Facts About the USD 251 Bond
Learn about the USD 251 Bond, one fact at a time! These facts are posted to our Facebook page first, so follow us there for the most up-to-date facts and information!
An In-Depth Look: The NHHS Ag Mechanics Shop
Our kids deserve more than good enough.
At Northern Heights, agriculture students aren’t just sitting in a classroom. They are caring for cattle and chickens, working in the greenhouse, running soil tests, welding, wiring, plumbing, building, and learning skills they can take with them into the real world.
But great teachers can only do so much with spaces that weren’t designed for the way students learn today.
Our agriculture classroom wasn’t built as a science lab, which makes hands-on science labs difficult. Our ag mechanics shop was originally designed as a woods shop, but today’s students are learning much more than woodworking. Limited space, storage, ventilation, water getting into the shop, and inconsistent HVAC can all create barriers to the experiences our teachers want to provide.
A modern CTE space could mean more room for industry-standard equipment, more opportunities for hands-on learning, and a better connection between what students learn in school and the careers waiting for them outside of it.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Being closer to Emporia could help create stronger internship and work-based learning opportunities, giving students more chances to experience careers firsthand while they are still in high school.
One statement from this teacher really stuck with us:
“I refuse to accept ‘good enough.’ Our students, my daughters, deserve the best possible education possible to them.”
That is what this conversation is really about.
Our teachers are already working incredibly hard to adapt and overcome the limitations of our current facilities.
Imagine what they could do if we gave them spaces designed to help them—and our students—thrive.
Our kids deserve more than good enough. They deserve our best.
Today is the LAST day to register to vote!
Need help getting registered? Reach out! We’re happy to help point you in the right direction.
We want everyone to have the opportunity to make their voice heard this November!
Tomorrow is the LAST day to register to vote!
If you haven’t registered yet, don’t wait! Make sure you’re ready to have your voice heard on November 3.
Every voice matters, and every vote is an opportunity to help shape the future of our community.
Register or check your registration at https://www.ksvotes.org/!
We’re All Neighbors
We may not all agree on how to move our district forward, but we all call this community home.
As we head into the final weeks before the November 3 bond vote, we want to remind everyone that it’s okay to disagree. We are proud to stand on the YES side because we believe in what this bond could mean for our students and our communities. But we also respect those who see things differently and plan to vote NO.
We all want our communities to thrive. We all want our kids to have opportunities to succeed. And no matter how we vote, we will continue to share these roads, cheer at the same ballgames, and raise our families alongside one another.
A yard sign, a vote, or a difference of opinion should never change how we treat our neighbors.
Over the next couple of weeks, let’s keep the conversations respectful, give one another the benefit of the doubt, and remember that our relationships with the people in this community matter long after November 3.
We may vote differently, but we still belong to the same community. Let’s take care of it, and each other.
USD 251 Together
Sometimes, Home Isn’t Where You Started. It’s Where You Belong.
For Shawn Wilson, NLC became home.
Shawn grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated in a class of more than 800, and began his teaching career at one of the largest private schools in Oklahoma. After marrying his wife, a 1999 NHHS graduate, he moved to North Lyon County and began teaching social studies at NHHS in 2008.
When Admire closed, Shawn was RIF’d and spent five years teaching at a charter school in Emporia. When an opportunity to return to NLC came in 2016, he jumped at it, even taking a pay cut to come back.
What brought him back?
“The family atmosphere. The small school vibe. The lack of anonymity. It felt like home.”
Today, Shawn says the leadership, staff, and students are what make USD 251 special. He sees a large group of young students and families coming through our elementary school and believes the potential is tremendous.
“I’m excited about the potential, if we can keep them.”
That’s why updated facilities matter to Shawn.
A new high school and athletic facilities would be an investment in ourselves. An investment that tells our students and families that we believe they are worth investing in. An investment that can help us retain great teachers, keep families here, and give students a modern place to learn, compete, and prepare for their future.
And this isn’t an investment he is asking someone else to make.
“This is my future. We intend to retire here. I have a third grader. I live here too. My mill levy increases.”
Shawn wants to see USD 251 remain a place where students can pursue their academic and athletic goals while still experiencing the small-school community that makes NLC special.
“It’s time we take a risk and bet on ourselves.”
Meet Mr. Wilson. One of the people who has chosen USD 251 and continues to believe in its future.
Enrollment Numbers & Past School Closures
When we look at the history of USD 251, one thing that comes up often is the idea that the district has always chosen Americus.
We weren’t part of those past decisions, so we can’t speak to the conversations or circumstances that led to them. What we can do is look back at the enrollment numbers and historical reports to better understand what was happening in the district at the time. And when you do that, the numbers provide some important context for how the district’s elementary enrollment has changed over time.
When Admire closed in 2010, Admire had about 98 students, Reading had 69, and Americus had 170.
The following year, Americus had 230 students.
Then look at Reading. When Reading closed in 2018, it had about 48 students, and Americus had 216.
The following year, Americus had 236 students.
These numbers don’t tell the whole story, and they certainly don’t tell us whether every past decision was the right one. But they do help us understand what was happening with enrollment in our communities when those decisions were made.
And we think that context matters today.
We aren’t speaking for past Boards. We’re looking at the numbers.
The history matters. The numbers matter. And so do Admire, Reading, Americus, and every community that makes up USD 251.
If we are going to make decisions about the future of this district, we believe every community deserves to be part of that conversation.
The Places Our Kids Are Growing Up In
Think about all the things that happen in a school hallway.
Kids meeting their friends between classes. A teacher stopping to check on a student. Little feet rushing to lunch. High fives, hugs, laughter, hard days, big accomplishments, and a whole lot of growing up.
Our hallways are more than walls and floors. They are part of the everyday story of our kids.
And someday, the kids walking these hallways today will be the adults looking back on them.
As we talk about the future of USD 251, I hope we remember what is really at the heart of the conversation.
It’s not just about buildings.
It’s about the kids who walk through them.
It’s about the teachers who fill them with learning.
It’s about the families and communities that make them feel like home.
And it’s about making thoughtful decisions today that help make sure our kids have great places to learn tomorrow.
There is a lot to think about, a lot to talk about, and a lot to be excited about.
Because these aren’t just hallways.
These are the places where our kids are growing up
More Than a Map: Where Our Students Live
When the district selected the location for the proposed new high school, where the majority of our students and families live was an important part of that decision.
As of September 8, 2026, USD 251 has 350 students. 283 are resident students who live within the district boundaries, and 166 of those students — 59% — live in the 66835 ZIP code.
Our district covers a large geographic area and is home to many communities and families. Every community matters, and this decision was not about leaving one community out or making one community more important than another. It was about looking at the population of students we serve and where those students and families live.
Sometimes the geographic center of a district and the population center are not the same. In this case, the location of the largest concentration of students and families was an important part of the decision.
The attached graphic shows where our resident students live and the approximate road mileage to the current school locations. It gives our community a clearer picture of the population behind the decision.
We know a school location affects real families, real commutes, and our communities for years to come. That is why we believe it is important to look at the actual numbers and understand the information behind the decision.
Every community matters. The numbers simply help tell the story of where our students and families are today.
Road mileage is based on Google Maps and represents the approximate distance from the center of each community or ZIP code area, not the exact distance from each individual student’s home. The 25 students in the 66801 ZIP live in North Lyon County and are resident USD 251 students; their mailing ZIP code is Emporia