Leavenworth USD 453 Special Education

08/10/2026

💙 Welcome to the Pioneer Family! 💙

Last week, we had the privilege of welcoming more than 20 incredible Special Education team members to USD 453 at New Teacher Academy! 🎉

From our Special Education Teachers 📚, Speech-Language Pathologists 🗣️, Long-Term Substitute Teachers 🍎, School Psychologist 🧠, Occupational Therapist ✋, Physical Therapist 🚶, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) 📈, and School Social Worker 💙, each of these professionals brings unique talents, passion, and dedication to serving students.

Together, they will help us continue Preparing Every Student for Success in Every Classroom, Every Day. 💙

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Pioneer Family. We are excited to learn, grow, and make a difference alongside you. Your compassion, expertise, and commitment will have a lasting impact on the lives of our students, families, and staff.

Please join us in giving our newest Special Education team members a warm Pioneer welcome! We can’t wait to see all they accomplish this year! 💙🖤🤍

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08/06/2026

We are excited to have Darcie join our team as a Speech Language Pathologist!

We are excited to welcome our newest Speech Language Pathologist, Darcie, to the Leavenworth USD 453 Special Education team! 💙

08/06/2026

We are so glad to have Jaclyn join our Special Education team!

We are excited to welcome our newest Special Education Teacher, Jaclyn, to the Leavenworth USD 453 Special Education team! 💙

08/06/2026

We are excited to have Audra join us as our Low Incidence Multidisciplinary Teacher at Earl Lawson!

We are excited to welcome our newest Low Incidence Special Education Teacher, Audra, to the Earl Lawson Early Education Center team! 💙

08/01/2026

💙 What an incredible day at our USD 453 Paraprofessional Academy! 💙

Today, our amazing paraprofessionals and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) came together for a full day of learning, collaboration, and professional growth. 📚✨

Participants explored a variety of topics, including:
🧠 Neuroscience and how students learn
🤝 Co-teaching strategies
📊 Data collection
💙 Behavior supports and intervention strategies
🫶 Sign language and communication supports
⭐ Presumed competence and high expectations for every learner
…and many other practical tools to support student success!

A special thank you to our outstanding presenters, including USD 453 teachers, administrators, and our guest speaker from TASN, for sharing your knowledge and passion with our team. Your willingness to invest in others makes a difference.

Most importantly, thank you to our paraprofessionals and RBTs. You are the backbone of ensuring students can access the supports, instruction, and opportunities they need to succeed. Your patience, dedication, compassion, and commitment make an immeasurable impact on the lives of our students each and every day. We are incredibly grateful for all you do and proud to have you as part of the USD 453 family. 💙

Together, we are preparing every student for success in every classroom, every day! 💙🙌

07/30/2026

We are so excited to welcome our newest BCBA, Mirjah, to the Pioneer family 💙

We are excited to welcome our newest Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Mirjah, to the district team! 💙

07/24/2026

🚨 POP-UP SCREENING EVENT + ENROLLMENT SUPPORT NIGHT! 🚨
Leavenworth USD 453 is making it easy for families to take care of everything in one stop!
Join us for our Count Your Kid In (CYKI) Pop-Up Screening Event—happening alongside our District Enrollment Support Night!
📅 July 30
⏰ 2:00 PM – 6:15 PM
📍 Board of Education
200 N 4th Street
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What this means for YOU:
Families can enroll their students AND complete early childhood screenings all in one visit!
Our FREE screenings for children ages 3–5 check development in:
✔️ Vision
✔️ Hearing
✔️ Motor Skills
✔️ Communication
✔️ Adaptive/Self-Help
✔️ Cognitive Development
✔️ Personal/Social Skills
✨ A one-stop opportunity to get your child ready for success!
📲 Scan the QR code on the flyer to sign up for a screening time.
Have questions?
📞 Call our Special Education Department at 913-684-1400
We can’t wait to support your family—see you there! 💙

07/21/2026

This spring the Kansas legislature passed Kansas House Bill 2299 which requires school districts to limit social media to one-way communication with students. Since we are unable to discern whether a social media account belongs to a current student, Leavenworth USD 453 social media accounts will no longer respond to direct messages or comment-based conversations on posts.

Direct communication via email or phone call will continue to be the best way to ask questions and provide feedback.
You can reach us at:
(913) 684-1400
[email protected]

For a directory of staff members, please visit our website - https://www.usd453.org/directory

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

07/18/2026

We are excited to welcome our Kindergarten Special Education Teacher to the team! Welcome 💙

We are excited to welcome our newest Special Education Teacher, Alicia, to the Earl Lawson Early Education Center team! 💙

07/11/2026

We are so excited to have Sara Beth join our team!

We are excited to welcome our newest Social Worker, Sara Beth, to the Third Avenue School/QUEST 1821 team! 💙