Board Meeting Recap: New superintendent announcements, recent recognitions and upcoming events

The district held its first board meeting of the month on Feb. 12, where they announced the newly appointed superintendent, recognitions, awards and upcoming events.

The current Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, Dr. Michael Scumacher was named the new superintendent.

“I recognize the importance of the role that you selected me for and the trust you have shown in me, and I do not take it lightly,” Schumacher said in the meeting. “I believe deeply that public education is the great equalizer in this country and the Shawnee Mission School District is a shining example of the unlimited possibilities that exist when great people work together to serve the needs of students.”

They went on to congratulate recent recognitions within the district. Shawnee Mission West English teacher Jeri Conley received an honor for new teachers from Kansas State University. Shawnee Mission North Journalism Advisor Becky Tate received the Linda S. Puntley Teacher Inspiration Award — an award to advisors who’ve inspired others to teach journalism. The last award was given to Shawnee Mission Education Foundation’s Business to Education Program Officer Laura Harsch who was presented with the NextGen Navigator recognition — an award for outstanding Real World Learning work.

The board concluded the meeting by discussing upcoming district events. They first announced the 2024 R&D Forum Student Showcase. The deadline to submit for the showcase is March 29 and includes student-created projects, experiments, research or art projects. The board also announced that the 2024-25 transfer window — a period of time when a student can apply to transfer from their home school to a Shawnee Mission school — is now open and closes Feb. 28. More information can be found here.

More information and schedules for future meetings can be found here.