Russell USD 407 -

The Russell County Spelling Bee was held Wednesday afternoon, February 18th in the Ruppenthal Auditorium. Twenty (5th - 8th grade) students from the Russell and Natoma Schools competed.

The winner of the Russell County Spelling Bee advances to the 2026 Sunflower State Spelling Bee to be held Saturday March 21st at the Kansas Wesleyan University, in Salina, KS. The winner of the Sunflower State Spelling Bee will represent Kansas in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Winners of this year's competition are:
Champion - Kristopher Ernst, 6th grader at BES, USD 407 and
Runner-up - Evan Dolechek, 7th grader at RJSHS, USD 407

Come join our team! Lead, motivate, and mentor our students as they grow in skill, confidence, and sportsmanship.
Apply online at www.usd407.org. Follow the link for a for a printable copy of the vacancies. https://aptg.co/qB9d_n

USD 407 is now accepting applications for a Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Instrumental/Choir Teacher, and Math Teacher at Russell Jr-Sr High School. If you're passionate about teaching and ready to make an impact, we'd love to have you on our team. Apply online today and help shape the future of Bronco students: https://tinyurl.com/2zur63f5

Thanks to the generosity of a local business, 54 students were able to bring their meal balances to positive standing via the district’s Angel Fund, ensuring a fresh start for the second semester without any negative lunch balances for the current school year. It's truly heartwarming to see a community that cares so much about its students and families, making such impactful programs possible and demonstrating the power of collective kindness and support.

The holiday meal was held at Russell Jr-Sr High School today, and the students and staff did a fantastic job!! The food was amazing. It’s wonderful to see students and staff coming together to create a memorable holiday meal, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the food service staff, JAG-K Program, and Mrs. Kasselman's FACS classes. Such collaborations not only celebrate the holiday spirit but also foster a strong sense of community and teamwork among everyone involved.

USD 407 is accepting bids for Sports Complex Lighting at RJSHS. See the Request for Proposal for details. Please note the District Office will be closed December 19, 2025 - January 2, 2026 for Winter Break. https://aptg.co/5HdVG5

The BOE will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday - Dec. 8th at 5:30 p.m. in the District Office boardroom located at 400 N Elm St. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://aptg.co/XDCdbz | Livestream: https://aptg.co/XDCdbz

The “USD 407 Food Services Department's” Angel Fund is a vital resource supported entirely by donations, enabling the provision of meals to families struggling to cover the costs of their children's school meals. Led by the Food Service Director and Superintendent, the fund aims to strategically help families in need, with disbursements made each semester to effectively reduce negative lunch balances.
To donate to the Angel Fund, individuals or businesses can mail a check made out to USD 407 with a memo for the Angel Fund to the District Office (PO Box 393, Russell, KS 67665) or drop it off in person. Additionally, families can contribute the remaining balance of their student's meal account upon graduation or departure from the district.
For inquiries, please contact Angie McKenna, Food Service Director, at 785-483-2173 or via email at amckenna@usd407.org.

​The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Monday - December 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the District Administration board room to consider a bond election in March 2026. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://aptg.co/XLrLX2 | Livestream: https://tinyurl.com/z6w9sy52

The staff and students enjoyed a wonderful holiday meal at Bickerdyke and Simpson Elementary schools today. A big thank you to the kitchen staff for their hard work and dedication to this special occasion.

First, I want to thank the community for coming out last night to discuss the USD 407 facility needs. There were many great questions and conversations. A takeaway from the meeting is that people felt they were not informed. Because of that, I feel it is important to provide an opportunity for the community to sign up to receive our alerts. If you would like to be added, please complete this short 3-question survey and we will add you to our system: https://forms.gle/rJTdS2yySuDV3FuZ9

Come join our team! Lead, motivate, and mentor our students as they grow in skill, confidence, and sportsmanship.
Apply online at www.usd407.org. Follow the link for a for a printable copy of the vacancies. https://aptg.co/qB9d_n

The Board of Education will be meeting in special session on Thursday - November 13th at 5:00 PM in the District Administration board room. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://aptg.co/SxlCn4

The Board of Education will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday - Nov. 10th in the District Office boardroom located at 400 N Elm St. in Russell beginning at 5:30 p.m. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://aptg.co/69xT8- | Livestream: https://aptg.co/69xT8-

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting Wednesday - November 5th at 7:30 AM in the District Administration Office boardroom. See the agenda for details. This meeting WILL NOT be livestreamed. Agenda: https://aptg.co/DFHrnf

Russell County USD 407 is committed to ensuring all students have access to nutritious meals daily. Families can apply for free or reduced-price meals at any point during the school year if they experience a reduction in income or hours. To apply, please complete the online application via the provided link or visit the district office to pick up a paper form. For assistance or questions, please contact Angie McKenna, Food Service Director.

https://schoolmealsapp.ksde.org/Home/welcome/D0407

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Southwind Bank will be offering a charter bus to the game on Friday, October 31st to Cimarron. Players Grandparents will get first priority. Please call Southwind Bank to reserved your seat as soon as possible. This is a first come-first serve basis.