2016-2017Number of students in mobile classrooms - 252

2020-2021 (projected)Number of students in mobile classrooms - 866

2016-2017Number of mobile classrooms needed to maintain current class sizes - 14

2020-2021 (projected)Number of mobile classrooms needed to maintain current class sizes - 68

= 10 students

‘91-92 ‘95-96 ‘01-02 ‘05-06 ‘11-12 ‘15-16

11,11110,299

9,6489,171

8,2207,332

= 1 mobile classroom

‘16-17

11,287

“For educational, financial and safety reasons, we will not consider mobile or other temporary classrooms as a long-term solution to growth in enrollment or programs.” - District’s Long-Term Planning Criteria — Dec. 5, 2014

Building Successful Futures • Each Student • Every Day

Plaza Middle School (above), Park Hill High School, Tiffany Ridge Elementary, Chinn Elementary and Congress Middle School are using mobile classrooms to maintain current class sizes, but the district’s long-term plan does not consider mobile classrooms as a long-term solution to 33 straight years of steady enrollment growth.

Park Hill’s Plan Addresses GrowthDistrict Enrollment

33 years of steady enrollment growth

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER EDITION

onnectionCwww.parkhill.k12.mo.us

Park News Worth Knowing District Info That Could Affect Your FamilyHigh School SpaceThe Board approved a proposal for accommodating enrollment growth at our high schools. A committee of educators, parents, students and community members worked on the proposal, which includes expanding programming into leased instructional space and building an Innovation Center.

Land PurchaseThe district closed on a $1.54 million contract to purchase 41.7 acres of land located at the southwest corner of NW 56th Street and North Northwood Road in Kansas City, Missouri. The land acquisition fulfills a commitment made by the Board as part of a $49.5 million no-tax-increase bond issue that passed with over an 80 percent “yes” vote in 2011. The ballot language in that election specifically authorized “the purchase of land.”

Architectural ServicesThe Board authorized Dr. Jeanette Cowherd, superintendent, to negotiate a contract with Hollis + Miller for architectural services. Growing enrollment means the district will need the architectural services to support the district’s long-range facilities plan, even if the plan’s timeline changes in the future. The Board will review the contract at a later date.

For the latest, most up-to-date news about the Park Hill School District, subscribe to our email newsletter, follow us online or watch our TV broadcasts. See the back page for more information.

Straight from the Superintendent

Park Hill

Hill

Dear Park Hill Community,

Our district has experienced steady 1.5 percent to 2 percent growth for 33 straight years. This year is no exception. The official enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year is 11,287 students, which represents a 1.6 percent increase in student enrollment. In the 2015-2016 school year, the district grew by 3.7 percent, the largest increase in our history.

The installation of mobile classrooms provides temporary classroom space. Fourteen mobile classrooms were added to the following schools: Park Hill High School, Congress Middle School, Tiffany Ridge Elementary, Chinn Elementary and Plaza Middle School.

Mobile class rooms are not, and never were meant to be, a long-range solution. The infographics on the cover page show the current number of students using the mobile classrooms, the projected number of students, and the mobile units needed to address continued growth.

Fortunately, the enrollment-based long-range facility plan adopted in 2015 offers a blueprint on how we will address both crowding and our need to expand course offerings. The plan identifies the need to add two elementary schools and a new middle school. At the high school level, a four-phase, enrollment-based proposal has been approved by the Board to provide additional space and innovative programs needed to accommodate student growth. We also need to address the need for additional space for our support services program.

I am proud of our efforts to accurately anticipate and provide for steady growth. Our plans are on our website at http://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/ and ready for public review. Thanks again for taking the time to inform yourself and those around you on the district’s preparations to continue to Build Successful Futures – Each Student – Every Day!

Sincerely,

Jeanette CowherdSuperintendent

Dr. Jeanette Cowherd Park Hill Superintendent

Park Hill School District • Building Successful Futures • Each Student • Every Day

National Merit Scholars The district’s 2017 National Merit Semi-Finalists are Brett Francis and Sarah Komar from Park Hill South High School and Kelly Decker, Korinne Masters and Dayten Rose from Park Hill High School. The National Merit Commended Scholars are Nathaniel Cline, Colleen Cogley, Kayla Decker, Mahan Hadjian, Hunter Lund and Chandler To from PHHS and Aidan Leiker and Nicklaus King from PHS.

Volleyball Academic AwardThe PHHS volleyball team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Team Academic Award. The honor recognizes the team for keeping a 3.4 cumulative team grade-point average. PHHS is among 260 high school girls teams in the nation to receive the award. The team members include Lexi Reneau, junior; Kai Welsh, junior; Chelsea Edwards, senior; Tyah Barnett, senior; Madison Michaelis, junior; and Kayla Huffman, junior; and graduates Bre Rodgers, Sabrina Corley, Brooke Albracht, Gabby Sweeney, Kate Safford and Kennedi Dorrell. Coach Lindsey Hood is the head coach of the PHHS volleyball team.

Soccer Academic AwardThe 2015-2016 PHHS girls and boys soccer teams earned the Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for maintaining at least a 3.25 grade-point average. Nationwide, 388 teams earned the honor. PHHS is one of only 47 schools nationwide to receive the award for both girls and boys teams. The girls earned a 3.95 GPA, and the boys team earned a 3.77 GPA. Visit http://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/ for the full list of students.

All-District Choir Several Park Hill School District choir students are members of this year’s all-district choirs. The all-district choir, women’s honor choir and men’s honor choir will perform Jan. 21 at Staley High School. Visit http://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/ for the full list of students.

PTA Awards: Two elementary schools in the Park Hill School District earned the 2016-2018 National PTA Schools of Excellence award. Prairie Point Elementary and Union Chapel Elementary are among four schools in Missouri and 173 nationally to receive the honor. The award recognizes leadership, accomplishments and strong, effective family-school partnerships. Union Chapel PTA Vice President Kyla Yamada (left) and President Shannon Burns and Prairie Point PTA Co-Presidents Jessica Mayberry and Layla Barbur lead the PTA groups.

Broadcast AwardThe PHS 2015-2016 “South Side Scoop” broadcast is a national finalist for the Pacemaker award from the National Scholastic Press Association. Reaching the finalist level for the fifth straight year, the program is one of 12 finalists. PHS earned the Pacemaker award in 2013. The 2015-2016 staff included Miranda Steczak, senior; Madison Flynn, junior; and graduates Jordan Bell, Ashton Dittmer, Tyler Espinosa, Kelly Green, Tyler Koch, Connor Locke, Ashley Pasley, Caleb Seymour, Kyle Sims and Nehal Sutariya.

Protecting YouthPHS senior Madelyn Judah met with Senator Roy Blunt and Senator Claire McCaskill earlier this summer as part of an anti-tobacco leadership workshop, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Serving as the co-chair of Youth With Vision, Judah talked with the senators about protecting youth from newer tobacco products.

Reaching for Excellence PHHS recent graduate Jordan Elder was recognized as FOX 4’s Reaching 4 Excellence student of the week for her journalism and advocacy work at PHHS.

Athletes of the Year PHS senior Olivia Kinsey earned Gatorade’s Missouri Softball Player of the Year award, and PHHS recent graduate Chris Nilsen earned Gatorade’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year award.

Pentagon Artwork Project Share, Nature, Act, Perserve chose art students at Hawthorn Elementary to make art that will be on display at the Pentagon.

PLAYFUL PAWS: During their intramural time, students from Lakeview Middle School sewed toys for dogs and cats at the Kansas City Pet Project.

District Success Stories

Park Hill School District • Building Successful Futures • Each Student • Every Day

Building Successful Futures • Each Student • Every Day

In an effort to keep the community informed, the “Park Hill Connection” goes to every home in the Park Hill School District, even those without students in our schools. Thank you for your support of your community’s schools!

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Calendar:Nov. 10 Board meeting

Nov. 17 District Council PTA meeting

Nov. 18 Christmas on the River

Nov. 23-25 Thanksgiving break

Dec. 8 Board meeting

Dec. 20 First day to file for the Board of Education

Dec. 22 End of first semester; half day

Dec. 23-Jan. 3 Winter break

Get Connected: Our website has lots of ways for you to engage with Park Hill schools. Find them all at www.parkhill.k12.mo.us.

Social MediaFollow the district’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

First Hand E-mail News Get district news and highlights from Board meetings.

First Hand MobileGet text message alerts about weather and emergencies.

Park Hill TV See our videos on YouTube and Time Warner Cable channel 18.

Online Comment Portal Share your comments, suggestions for improvement and even your compliments.

Around the District:

Russell Jones Education Center students Ava Sessions and Peyton Kelley helped the Tooth Wizard and Tooth Fairy remove plaque during a performance from Delta Dental’s Land of Smiles program.

English Landing first graders Siena Leatherbury and Kai Dahl worked together to build a new bridge for the “Three Billy Goats

Gruff” using MakerSpace tools. The students studied different versions of the fairytale, and they connected literature and

STEM skills to create a new bridge.