper area have increased dramatically in recent years, Biondi said.

Many classes now number 26 to 28 students in the elementary building, and the bond issue would allow the district to keep the class sizes down as low as possible, she said, which is believed to matter in student achievement.

Good schools also are a reason many people cite for moving to a community.

“Quality schools help our community thrive,” Biondi said.

The weather, if it snows on Thursday, may play a role in the outcome of the election.

While she can’t predict the weather, Biondi said she would urge, regardless of the weather, that people get out and vote, if they have not already, because of the huge impact it will have on the community if the bond issue fails.

8 things you should know about the Piper school bond election on Thursday:

1. What’s on the ballot? A $35 million bond issue that will build a new elementary school, for third to fifth grades, at 131st and Leavenworth Road. Registered voters in the Piper Public Schools district may vote.

2. When is the election? The election is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at five voting locations in the Piper area, according to the Wyandotte County Election Commissioner’s website, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5a4bd4f1ec212d89879c2efa/1514919153183/Poll+Locations+-+USD+203+Bond+Election+022218+Alpha.pdf. Voters are assigned to polling places according to their ward and precinct numbers.

3. What are some of the features of the proposed school building? The center could have a flexible design, and could accommodate 800 or more students in two stories. It is the first phase of an expansion plan, and only the first phase is on the ballot. The new school building could open in 2020 if approved.

4. What would happen to the other schools if it is passed? West Elementary School would change into kindergarten through second grade levels; East Elementary School would be transformed into a sixth grade center; and Piper Middle School would be converted to a 7th and 8th grade center.

5. Why is the new building needed? According to district officials, there is currently overcrowding and a study has projected a 3.5 percent annual growth in enrollment in the future. New home building permits grew to 131 in 2016 and 196 in 2017. Without a new building, class sizes could increase from the current 26 to 28 students. Another modular building would have to be added if the bond issue does not pass.

6. What happened to a previous bond issue two years ago? Piper voters defeated a $67 million bond issue project two years ago, but this bond issue is smaller and would not cause as much of a tax increase as the previous proposal.

7. Will property taxes increase? Yes, about six mills, which is estimated to be about $15.07 per month on a $250,000 home, or less than 50 cents a day.

8. Where can I get more information on this bond issue? The Piper district website has a bond issue page at https://ks02212490.schoolwires.net/domain/137.

“8 things you should know about the Piper school bond election” is based on comments from Piper board vice president Ashley Biondi, Piper information, plus a previous Wyandotte Daily story on the Piper bond issue, at https://wyandotteonline.com/piper-district-plans-35-million-bond-election-for-new-school-in-february/.