Additionally, a major high school expansion will create space for 450 more students, adding 20 new classrooms, along with a standalone cafeteria, which will double as a FEMA shelter. “We used to have 500 students in our high school just 10 years ago,” Vignery notes. “We have 900 now. We just continue to grow, and it’s probably not going to slow down for a while.” EXCELLENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS Basehor-Linwood has experienced a remarkable shift in academic performance, as Pretz outlines,“Our state assessment scores are some of the highest in the state, specifically among 5A districts.” The district earned all seven Kansas Star awards this year, recognizing excellence in civic engagement, social-emotional learning, graduation rate, postsecondary success, kindergarten readiness, academic preparation, and individual plans of study. The introduction of the Innovation Academy has been at the heart of this achievement, offering students relatable, real-world learning opportunities. “That’s really a program that takes those standards from a traditional classroom, which is kind of the ‘sit and get’ philosophy, and it’s an opportunity for them to have real-world experiences at the high school level. Now we are transitioning that down to the middle school, and we’re really starting to get that into the elementary,” Pretz says. “So, you’re going to see a lot more STEM pathways using project-based learning as the approach for math, English, science, and even social studies.” Another component of this success is a strong focus on identifying student needs early and providing targeted support. “We’ve really changed our MTSS process,” Pretz expands. “We brought in specific interventions across our buildings at the K-8 level.” At the high school, the district has introduced the Bobcat Success Academy, a school within a school model paired with after-school programming and multiple learning pathways designed to support students at every stage. Basehor-Linwood also 231 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 BASEHOR-LINWOOD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
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