“Our location right outside the Kansas City Metro Area is a huge advantage for us,” shares Dr. Ben Pretz, Director of Teaching and Learning. “We are a high socio-economic community with a lot of growth, and a lot of subdivisions coming in, but probably the primary reason people move here is the school district in and of itself.” A DEDICATED COMMUNITY Much of Basehor-Linwood’s success can be attributed to the people who are engaged in the district’s initiatives, from parents to business partners. “The community is very involved here with the school district,” says Superintendent Chris Vignery.“We don’t have a lot of businesses in town, but the majority of them are involved one way or another.” Through partnerships such as the Basehor-Linwood Education Foundation, locals help generate more than $30,000 annually for high school scholarships and teacher classroom grants. Another community support system is BLAS, the Basehor-Linwood Assistance Services organization. “They serve families specifically in our school district,” explains Ashley Razak, Director of Communications. “They help out with food and clothing, and utilities. If a student were to become homeless overnight, they would help out with a hotel room for the family. It’s a huge community support for us.” Razak also emphasizes the importance of family engagement at Basehor-Linwood. “The parents are involved more so than in surrounding districts,” she remarks. “Our parents are great. They want to be in our schools and experience these things with their kids.” GROWTH BRINGS OPPORTUNITY Like many districts, Basehor-Linwood faces its share of challenges. “Our first and foremost is budget,” Vignery acknowledges.“It’s been a challenging time, and we have had to cut some spending. The one main thing that we have not cut is opportunities for kids.” Even in the face of these financial pressures, the focus remains on strengthening the offerings available to students and staff.“We’ve passed three bond issues in the last 10 years,” adds Pretz. “So we have to find a way to sustain the growth equitably while being fiscally responsible to the community and meet the needs of our students.” With this in mind, Basehor-Linwood is currently enhancing its Early Learning Center, adding eight 229 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 BASEHOR-LINWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
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