KSD News Update (Aug. 13, 2026)

Posted Date: 08/13/26 (04:35 PM)

Bulldog News Update

August 13, 2026

A woman helps a young girl with a leopard-print backpack in a school hallway.

2026 Back-to-School Open Houses are Aug. 20!

The start of the 2026-2027 academic year is approaching fast! To help prepare for the first day of classes, we're strongly encouraging all Kearney School District students and their parents/guardians to attend our Back-to-School Open Houses on Thursday, Aug. 20:

Kearney Early Education Center - 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Elementary Schools - 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Kearney Middle School - 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Kearney Junior High - 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Kearney High School - 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Back-to-School Open Houses are an opportunity for students and parents/guardians to meet teachers, counselors, support staff and administrators, learn more about classes and schedules, get oriented in our buildings, complete registration paperwork and clarify important information about lunches and transportation.

Classes start on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Please contact your school's office and/or your child's teacher if you have any back-to-school questions or concerns. Valuable back-to-school Information and resources are also available on our website.

We're looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday, Aug. 20, at our 2026 Back-to-School Open Houses!

A stylized purple letter K with a yellow and white outline, featuring a cartoon bulldog in front.

KSD Invites Stakeholders to Express Interest in Great Schools = Great Community Committees

Kearney School District is inviting parents/guardians, staff members, students, residents, business leaders and community partners to express interest in serving on the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee, the Portrait of a Graduate Committee or both as part of the Great Schools = Great Community initiative. Interest forms are due by the close of business on Friday, Aug. 21. Committee service is one meaningful way to be involved, and KSD will also host public engagement opportunities this fall for those who want to learn more, ask questions and provide input.

LEARN MORE

Poster for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley's Academy Day event on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Kearney High School.

Explore Service Opportunities at Academy Day

Kearney High School is pleased to host Academy Day on Saturday, Aug. 29, an opportunity for students and families to learn more about attending one of our nation’s military service academies.

Organized by the Office of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, the event will include representatives from:

U.S. Military Academy at West Point
U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
U.S. Navy ROTC

Students and families will also have an opportunity to meet with staff representing Sen. Hawley, U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves and learn more about the congressional nomination and admissions process.

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026
Kearney High School, 719 W. 19th St.
Doors open at 9 a.m.
Program begins at 9:30 a.m.

To RSVP, email academy@hawley.senate.gov with your name, address, phone number, school and graduation year.

For students who may be considering service, leadership and a college experience unlike any other, this is a great opportunity to learn about the possibilities and ask questions directly from the people who know the process.

SFE Shares Summer Food Service Highlights

Our partners with Southwest Foodservice Excellence stayed busy this summer serving Kearney School District students and creating some memorable experiences along the way.

SFE General Manager Angie Lyman and her team have put together a summer newsletter highlighting their work, including summer meal service, a hands-on Roving Chef activity with Kids Club students and some of the small moments that helped make mealtime fun.

We’re grateful for the outstanding food service professionals who take such good care of our Bulldogs throughout the year. Take a few minutes to check out SFE’s Summer 2026 newsletter!

Complete KSD's Back-to-School Registration in PowerSchool

Five smiling students of diverse ages pose for a back-to-school photo with the text '2021 BACK-TO-SCHOOL FIRST DAY: TUE., AUG. 25!'

Back-to-School Registration is now available through the KSD's PowerSchool portal. Registration must be completed separately for each student in your household.

LEARN MORE

NOTE - THIS PROCESS IS ONLY FOR STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED KSD IN THE 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR AND ARE RETURNING.

Poster for the 2026 Back-to-School Resource Fair offering school supplies for KSD students.

Help Us Prepare for the Back-to-School Resource Fair

The Kearney School District 2026 Back-to-School Resource Fair is less than one month away, and community volunteers can play an important role in helping local students and families start the new school year prepared and supported.

Volunteers will help create a safe and welcoming setup, sort school supplies, assemble supply bags, organize clothing and move room furniture as needed.

LEARN MORE

Kindergarten Enrollment Now Open!

Kearney School District’s kindergarten enrollment is open for the 2026-2027 academic year! If you have a child who will be age five on or before July 31, 2026, this is the time to enroll them in kindergarten! Start the kindergarten enrollment process by clicking the link provided below.

LINK: START KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT

Parents/guardians will be required to provide a birth certificate, a record of required immunizations, and proof of residence for their child during kindergarten enrollment. Use our online district boundary map to locate the elementary school your child will attend.

Kindergarten Orientation events will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at each of KSD’s elementary schools.

And last but not least...

A diverse group of people stand together in front of a modern building with the number 425 visible.

A woman in a pink blazer and floral dress presents to an audience at a meeting.

Welcome to KSD: New Teachers Kick Off the School Year

We are excited to welcome a great group of new classroom educators to the Kearney School District!

Our annual New Teacher Orientation has been underway this week, giving our newest teachers an opportunity to learn more about KSD, connect with one another and get ready to welcome students for the new school year. The orientation is planned and hosted each year by our Department of Academic Services, led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Valerie Utecht.

Today also included one of our favorite Kearney traditions: lunch provided by the Kearney Chamber of Commerce. We are grateful to Chamber Executive Director Stacie Bratcher and our Chamber members for taking the time to welcome our new teachers and show them what we mean when we say "Great Schools = Great Community."

Our new educators also had an opportunity to meet several members of the KSD Board of Education and hear firsthand how much our community values the people who serve our students.

We are glad you're here, and we can't wait to see the difference you will make for our Bulldogs!

KSD Athletics & Activities

A black and white calendar icon with rounded corners.

Upcoming Events

Aug. 15 - Bulldog Football Midnight Madness

Aug. 19 - Board of Education Business Meeting

Aug. 20 - Back-to-School Open Houses

Aug. 21 - Bulldog Football Jamboree

Aug. 25 - First Day of School

Sept. 7 - Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)

Sept. 25 - Homecoming 2026

Oct. 16 - Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

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

Kearney School District