The Kearney school board voted to elected Paul Hazard, left, as president of the board and Amanda Smallcomb, right, as vice president, (Kearney Public Schools, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — The Kearney Public Schools Board of Education elected new officials to start their first meeting of 2026 on Monday, Jan. 12.
The Kearney school board voted to elected Paul Hazard as president of the board and Amanda Smallcomb as vice president.
Also, during the meeting, several groups and individuals were recognized, starting with the Kearney High School students who were selected to participate in the 2025 Nebraska All-State Band, Choir and Orchestra, sponsored by the Nebraska Music Education Association.
Alison Klein, KHS Science Teacher, was recognized for earning National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adult Science (Chemistry) from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
KHS principal Jeff Ganz noted that this was one of the highest certifications that a teacher could earn. Klein added that she was only the tenth teacher in the state to earn this certificate in science.
There were three presentations to the board during the meeting, the first being by Troy Saulsbury and Caryn Saulsbury, fourth grade teachers at Central Elementary School on their Oregon Trail Unit.
Both teachers said the Oregon Trial event coincides with the students learning about the trail during their American history class. The event was featured in a Scholastic News article and was highlighted by several area media outlets.
The event culminates in students building “covered wagons” with shopping carts and traveling across parts of town, having to barter for supplies such as water or food. Students also keep journals.
At one point, the student pioneers encounter the “Rocky Mountains” which happens to be the rock garden at Harmon Park. The students have to navigate their shopping carts around the rock outcrops which foster a great deal of problem solving on the part of the students.
The Saulsburys said that the event is one of the most anticipated among the students, the event often takes place later in the school year during the spring.
Erikka Rhodes, Hanny Arram Center for Success JAG Teacher, gave a Mid-Year JAG Program update. Rhodes highlighted several college visits the students had taken part in and the 29th annual Kearney Career Exploration Day, hosted by the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce.
During the construction of the update, it was noted that The Paw addition to KHS is currently on schedule and on budget.
Construction at Central Elementary is also on budget and the staff have moved into the new addition; work is now starting on the former office area.
During the public comment period, Beth Miller appeared to speak on the KPS Orchestra program. She noted the KHS orchestra teacher position has seen turnover, with three new directors since 2021.
Miller said she wants to see the orchestra program continue to thrive and said she was speaking at the meeting to draw the board’s attention to the program. She said many students are passionate about the program and benefit from it.
The board then discussed personnel and approved the resignations and retirements of Reid Bednar, 7th grade teacher at Horizon Middle School; Steven Woodside, assistant principal at Kearney High School; and Ashley Palu, assistant principal at Northeast Elementary School, effective at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Employments approved included, Mary Fries, special education teacher at Sunrise Middle School,; Ariana Bishop, deaf educator at Kearney Public Schools; Emma Allen, English teacher at Kearney High School, for the 2025-2026 school year; Abbie Scholl, math teacher at Kearney High School; Mallory Daley, 2nd grade teacher at Northeast Elementary School; Jordan Fuehrer, 5th grade teacher at Cottonwood Elementary School and Mallory Wetherell, art teacher at Kearney High School, pending Nebraska certification, for the 2026-2027 school year.