Derby Public Schools

10/20/2026

The Derby Public Schools District Growth & Facilities Advisory Committee held its kickoff meeting tonight, beginning the next phase of planning for the district’s future.

Building on the work of the Future Planning Committee, this group will help evaluate and prioritize potential facility projects, explore funding and implementation options and gather additional community feedback. Over the coming months, committee members will review facility needs, enrollment trends, educational and operational impacts and financial considerations to help guide thoughtful, long-term investments in our schools.

By June 2027, the committee will present a community-informed recommendation to the Board of Education outlining project priorities, potential funding pathways and next steps. This work is an important part of ensuring future decisions reflect student needs, community priorities and responsible stewardship of district resources.

10/19/2026

Did you know? You can easily sort your feed on ParentSquare/StudentSquare to view posts from a specific class, school or group, making it simpler to find the information you need. Follow these three easy steps to make it happen!

Using a Web Browser:
1. If you have children at more than one school, you can switch schools by clicking Switch School in the upper left corner. Choose the school that includes the class or group you want to view.
2. Click the drop-down arrow next to My School, Classes, And Groups in the upper right corner.
3. Select the class or group.

On The App:
1. Tap the three bars at top left.
2. Tap Classes to view the class posts. Tap Groups to view group posts.
3. Select the class or group name.

This is a great way to stay organized that we think both parents and students will find helpful! Learn more at www.derbyschools.com/ParentSquare.

10/19/2026

This morning at Derby North Middle School, we recognized staff at our Years of Service celebration!

Congratulations to (5 Years) Candace Aramburu, David Barlow, Janessa Braswell, Jourdan Crouch, Nathan Schale, Scott Sweetwood; (10 Years) Audra Buchanan, Derek Goble, Becky Casey, Janelle Heier, Dana Ivy, Megan Phelps, Bailey Langley; (20 Years) Kimberly Allen, Rebecca Beard, Jeri Lavalle, Cathy McBride, Andrea Wiebe; (30 Years) Jeff Smith, Kimberly Stucky and (45 Years) Brad Pendrak. Becky received the University of Kansas School of Education 25 Year Certificate for completing 25 years of teaching and/or administrative service in public or private schools. Jeff, Kimberly S. and Brad will also be recognized at the April 12, 2027 Board of Education Meeting for reaching 30 or more years of service.

Thank you for your years of service at Derby Public Schools. We are proud to have you all on our team!

10/17/2026

Congratulations!

Congratulations to sophomore Katie Brehm and freshman Addie Fuller on an outstanding finish at the 6A State Girls Tennis Tournament! The doubles duo earned seventh place in the state. The future is bright.

Congratulations, Katie and Addie! 💚

10/16/2026

For El Paso Elementary’s first quarter writing projects, all grade levels focused their prompts on kindness. Topics included examples of kindness from themselves and others and how kindness makes a difference in school. Their work is displayed in the hallways, along with little shoes around the entire school as a visible reminder to our students and staff of how we can “step into kindness” throughout the school year.

Early Childhood through first grade students worked on communicating ideas involving kindness verbally, visually and through written word. Each of the kindergarteners’ drawings were labeled with a printed description of their kind actions. They also wrote “I am kind” to practice writing legibly and reinforce the idea that each of us can make a difference by being kind.

Each class was assigned a length of writing appropriate to their grade-level, from one sentence in second grade to a multi-paragraph essay in fifth grade. Second and third graders focused on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, spacing between words and letter formation while fourth and fifth graders worked on structure, including a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion. Fifth graders wrote about people who have shown them kindness. Multiple students shared how their parents patiently help them with their homework and read to them at night. Another student wrote that her peers welcomed her when she was new to the district.

This building-wide project is a great way of promoting positive school culture through academics. Shoutout to El Paso staff for collaborating building-wide on this project and well done to our Cougars on their excellent work!

10/16/2026

October is Bullying Prevention Month. An act becomes bullying when it is severe, persistent or pervasive enough to create a threatening or abusive environment. Think of Character Strong’s three P’s to define bullying: Power, Pain, Pattern.

If you ever feel unsafe, hurt or targeted (whether it is bullying or any other concerning behavior) report it. Talk to a teacher, staff member or other trusted adult. You can also report safety or bullying information anonymously. Learn more at www.derbyschools.com/report-a-safety-tip.

10/16/2026

Strong leadership is key to a thriving workplace. We are grateful for the vision, encouragement and dedication of our district leaders! Thank you for equipping students and staff with the tools they need to succeed and for leading with positivity and purpose.

Special shoutout to those guiding our district: Superintendent of Schools Heather Bohaty, Assistant Superintendent of HR Becky Moeder and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Holly Putnam-Jackson.

We appreciate all you do!

10/16/2026

Did you know that when basketball was invented, the three-point line didn’t exist? Join August and Emma from Park Hill Elementary to learn more. Tune into today’s KidCast to find out the grade level with the highest percentage of Partner Practice completion from each school at https://bit.ly/4iltE10.

10/15/2026

Congratulations to Anne Goodin and Martha Ramirez De Chavez on being selected as this week's Derby Education Foundation Staff Showcase and receiving a $25 gift card, thanks to funding support from Meritrust Credit Union. They make us !

Anne Goodin and Martha Ramirez De Chavez, food service staff at Derby Hills Elementary, have shown extraordinary flexibility, teamwork and dedication following the school’s kitchen fire. While continuing to serve meals in the cafeteria without access to the kitchen, they have helped rebuild meal service piece by piece, restocking thermometers, arranging storage and cleaning supplies and adapting food safety procedures. Their hard work has kept school meals a dependable part of students’ day through a challenging situation, and their positive attitude has made the transition pretty seamless for students.

If you would like to submit a staff member for a chance to be randomly drawn each week for a gift card, click here: https://bit.ly/3SElVBr.

10/15/2026

The Derby Public Schools Virtual Backpack is a convenient place for families to find district information, resources and opportunities that may be of interest or benefit to students and families. In addition to district information, the Virtual Backpack includes a Community Courtesy Posts section for approved events, programs and opportunities from local organizations. Community Courtesy Posts are published twice per month, on the first and third Thursdays, and are intended for opportunities applicable to students and families across multiple schools or district-wide.

Facebook now has limitations on the number of direct links that can be posted. You can access this week's virtual backpack in ParentSquare or on the district website, under District, then Virtual Backpack (Community Flyers).