USD 496

PAWNEE HEIGHTS USD 496

100 W. Grand, Rozel, KS 67574 620-527-4212 www.phtigers.net

Pawnee Heights USD 496 in Rozel and Burdett has a tradition of excellence. A low student to teacher ratio (7 to 1) provides for more one-on-one instructional opportunities in the classroom. The staff encourages academic excellence in the classroom and good sportsmanship in extracurricular activities. The Kansas State Department of Education’s 2019-2020 accountability report notes that the district received Kansans Can Star Recognition at the bronze level for high school graduation and for ensuring that students are academically prepared for postsecondary education.

Brian Spencer, Superintendent Renee Buntain K-6 Principal Mark Pywell, 7-12 Principal Phil Martin, Attorney Traci Nuckolls, Board Clerk

The Board of Education meets at the district office. Board of Education: Candi Polson, President; Laurie Josefiak, Cindy Colglazier, Carrie Reece, Tracy Hands, Jeff Holste, Kelcee Pelton

Leadership changes at Pawnee Heights

Pawnee Heights USD 496 started the 2021-22 school year with a new superintendent of schools and a new principal for the K-6 elementary grades.

Th e new superintendent will work half-time and the new principal at the elementary level will fi ll a position that last year was accomplished on a part-time basis.

Th e new superintendent, Brian Spencer, brings 19 years of experience as a superintendent to the job. He retired in 2020, but aft er a year of trying other things, found that he missed the school experiences and decided to work again on a parttime or temporary basis. Th at level of participation was exactly what the Board of Education at Pawnee Heights was wanting and needing.

Previous to his retirement, Spencer was the superintendent at Central Heights USD 288 in Richmond for fi ve years and before that was the superintendent for 11 years at Lyndon.

Spencer plans to spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Th ursday in the District Offi ce in Rozel but admits, “Th is whole thing is changeable. We are changing the model of how things have been done but we are open to changing to what is needed at the time.” He also stated, “of course, things come up and I will have to adjust to what is needed but we all learned over the past couple of years, due to COVID, that a lot can be accomplished with Zoom meetings and other remote methods.”

Th e new principal of the K-6 elementary is Renee Buntain of Great Bend. She comes to Pawnee Heights with 31 years of experience in the education fi eld, most of it in the elementary levels. For the past two years she worked for the Kansas Department of Education, serving western Kansas in MTSS Literacy training. She has a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Th ese changes at Pawnee Heights will make the education process more “kid focused,” Spencer said. “We are excited about these new things for Pawnee Heights and look forward to a great year.”