We want to make you aware of how the ongoing federal government shutdown may impact school meal programs and to reassure you about what this means for your student.

As you may know, the federal government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1, which is the start of the federal fiscal year. The shutdown will end when Congress approves a budget or passes a short-term funding measure. That process appears to have started, but it’s unclear how long it will take to complete.

Here’s what this means for school meals right now:

School meals are continuing. Our cafeterias will stay open and continue serving breakfast and lunch. Programs such as the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are expected to keep operating during this shutdown.

Families who are experiencing a loss of income may now qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Many federal employees and contractors are currently not receiving pay. A sudden change in income (furlough, reduction in hours, etc.) may make your household eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, even if you did not qualify before. You can apply for meal benefits at any time during the school year. If your financial situation has changed, we strongly encourage you to complete a Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application. This helps ensure your student continues to have access to healthy meals at school.

SNAP (food assistance) is also being affected at the state level. Some families qualify for free or reduced meals due to being eligible for SNAP benefits. Missouri has indicated that it will not be approving new applications for SNAP benefits in November during the shutdown period. Families who already qualified for SNAP or similar programs such as TANF before November should remain eligible, and those students should continue to receive meal benefits at school.

Please be assured that we will continue to serve meals to students. We are monitoring federal and state guidance closely, and we will communicate with you if anything changes that directly affects students’ access to meals. There are resources available in our community for families that need support. We encourage you to contact your school if you would like to learn more.

Email our team if you have questions about meal eligibility. We know that unexpected financial stress can hit families quickly. Our top priority is making sure every KSD student has access to meals at school, every day. To help, please see the list of resources linked below that are available for families who need extra support. Thank you for your partnership on behalf of our students!

Kearney High School HOSA-Future Health Professionals students are teaming up with the Community Blood Center to host a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, in the old gym. Donors will get a free, Kansas City Chiefs-themed t-shirt and will be entered to win two tickets to the Chiefs' Christmas Day game with a free parking pass through the Community Blood Center.* Sign up at savealifenow.org/group and use group code 7H. For additional details, contact KHS teacher Kelsey Colwell at (816) 628-4585 ext. 31105 or colwellk@ksdr1.net

*Contest details may be found at savealifenow/sweepstakes.

Kearney Fire Department crew members visited the Kearney Early Education Center on Thursday, Nov. 13, to both have some fun with students and share important information about fire safety.

The program included an appearance by KFD's fire dog, Patches. The firefighters talked to the students about calling 911 whenever there is an emergency, having a family evacuation plan in case of a fire, and why they should never play with matches, lighters or candles. One of the crew members donned his firefighting gear while another talked about each piece of equipment. The students practiced their "Stop, Drop & Roll" response to a fire, and then got to get up close to a department pumper truck and ambulance. Kearney School District is grateful for everything that our KFD partners do to help keep our community safe 24-7!

Kearney High School Class of 2021 graduate Katie Byrd returned to her old stomping grounds today, Nov. 13, to talk with Kearney Junior High students about her work in local TV news.

Ms. Byrd was invited to speak to KJH teacher Molly Kuebler's digital media classes. Byrd graduated earlier this year from Northwest Missouri State University, where she focused on broadcast journalism and successfully completed job internships with Fox 4 and KCTV5. She's now a full-time reporter for KCTV5.

The Kearney High School Varsity Boys Swim & Dive team got a great send-off on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from their classmates, teachers and administrators on their way to the Class 1 State Championships, which will be held Nov. 13-14 in St. Louis. This year's state qualifiers include:

We're excited to see what these outstanding student-athletes accomplish at State! GO BULLDOGS!!!

It was a proud weekend for Kearney High School's Varsity Cross Country teams at the 2025 MSHSAA State Championships. 

The KHS girls placed 7th of 16 in a deep Class 4 field, our sixth straight trip to State and the program’s 30th appearance overall. Freshman Izzy Fowler led early and finished 32nd in 19:58, just two places shy of All-State. Senior Abbi McQuillen turned in her best State race, 44th in 20:34, with Daisy Burnam close behind at 20:44. Freshman Lenny Watts (54th, 20:54) and junior Drew Gustafson (55th, 20:54) crossed a thousandth of a second apart, and senior Jordin Vaughn delivered the clutch moment, 85th in 21:33 as our sixth runner, to edge a tie-breaker and secure seventh place. Seniors Abbi, Daisy, and Jordin finish a remarkable four-year run at State: 4th in 2022, 6th in 2023, 11th in 2024, and 7th in 2025.

On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs matched last year’s finish with 10th place, a result that speaks volumes given season-ending injuries to #1 Isaac Smith and #5 Atlas Owen. Sophomore Cameron Fowler took a big step forward, finishing 13th in 16:18 for All-State honors (he was 28th last year). Freshman Tristin Barton surged to 58th in 17:18, chopping nearly a minute in recent weeks, and junior Alex Gustafson was his steady self at 62nd in 17:24. Senior Cameron Daniel closed out his career at 87th (17:44), followed by freshman Hunter Phipps (140th, 18:51) as our fifth scorer, junior Luke Vanderstel (142nd, 18:55) after a strong three-meet stretch, and freshman Jackson Vasquez (151st, 19:19). It’s the boys’ second straight trip to State and the program’s 21st appearance overall.

Congratulations to Head Coach Jeff Roberts, Assistant Coaches Justin Leon, Jessica Fowler and Alan King, our athletes and their families on a season built on resilience, consistency and heart.

Nov. 19 - Board of Education Business Meeting

Nov. 24-25 - NO SCHOOL (Staff Professional Development)

Nov. 26-28 - NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)

Nov. 27 - Turkey Trot

Dec. 17 - Board of Education Business Meeting

Dec. 22-Jan. 2 - NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

Visit the KSD website to stay up to date on all of our important events.