By Mark Tallman

“I don’t think we would be here without high expectations from our community, high standards and support for the board’s vision.” - Eudora Superintendent Stu Moeckel.

With a 98.6 percent graduation rate in 2022, Eudora USD 491 had the highest rate of any Kansas district over 1,600 students. That rate was also a 13 percent increase over the previous five years.
District leaders say they have made those strides thanks to high levels of community expectations and support coupled with targeted efforts to engage high school students.

Located 15 miles east of Lawrence, Eudora is a district of about 1,700 students. Its students from low-income families plus students with disabilities is 49.2 percent, about 10 percent lower than average for districts with 1,600 to 10,000 students.

Eudora’s 2022 graduation rate was 7.0 percent higher than the prediction which factored in its lower than average percentage of high needs students. Its five-year improvement was 11.1 percent higher than predicted.

I visited Eudora school leaders to find out how they have achieved these results. Superintendent Moeckel and Director of School Improvement Heather Hundley say the groundwork was laid by a strong vision of prior leadership and the public. Moeckel noted a technical education center approved by Eudora voters in a bond election back in 2007. “I think what really drives our success is that community support, as well as the vision from our district leaders.”
Moeckel said a key part of the recent improvement in the graduation rate is the district’s Cardinal Academy. “Our board, former superintendent, and high school leaders saw there is a small, but valued and critical group of students who were not getting what they needed out of traditional school. Cardinal Academy has been able to keep those kids from dropping out because we found a way to make schooling work for them.”

Jessica Johnson runs Cardinal Academy. After joining the district in 2018, she worked with colleagues to start a program in 2020 with just four students. It has since grown to 26 students, with 18 graduates in the class of 2024. Every student that has been part of the academy has graduated.

“At first, we were looking at students with credit deficiencies,” said Johnson. “Now, we are looking at it from a proactive approach. We're not waiting to see if students are failing classes. We're looking at attendance. We're looking at how many times they are going to the counselor because of anxiety or mental health needs. Do we know they have some other issues at home?” Johnson says the structure of the academy can help with those issues. The computer-based curriculum means students aren’t simply rotating through seven classes a day. “Their work is at their pace. Everybody has their own plan.” For students working jobs outside of school, the academy can offer the option of giving students credit for work-based learning.

Johnson says that the students appreciate the lack of normal school distractions and the flexibility that comes from the Academy being located in the central office, away from the main school. Johnson stresses that the program is not punitive. Students must apply and be approved for the Cardinal Academy. “We want to find out why they are interested,” said Johnson. She says the program offers an alternative path to graduation, not an easier path. Students can take courses at both the academy and the regular high school, like Career Tech Ed courses that may require more hands-on learning.

Johnson notes that Eudora has also created a JAG-K (Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas) program at the high school. JAG-K is part of a network that partners with schools to offer an elective class providing academic and other supports to ensure students graduate. “We work together to offer students a wide range of resources,” said Johnson. 

An emphasis for both Cardinal Academy and the Eudora district is expanding options related to the Individual Plans of Study and earning credentials beyond high school credit. Cardinal Academy has created a partnership with the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center in Lawrence. Johnson says the academy has been working to increase more postsecondary opportunities for students.

“As a community, we believe it is important for our students to graduate high school,” said Moeckel. “What we know now, along with the State Board of Education, is there's another step. Most students need some sort of post-secondary training, some sort of college classes, beyond just that diploma.” He says one board goal calls for every student to graduate with a post-secondary market value asset. “We're going to continue to refine that plan to set a clear understanding to build community support so everybody's kind of pushing the same direction.”