Avenue A School - Home of the Salthawks

Join Hutchinson Public Schools for a School Bond Community Meeting to learn more about the proposed $36 million, 12-year bond and the projects it would support across USD 308.

The bond focuses on improving the schools and facilities we already have and includes no new buildings. Proposed projects focus on key needs throughout the district, including safety and security improvements, HVAC and roofing projects, and food service improvements.

These informal meetings are an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and share your thoughts. Knowledgeable USD 308 staff will be available to answer questions, and attendees can view maps, see additional project details, and learn more about the work proposed at schools throughout the district.

Whether you have specific questions or simply want to be informed before Election Day, we invite you to stop by.

Events will be held each Wednesday this October.
October 7 and 14: held at HMS 7, 210 East Ave. A
October 21 and 28: held at HCTEA, 800 E. 15th Circle.

All events start at 6:00pm and are a come and go style of event.

Light refreshments will be served. Learn more at www.usd308.com/bond

💙💛 Bond 2026: What's planned for Midtown 💙💛

Here's what the USD 308 bond would mean for Midtown students, staff, and families:
🏠 Roof Replacement – replacing aging roofing to protect students, staff, and the building for years to come

🗳️ Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. Get the facts, make your plan, and make your voice heard!

Learn more about the projects planned for every Hutchinson school at www.hutchbond.com

#StrongerSchoolsBrighterFutures #HutchBond #USD308 #Midtown

Apparently, students signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement at the beginning of the school year. 🤐📚

That would explain why these questions seem to get the same answers every day:

“How’s school going?” — Good.
“What did you learn today?” — I don’t know.
“How are your classes?” — Fine.
“What’s going on with your friends?” — Nothing.

Luckily, their teachers didn’t sign the NDA. 😉

Join us for Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, October 8! Reach out to your child's teacher if you missed the alerts!

Conferences are your chance to get the inside scoop on your child’s:
📚 Academic progress
🌱 Social growth
💪 Strengths and successes
🎯 Areas where they may need extra support
💬 And all those things they forgot to mention at home

Come talk with the people who spend their days learning, growing and cheering on your kid.

Break the NDA. Come to conferences. 💙💛

🎉 Hutchinson High is about to honor three legends.

This fall, the HHS Wall of Honor welcomes Dr. Daniel Cavanaugh ('58), Allen Fee ('80), and Frances Garcia ('56) — a surgeon who commanded the real MASH unit, a business leader who's spent decades giving back, and Hutchinson's first Hispanic woman mayor.

Join us Thursday, Oct. 1 for the induction banquet, and catch all three honorees at the Homecoming parade and game on Friday, Oct. 2! 🏈

🎟️ Banquet seats are $15 — details in the link below.
📍 HHS Career and Technical Education Academy | 6:00 p.m.
https://www.usd308.com/article/3124747


#HHSWallOfHonor #HutchinsonHigh #Homecoming2026

Midtown Families,

We want to start by saying thank you! Our students have adjusted so well to the new cell phone law, and it has been wonderful to watch. One of our favorite changes has been seeing kids talking and laughing together at lunch again.

On that note, if you have any board games or decks of cards at home that you no longer use, we would love to take them off your hands to help keep that positive energy going during lunch and free time.

A few other updates:

Library Visit on Friday: Since Midtown doesn't have its own school library, we'll be taking students to the Hutchinson Public Library on Friday. They'll learn about the resources the library offers and get to check out books. The library has also provided us with library card applications, and they're able to look up whether your student already has a card on file. There's nothing you need to do on your end besides signing and returning the permission slip.

Field Trip Permission Slips: These will go home with students on Monday. Please sign and return them by Thursday, August 27th.

We're so excited to get books into our students' hands and help them discover more of what our community has to offer.

Thank you for your continued support and for trusting us with your kids. Here's to another great week at Midtown!

Warmly,
Mrs. Evans

Dear Midtown Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! We are so excited to welcome our students and families back for another great year at Midtown.

Our team has completed student schedules and is currently entering those into Skyward. This year, we have transitioned from Acellus to Edgenuity, and our district technology team is still creating the codes for the new course options. Because of this, some schedules may not be complete yet. Please do not worry—every student will have a full schedule before the first day of school!

You may also notice that the class-period times shown in Skyward look different from our actual schedule. Because Midtown operates under Hutchinson High School in Skyward, the times displayed there reflect HHS class periods. Our bell schedule has not changed:

Doors open at 7:45 a.m.
School begins at 8:00 a.m.
School dismisses at 2:30 p.m.

These times are the same as last year.

Midtown will host an Open House on Wednesday, August 12, from 9:00–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–3:00 p.m. All new and returning students are welcome to stop by, visit their classrooms and teachers, and view their schedules.

The first day of school is Thursday, August 13. We cannot wait to see everyone and begin another wonderful year together!

If you have any questions, please call the Midtown front office at 620-615-4950.

Warmly,

Mrs. Evans

Loading eFunds has never been easier: meet the lunch pre-pay calculator

Just select your child's grade (or reduced lunch price status) and the month you'd like to prepay for—our calculator tells you exactly how much to load onto their eFunds account.

Try it now at www.usd308.com/nutrition.

The countdown is on! 🎒📚💙💛

The first day of school is filled with excitement, fresh starts, and new opportunities. But we also know that for many students—and parents—that excitement can come with a few butterflies, too. That's completely normal.

At Hutchinson Public Schools, we care deeply about every student. We want each child to walk through our doors feeling confident, prepared, and ready to learn. A few simple routines before school starts can make a big difference in helping students feel calm and ready for a successful first day.

As we count down to the first bell, we've put together a few easy ways to help your family prepare. Here's to a great start, a great year, and making every Salthawk feel like they belong! 💙💛

#BackToSchool #SalthawkStrong #EverySalthawkBelongs #USD308

🚨 Attention, early birds (and the parents who love them)!

However your child rolls up to school — on foot🚶, by bike 🚲, scooter 🛴, skateboard 🛹, car 🚗, bus 🚌, or unicorn 🦄 — one thing is guaranteed: a hot, free breakfast will be waiting for them at every building until that first bell rings! 🔔

Check the chart for your school's breakfast start time!

The USD 308 Board of Education will hold its regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, at the USD 308 Administration Center, located at 1520 N. Plum Street.
The agenda is available at www.usd308.com/boe

📚 Tomorrow is the Day! In-Person Enrollment is Here!

Need help enrolling your student for the 2026-27 school year? Join us Thursday, July 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for our districtwide In-Person Enrollment Event!

✅ Visit any Hutchinson Public Schools building to complete enrollment.
✅ You only need to visit one school to enroll all students in your family.
🏫 Hutchinson High School will also be open for self-guided campus tours during the event.
🏫 Midtown is closed during this event. Midtown staff will be at HHS.

Whether you're enrolling a new student or returning for another great year, our staff will be ready to help make the process quick and easy.

We can't wait to welcome our Salthawks back for another amazing school year! 💙💛

Enroll online anytime at www.usd308.com/enroll

#HutchPublicSchools #SalthawkPride #BackToSchool #USD308 #EverySalthawkForLife

It’s that time! 🤩

Midtown in-person enrollment will take place at Hutchinson High School this year on Thursday, July 23rd from 10:00am-7:00pm. If your student is interested in applying to Midtown, you can come to enrollment or reach out to Mrs. Evans at evans.melissa@usd308.com.

USD 308 Board of Education — Regular Meeting Summary June 8, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.

The USD 308 Board of Education held its regular meeting on June 8, 2026.

Presentations
Hutchinson High School Principal Ryan Ewy presented the Trimester/Semester Committee Report. No action is expected on the subject until later this year. Any schedule changes would not be adopted until the 2027-2028 school year.

Abby Stockebrand, Director of Finance, presented a proposal to braid two funding streams into a single plan addressing priorities identified through the District's end-of-school-year bond survey. The plan includes approximately $36,000,000 of bond-funded projects along with $30,000,000 of projects funded through capital-outlay. Proposed projects would include storm shelters, roofs, safety and security, HVAC improvements, improvements to food service areas, restrooms, interior renovations, and playgrounds. Bond-funded projects would be completed after the passage of a bond, while capital outlay-funded projects would begin after appropriate funding levels have accrued. This dual-funding approach allows the District to address critical infrastructure needs identified by staff and the community, without placing the full financial burden on a single bond issue. No action was taken by the board at last night’s meeting. The board will continue to discuss potential bond options and facility updates at each meeting.

Consent Agenda
The Board approved the Superintendent's Consent Agenda, which included Accounts Payable for May 2026, the Treasurer's Report for April 2026, an Audit Engagement Letter, HutchCC Memoranda of Understanding, Grants, and Gifts to Schools.

Action Items
Workers' Compensation Renewal : The Board approved renewal of the District's workers' compensation coverage after a brief presentation from Allen Fee, CEO of Fee Insurance. During his remarks, Fee congratulated the district on keeping their insurance claims and premiums low.

Interfaith Housing MOU — Property Demolition: The Board heard a proposal from Interfaith Housing and unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding that includes demolition of a recently purchased property north of Allen STEM Magnet School.

Meal Pricing for 2026–2027: Jennifer Tatro, Director of Nutrition Services, presented a new meal pricing plan for the upcoming school year. The plan provides no charge breakfast to all K–12 students, increases student lunch prices by $0.20, and increases adult lunch prices by $0.25.

The District did not raise meal prices last year and, even with the 2026–2027 adjustment, remains below the average for peer districts. Tatro based her analysis on pricing data from Bonner Springs, Hays, Haysville, Garden City, and Wichita.

The new model also provides the option to expand breakfast service— buildings may offer traditional breakfast, grab-and-go, or a "second chance" breakfast served between first and second hours for students in grades 8–12. Other districts have seen a 40–50% increase in breakfast participation, which generates additional federal reimbursement and supports the financial sustainability of the program. Research links regular breakfast consumption to improved health outcomes, higher test scores, and fewer behavioral and health office referrals. The Board unanimously approved the new meal pricing.

Safe & Secure Schools Grant: The new middle school officer would rotate buildings annually alongside a school counselor and Assistant Principal, following the same student cohort from HMS7 to HMS8. The goal is to provide continuity for students who spend one year at each building.

Cell Phone Policy Update: The Board adopted revisions to cell phone policy JCDC in response to state legislation taking effect July 1, 2026. The updated policy defines the school day as beginning at the first bell and ending at the final bell.

Staff-to-Student Communication Policy: The Board adopted new policy IIBGC, which limits staff-to-student communications to District-approved applications only. This policy was also adopted in response to recently passed state legislation.

Executive Session
The Board convened in Executive Session to discuss potential items for 2026–2027 contract negotiations, pursuant to the employer-employee negotiations exception under KOMA, and to discuss personnel matters pursuant to the non-elected personnel exception under KOMA. Upon returning to open session, the Board approved the Personnel Report as published.

Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at 1520 N. Plum, Hutchinson. The agenda will be posted in advance at www.usd308.com/boe.

Check out the USD 308 Summer Newsletter and Don't Miss a Thing This Summer!
✅ Last Day of School — It's Almost Here!
🎓 Graduations & Ceremonies — Celebrate Our Salthawks!
☀️ Summer Activities
🚘 Driver's Education
🍽️ Free Kids Summer Meals
📋 26-27 Enrollment Dates
https://app.smore.com/n/05v2g3