School has been canceled in K-12 public school districts on Thursday in Wyandotte County. The area is under an ice storm warning.
In the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School district, the schools, its district offices and the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Libraries will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 7.
The closure includes all KCKPS preschools, school bus services and meal services are canceled. It is Plan D under the district’s Inclement Weather Guide.
School also is canceled Thursday, Feb. 7, in the Turner Public Schools District.
The Piper School District also has canceled school and all activities for Thursday, Feb. 7, because of inclement weather.
There also is no school on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville school district, because of the inclement weather.
All Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening classes, Feb. 6, and activities on Wednesday, were canceled at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
KCKCC updated its closing announcement; all classes and activities are closed on Thursday because of the weather.
Evening classes at Donnelly College on Wednesday, Feb. 6, were canceled. Classes and activities on Feb. 7 at Donnelly also were canceled.
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and the regional RideKC transit system have announced that all bus and transit service will be suspended at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, because of hazardous road conditions.
Transit service on Thursday, Feb. 7, will not start until 8 a.m., including local and express service, and paratransit service.
For more information and updates, see www.RideKC.org.
Junior Braijion Barnes (4) went up against Washburn Rural’s Jordan White (15). (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Piper Pirates boys basketball team took second place in the Bobcat Invitational Basketball tournament on Friday night, losing 62-51 to Washburn Rural High School in the final game, which was moved earlier to stay ahead of the incoming winter storm.
A loss to the Junior Blues wasn’t inconceivable in this contest between two of Kansas’s best teams. Washburn Rural is fourth-ranked in class 6A for the biggest high schools, while Piper is the top-ranked school in class 4A.
Piper’s path to the final result was a rollercoaster ride, climbing to the peak of a 19-point halftime lead, and then suddenly plummeting as the Junior Blues took control in the third quarter.
Piper built their lead on great shooting and solid defense. Piper’s Ty Shelley, Trey Bates and Tamar Bates each hit two 3-pointers in the first half. The Pirates’ defense allowed Blues’ star Jordan White to collect 11 points in the half, but the rest of the Blues combined scored only 6.
In the second half, Washburn Rural opened with a heavy half-court press that seemed to catch Piper off guard. Washburn collected several steals that they returned for layups, and quickly brought their deficit back under 10.
Piper coach Toure Grimes called three timeouts within 3 1/2 minutes in the third quarter to try to steady the team, but the Blues’ run continued. They moved back in front in the closing seconds of the third quarter for a 41-40 lead, holding Piper to one made basket and 4 points in the quarter.
The Pirates steadied their offense in the fourth quarter, speeding up their passing to keep out of Washburn’s press, but they lacked their first half shooting touch and weren’t able to keep pace. White hit 6-of-6 free throws in the final minutes to seal Washburn’s win.
Piper defeated Basehor-Linwood and St. Joe Central on their path to the final. They’ll be back in action against Shawnee Heights on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
The Piper girls’ basketball team was also scheduled to play for the tournament championship on Friday evening, but their game, against St. Joe Central, was rescheduled due to weather. The game will be Tuesday evening in Piper.
Senior Trey Bates (1) drove in for a layup. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Braijion Barnes looked for a driving lane. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Sophomore Tamar Bates (14) went for a layup. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Trey Bates was announced under the spotlights before the game. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Piper head coach Toure Grimes encouraged his team during a timeout in the second half. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Sophomore Trey Bates (14) shouted as he was fouled on his way to the basket. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)The Piper cheerleaders performed stunts during a break in the action. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Junior Ty Shelley looked for an entry pass from the right corner. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)Junior Gabe Eskina (24) went up under the Washburn Rural defender. (Photo copyright 2019 by Brian Turrel)
Strong wind gusts blew the yellow construction hats off students’ heads at today’s groundbreaking for a new Piper intermediate school at 131st and Leavenworth Road. The school is planned for third through fifth grades. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)Piper students continued the groundbreaking with different construction hats in today’s groundbreaking for a new intermediate school at 131st and Leavenworth Road. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
by Mary Rupert
Wind gusts may have knocked the yellow plastic construction hats off future Piper intermediate students at Thursday’s school groundbreaking, but that wasn’t enough to impede the ceremony.
It was just another tiny setback in a five-year effort to build a new school. Piper broke ground today at 131st and Leavenworth Road.
Piper school district officials were quick to replace the kids’ yellow construction hats with heavier construction hats for adults. Winds were gusting to 28 mph Thursday afternoon, with a temperature of 41 and a wind chill of 33. Speeches for the event were held inside a tent at the site of the new school, with the wind whipping at the sides of the tent. More than 50 people attended.
Tim Conrad, Piper School District superintendent, noted that the voters approved this bond issue by a 70-30 margin. Voters approved the $35 million bond issue for the school last February. Two years before that, Piper voters defeated at $67 million school bond issue.
The new school at 131st and Leavenworth Road will be for third through fifth grades.
“In a sense, we’re giving this land to our kids in the future in Piper,” Conrad said. “In 17 months, this spot will be filled with laughter, with learning, with collaboration.”
The building is for the future of 700 children in the Piper district, he said. The district is celebrating its 100th graduating class this year, he added.
“We’re going to build the future, one child at a time,” Conrad said.
Jeb Vader, Piper school board president, said a dedicated group made it possible for this project to move forward. He also acknowledged the voters as being important in the school effort. It is a challenge in a Class 4A school district, he added.
“The construction of this new building will support the students in our continually growing school community by providing much-needed additional space, a safe and secure learning environment, and cooperative learning spaces to ensure our children continue to grow and succeed to the best of their ability,” Vader said. “We look forward to seeing this progress and are excited to open the doors to the Piper students in the fall of 2020.”
Darrell Yoder, from the Vote Yes Committee, recalled that the effort to build a new school started in 2013, but then faced a challenge after a bond issue vote failed in 2015.
“It was a little bit of a challenge,” he said. “With those challenges, the opportunities came to work in collaboration with the community.”
When the community did not support the bond effort for a new high school, the committee had to come back and work with the community to determine what it wanted.
“We were at a point where the students were here, we had to find a place for the children,” he said.
Selected students from the Piper classes of 2028, 2029 and 2030, who will be the first to attend classes at the intermediate school, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony today.
Officials who attended the groundbreaking included Unified Government Commissioners Mike Kane and Melissa Bynum, and State Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, D-36th Dist.
The groundbreaking ceremony continued today with Piper school district officials and committee members for the Piper bond issue project. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)A drawing of the Piper intermediate school was on display today at the groundbreaking ceremony at 131st and Leavenworth Road. “In a sense, we’re giving this land to our kids in the future in Piper,” Piper Superintendent TIm Conrad said. (Staff photo)Jeb Vader, Piper school board president, said a dedicated group made it possible for this school bond issue to move forward and for the new school to become a reality. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)Darrell Yoder, from the Vote Yes Committee, noted there were challenges in getting the new school plan approved by voters. “With those challenges, the opportunities came to work in collaboration with the community,” he said. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)More than 50 persons attended the groundbreaking ceremony today for a new school at 131st and Leavenworth Road. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert) More than 50 persons attended the groundbreaking ceremony today for a new school at 131st and Leavenworth Road. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)Students who participated in today’s groundbreaking ceremony represented the classes of 2028, 2029 and 2030 in the Piper school district. They posed for a photo at the groundbreaking ceremony. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
