Honoring Our Kansas Students

The Human Responsibilities At The Heart Of School Board Service

There are moments in public service that remind us school boards are about far more than budgets, politics, or bureaucracy. They are about people, families, and communities. One of those moments came during my service on the Lansing USD 469 School Board when we faced the heartbreaking loss of students before they had the opportunity to walk across the graduation stage with their classmates.

As a board, we believed there needed to be a compassionate and respectful way to honor those students and the families left behind. That is why we adopted a policy allowing Lansing High School to award honorary posthumous diplomas to students who pass away before graduation while enrolled and in good standing.

The policy was carefully crafted. It ensures families have a choice in how their child is honored whether during graduation ceremonies, in a private presentation, at a board meeting, or quietly by mail. The diplomas are clearly marked as honorary and posthumous and do not impact state or federal accountability data. Most importantly, the policy recognizes the humanity behind education and the importance of honoring a student’s journey and memory.

Human Compassion Too Often Ignored

Unfortunately, we are now seeing reports of other Kansas school districts refusing to recognize students who passed away prior to graduation at graduation ceremonies.

Schools should never lose sight of compassion. Policies should reflect common sense, humanity, and respect for families.

Demonstrating Compassionate Leadership Through a Thoughtful, Family‑Centered Policy Framework

Experiences like this are one of the reasons I am running for the Kansas State Board of Education. During my time serving on the Lansing USD 469 School Board, I learned that leadership requires both strength and empathy. It means making difficult decisions while never forgetting the people impacted by them. Kansas students and families deserve leaders who will stand for academic excellence, parental involvement, safe schools, and policies rooted in compassion and accountability.

The State Board of Education helps shape the culture and direction of education across Kansas. That leadership should encourage districts to treat families with dignity, especially during moments of tragedy and loss. We should be setting an example that schools can uphold standards while still leading with compassion.

At the end of the day, education is about serving students and families. We should never become so focused on systems and regulations that we forget the human side of public education.

USD 469 Honorary Posthumous Diploma Policy

Purpose

USD 469 recognizes the profound loss experienced when a student passes away prior to completing high school. The intent of this policy is to provide a compassionate option to honor the student’s academic journey and memory by awarding an honorary high school diploma.

Policy Statement

USD 469 may confer an honorary, posthumous high school diploma to a deceased student, provided the following conditions are met:

1. The student was enrolled in Lansing High School at the time of death; and
2. The student was in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time of death, as determined by the high school principal.

The superintendent may recommend to the Board that a posthumous diploma be awarded when eligibility is in question.

A diploma issued under this policy shall bear the inscription “honorary” and “posthumous” and may not be issued prior to the scheduled graduation date of the student’s class.

Nothing in this policy shall prevent the retroactive issuance of a diploma to students who meet the criteria.

Diplomas issued under this policy shall not be counted toward graduation rates, enrollment data, or any other federal or state accountability reporting.

Procedure

1. Upon notification of a student’s death, the principal shall review the student’s records to confirm eligibility.
2. The family of students meeting the eligibility criteria shall be offered an honorary, posthumous diploma as part of graduation ceremonies.
3. The family may choose to receive the diploma in one of the following ways:
• During the high school graduation ceremony, with the student’s name announced and a notation in the program reading “posthumously awarded”
• In a private ceremony arranged with school administration
• During a Board meeting
• Delivered by mail
• Families may also choose not to receive a diploma
4. The diploma shall clearly indicate its honorary, posthumous nature.

See Policy IF, Graduation Requirements and Policy JFC, Graduation Exercises.