Northeast News

August 15, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – New Kansas City Public Schools superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell made the rounds through the district on Monday, August 15, otherwise known as the first day of school.

Bedell joined students, parents, and staff in documenting his experiences throughout the day by using #kcpsfirstday on Twitter. Bedell toured a handful of schools throughout the day, including an afternoon walkthrough at Northeast Middle School (4904 Independence Avenue). Before stopping by the Northeast, Bedell visited Southeast High School, Benjamin Banneker Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, and Lincoln College Prep.

At the end of the day, Bedell expressed optimism about the direction of the district.

“In most of the schools that I have visited, I’ve seen energetic kids and teachers,” said Bedell. “It’s just a great day; I’ve been pretty impressed.”

“I’m accustomed to trying to get into as many schools as possible to ensure that things are rolling out the way that they need to roll out,” Bedell added. “It gives me a chance to go back today, when I meet with my team at 4:30, to talk about lessons learned from today and what we need to do moving forward to make it better.”

First day of school questions related to transportation and enrollment can be addressed by calling the KCPS Transportation Hotline at (816) 418-8825. The hotline will be available from 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. until Friday, August 19.