By Mark Tallman

Hiawatha USD 415 can boast achievement significantly higher than expected, especially in high school graduation rates and increasing postsecondary success. School leaders in the district credit multiple strategies to prepare students for life after high school. 

Located about 70 miles north of Topeka, USD 415 has an enrollment of around 877 students. Its percentage of low-income students (eligible for free and reduced-price meals) and students with disabilities averaged 71.8% from 2015 to 2024, about five points above the state average. 

Hiawatha exceeded expected results for its enrollment size and percentage of higher-need students by 5.5% for state reading and math scores, graduation rate and postsecondary success, both for the most recent year and change over time. That ranked 8th out of 97 districts with enrollment between 500 and 1,600 students. In addition, Hiawatha’s 2024 graduation rate was 98.5%, 7.8% higher than expected.. Its Postsecondary Effective Rate increased by 21.7%, 26.6% higher than expected, during a period when most districts saw declines in postsecondary success as fewer students attended college during the COVID pandemic. 

I visited Hiawatha to learn how the district is getting high results compared to similar districts, meeting with high school, middle school and district educators, as well as school board members and parents. They stressed a strong individual plan of study (IPS) process that begins early, along with extensive options for students to gain work and college experience through Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, dual enrollment with colleges and work-experience internships, supported by multiple student programs along the way. They also credit community involvement, high standards and strong teacher-student relationships for student success. 

Career and Technical Education Pathways

Hiawatha typically offers seven to eight CTE pathways, which are formal sequences of high school courses culminating in the validation of skills learned. These courses, sometimes called vocational education, prepare students for specific careers by combining academic knowledge with hands-on technical training and real-world experience, better preparing students to enter the workforce or continue their learning in postsecondary programs. 

Studies show students in these programs tend to have better academic outcomes, which educators say is the result of students finding these courses more relevant to their goals. High school science and health science pathway instructor Laura Thacker said the district starts early, with a “CTE Day” in middle school that "encourages our students and gets them introduced to what our pathways are in the high school." 

Work-Experience Internships

High school Principal Rhonda Wright highlighted their "intensive work-experience internships," which allow students to spend part of their day gaining real-world experience in different career fields, starting in their junior year. This helps students "solidify whether this is what they want to do or realize it isn't." The program is supported by strong community involvement, with the district maintaining  "open lines of communication" with local businesses, Thacker said. "I send a lot of students to the hospital as part of the health science pathway, and having community members come in and help our students has a big impact." 

Career Exploration Activities

The school conducts career fairs, college visits and tours of local businesses and manufacturing sites. "We took kids last week to Sabetha,” said high school industrial tech instructor Darrin Arment. “They have a lot of manufacturing companies there, so this has been an annual thing for three years, allowing students to see what takes place. We'll be going to Saint Joe, Missouri, with a company called Herzog, they have a kind of career fair.” 

Arment said these activities not only give students more knowledge of career options, but also directly support local businesses. “In my construction design area, I have one student who is 18 years of age. He’s already able to work at a local cabinet company." 

Concurrent Postsecondary Enrollment

Hiawatha works with Highland Community College and its Atchison Technical Center to allow students to take courses for high school and postsecondary credit at the same time. Educators praised the state’s Excel in CTE initiative, which waives tuition for high school students taking postsecondary CTE courses. They say these courses have helped increase the district’s postsecondary success rate. 

Industrial tech teacher Arment said, "We've broadened the opportunities for students to explore postsecondary opportunities. In the last six to eight years, it's really grown exponentially. With the cost of college now, that's very beneficial for kids to have a good idea of what area they would look at and save time and money by taking courses in high school.” 

Community Involvement

According to Principal Rhonda Wright, the Community Service Day is a schoolwide event where "every kid goes out in the community and does community service." She emphasized that this is part of a broader approach of mutual involvement. "I think the community is very involved with our schools. But I also think we as a school do a lot to get the kids involved in the community. It goes both ways." 

School board member Griff Howard noted, “We have an amazing community as far as the support it gives its schools and the school community in general. The first time it really dawned on me was that first senior awards night, and I saw the staggering amount of scholarship money that was given.” Parent Lori Henry noted, “I think we are providing close to $200,000 to graduating seniors. But it doesn’t stop when they graduate. My daughter received $6,100 per junior and senior year at K-State from scholarships out of Hiawatha.” 

Two other programs district leaders say have contributed to the district’s success are the Jobs for America’s Graduates – Kansas (JAG-K), and the high school’s Student Intervention Team (SIT). JAG-K is an in-school elective class that provides individual and group instruction in employability, career and leadership development skills, and supports academic remediation. The SIT team monitors students to identify academic or other challenges and offers help to ensure they stay on track. 

Foundation for Success

Hiawatha High School students build on a foundation for success established in the lower grades. Hiawatha Middle School Principal Kyley Gatz emphasizes intentional career exploration, including job shadowing and student-led conferences. 

Educators say a strong, robust MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) process and use of data to drive decisions have contributed to individualized support for students. Lori Fordyce, coordinator of curriculum, instruction and assessment, says their MTSS process focuses on quickly identifying students needing additional support through screenings and diagnostics, placing students in groups to provide targeted interventions, and systematically tracking student progress. Superintendent Lonnie Moser said the MTSS process was “re-implemented” eight years ago to strengthen the program. 

Hiawatha leaders also pointed to its adoption of Project Lead the Way, a national program focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes. STEM teacher Kelsey Lee said the program spans elementary through high school, provides hands-on learning experiences and focuses on practical, engaging educational approaches. It is used in elementary science classes and middle school STEM classes, such as "Design and Modeling," and provides practical, skill-based learning opportunities. Lee appreciates that while the program supplements the existing curriculum, it primarily emphasizes practical, experiential learning that connects directly to students' interests and real-world skills. 

Hiawatha leaders say the combination of these efforts gives their students a real advantage. Parent Lori Henry said, “This summer, my son was on a baseball team, and he was the only teammate that had any college credit at all going into senior year. And with my two that are in college, I hear from some of their friends that they took one or two (college) hours in high school. But my kids started at K-State, one with 34 credits, one with 35, and the youngest will have probably somewhere between 28 and 34, depending on what his next semester is.” 

“I think our curriculum and the staff at the high school and all schools have done a good job preparing kids for whatever their choices will be,” said school board member Griff Howard. “Whether it's college, vocational tech or the workforce, we have flexible opportunities for students, no matter which path they want to take.” 

Superintendent Moser also praised the district’s staff for Hiawatha’s success. “We, like other districts, implement programs,” he said. “It's our educators who make it work for our students.”