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Geary County Schools highlights gains, challenges at Karnes alternative program
Summary
District staff presented student outcomes and program changes at the Karnes Building, an alternative education program for Geary County Schools, reporting 19 early graduates last year and outlining steps to become an independent building with its own identification number.
Karnes Building leaders briefed the Geary County Schools Board of Education on Jan. 13, 2025, saying the alternative program produced 19 early graduates last year and is pursuing a distinct building identity to expand scheduling and data access.
The presentation by Karnes leadership emphasized student progress and programmatic changes that staff say are intended to return students to their home schools or put them on career paths. The leader presenting, identified in the meeting as Jeff (Karnes Building leader), said 19 students graduated early last year — 17 of them from the Karnes Building and two at the JDC — and described 434 course completions and 217 credits earned the prior year.
The presentation outlined behavior and academic supports as the core of Karnes’s work. James Neff, identified in the meeting as assistant principal, and Karnes staff described a tiered behavior intervention system, smaller classes, and hands-on classroom activities to reduce screen time and improve engagement. Staff said interventions such as Reality U (a financial literacy program) and partnerships with Kansas Connect and Job Corps offer alternative online pathways for students who cannot attend in person.
Why it matters: Board members and staff framed Karnes as an option that keeps students on track for graduation while offering supports not available in larger buildings. Karnes leaders said becoming a separate, identifiable building within the district would allow more flexible scheduling and easier aggregation of state assessment data tied to the program.
In the presentation, Karnes staff gave several quantitative details: 9 high-school students and 5 middle-school students on individualized education plans (IEPs); 10 high-school students on 504 plans; and 20 high-school students and 14 middle-school students with Student Improvement Plans (SIPs). Leaders said classroom-level interventions and a newly hired math teacher made an immediate difference for students who need direct instruction.
Board members asked operational questions. One board member asked whether some students resist returning to their home schools; Karnes staff said some prefer the smaller environment but that those who have returned mostly succeeded. Leaders also described staffing and recruitment challenges and said attracting certified staff is a priority. Karnes staff said they are applying for a building number separate from the high school and middle school, which they said will remove current scheduling constraints and make multi‑year trend analysis easier.
District context and next steps: Presenters urged continued district support for staffing, professional development and the move to a separate building number. Karnes leaders said they will schedule monthly family nights, strengthen PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) systems, and continue weekly teacher check-ins with students slated to return to their home schools. Board members thanked staff for the report and for work that leaders said likely helped students graduate who otherwise would not have.
The board heard the presentation during its Jan. 13 meeting; no formal board action was taken on the Karnes program during that session.
