08/13/2026
We are officially live! 🎉
As an extension of Sports in Kansas, I am beyond thrilled and honored to announce the brand-new launch of Schools in Kansas !!
Working alongside a dedicated team of 12 superintendents from across our state, we partnered with the brilliant Chet Kuplen to build a brand-new vision: expanding our focus to truly celebrate all aspects of our incredible Kansas schools.
Sports in Kansas has long been the go-to network for high school athletics, and now Chet Kuplen is stepping up to expand the celebration of our students, staff, and entire school communities with the launch of Schools in Kansas. Our goal is simple yet powerful: to share the amazing stories, achievements, and daily happenings taking place inside our Kansas schoolhouses.
I am so proud to be a partner on this project and to work side-by-side with Chet Kuplen and these exceptional school leaders in developing this vision.
Check out Chet’s official release below. Here’s to officially celebrating Kansas schools! 🍎🎓👏
Follow Schools in Kansas this year and keep and eye out for Santa Fe Trail Students, staff, and school community being showcased across Kansas.
Proud Charger,
Faith Flory
Superintendent
Kansas State Department of Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Schools in Kansas Launches to Celebrate the Positive Stories Happening in Education Across the State
WICHITA, Kan. — Schools in Kansas, LLC has officially been established with one mission: Celebrating Kansas Schools.
Founded by Chet Kuplen, founder and CEO of Sports in Kansas and founder of Think Before You Post, Schools in Kansas is a new statewide media company dedicated to telling the stories of the students, educators, staff, administrators, programs and communities making a positive impact across Kansas education.
For the past 14 years, Sports in Kansas has grown into the state’s largest high school sports media organization, reaching more than 600,000 followers across its platforms and earning Media of the Year honors in Kansas five times.
In 2019, Kuplen founded Think Before You Post, a digital citizenship, leadership and school culture program that has now reached more than 900 schools and organizations in Kansas and beyond.
“Sports in Kansas gave us the opportunity to celebrate student-athletes, coaches and communities, but Think Before You Post opened the doors for us to see everything else happening inside Kansas schools,” Kuplen said. “Because we are already in and out of schools across the state, we have seen firsthand how much good is taking place beyond sports.”
“We have met outstanding teachers changing lives, students overcoming challenges, administrators creating innovative programs, support staff holding schools together and communities rallying around education. We have seen success in academics, fine arts, career and technical education, agriculture, leadership, service and school culture. Many of those stories never receive attention outside of their own buildings or communities.”
“That is what made Schools in Kansas feel like such a natural next step. We believe this platform can have a huge impact by consistently elevating the good happening in Kansas education and giving those stories a statewide audience.”
The idea for Schools in Kansas began last fall 2025 when Kuplen was approached by a group of 12 Kansas superintendents and administrators who believed there was a need for a statewide media organization dedicated to positive education coverage. Since then, the group has helped shape the vision for Schools in Kansas, along with insight from the Kansas State Department of Education.
“When that group approached me, the idea immediately made sense,” Kuplen said. “We had already built the audience, the statewide relationships and the experience of telling positive stories. Think Before You Post had also put us inside hundreds of schools and allowed us to see how much there was to celebrate. This was the right time to build something specifically for Kansas Education.”
Sports in Kansas and Schools in Kansas will operate as two separate companies with distinct missions, but the organizations will work together to promote one another and create additional opportunities to tell stories from schools across the state. Sports in Kansas will continue to focus on high school athletics, while Schools in Kansas will focus on the broader educational experience.
Schools in Kansas will highlight:
• Students and academic achievement
• Teachers, administrators and support staff
• Career and Technical Education
• Fine arts and performing arts
• FFA and agricultural education
• STEM, robotics and classroom innovation
• Leadership, service and school culture
• School traditions and community partnerships
• Other positive stories from Kansas schools
“There are so many positive things happening in Kansas schools, and we are excited to tell those stories consistently, just as Sports in Kansas has done with athletics,” Kuplen said. “Every school has something worth celebrating, and every community has people and programs deserving of recognition.”
Schools in Kansas is currently seeking founding partners that share a passion for education and want to connect with Kansas schools, educators, administrators, students, families and communities. Partnership opportunities will support positive statewide storytelling while giving organizations meaningful visibility within Kansas education.
“We are looking for partners that believe in Kansas schools and understand the value of celebrating education,” Kuplen said. “The right partners will help us reach more communities, tell more stories and build something that can make a lasting impact across the state.”
Schools in Kansas plans to begin its public rollout prior to the start of the 2026-27 school year. The website will be available soon, and Schools in Kansas can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
About Schools in Kansas
Schools in Kansas, LLC is a statewide media company dedicated to celebrating Kansas schools through positive storytelling. Its mission is to recognize the students, educators, staff, administrators, programs and communities strengthening education across the state.
Schools in Kansas would also like to recognize the members of the Schools in Kansas Advisory Group who have provided insight and helped shape the vision for the organization: Heath Hogan (USD 305 Salina), Faith Flory (USD 434 Santa Fe Trail), Rebecca Kramer (USD 430 South Brown County), Mark Dodge (USD 348 Baldwin City), Matt Smith (USD 208 WaKeeney Trego), Josh Meyer (USD 320 Wamego), Jay Scott (Kansas Department of Education), Karen Burrows (USD 507 Satanta), Tricia Reiser (USD 465 Winfield), Brad Willson (USD 345 Seaman) and Joe Ge**er (USD 206 Re*****on).
