SCHOOL NOTEBOOK | Manhattan High participating as a summer reading location | News

This summer, five schools in the Manhattan-Ogden district will host the Summer Reading program. Bluemont Elementary, Northview Elementary, Ogden Elementary, Marlatt Elementary and Manhattan High School are taking part this year.

Manhattan High is a new participating location this year, lending its library to the children.

“The high school library will be manned by our wonderful middle school librarians, Melanie Borror and Jill Pfannenstiel,” said Lucas Loughmiller, director of library & instructional media services.

Oliver Brown Elementary hosting a maker fair

The library of Oliver Brown Elementary School is turning into a craft market in May. Children will sell crafts they created at the Maker Space, a collaborative hands-on learning environment that encourages creativity and innovation. 

“It’s a wonderful merger of STEM and maker and creativity and everything else,” Loughmiller said. 

Loughmiller said Oliver Brown Elementary’s Maker Space is the pet project of Megan Morgan, the school’s librarian. The proceeds from the Maker Fair will go back to the Maker Space.

“It’s a whole themed event that they do in the evening,” Loughmiller said. “I was invited out last year and was blown away. It’s this great infusion of art, music and STEM and it’s a great example of a community that supports its school.” 

The Maker Fair is taking place on May 6 at 5:30 p.m. Oliver Brown is also doing a silent art auction. Donations are still welcome. 

USD 383 teacher a Master Teacher semi-finalist

The Kansas Master Teacher Awards recognized Whitney George as a semifinalist on April 12 at the Region 1 banquet. George is a teacher at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. 

“Our nominees were Whitney George from Theodore Roosevelt and Jamie Schnee from Manhattan High School,” Superintendent Eric Reid said. “It’s a great event to celebrate education and the people in it.” 

Kansas Master Teacher is a prestigious award, presented by Emporia State University’s Teachers College, to honor exceptional educators from across the state. There are three semi-finalists for elementary educators and three semi-finalists for secondary educators. 

“Whitney George was named a semifinalist, which is one of the top three in our region as far as elementary,” Reid said.

Zero out-of-district enrollment slots available

In the 2025-2026 school year, there are zero open enrollment slots for new out-of-district students. The school board approved the zero enrollment slots on a 7-0 vote.

DoDEA grants are now unfrozen

The federal Department of Defense Education Activity funding is now unfrozen. DoDEA is a grant program that supports the K-12 education of children from military families. It also helps to fund the Summer STEM program.

In the 2024-2025 school year, USD 383 has a total of 607 military-dependent children enrolled. The Manhattan-Ogden school district received a $1,250,000 grant from the Department of Defense.

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