TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC): Leavenworth County

Guidepost Montessori at Leavenworth is the Leavenworth, Kansas campus of the Guidepost Montessori network, which runs more than 60 Montessori schools across the country. Our Children's House classrooms serve preschool and kindergarten children with hands-on Montessori materials, from sandpaper letters and the movable alphabet for early reading to math materials that make place value and four-digit operations concrete. Montessori-trained guides give one-on-one lessons and let each child move through language, math, practical life, sensorial work, science and cultural studies at a personal pace. Practical life lessons build independence through real tasks such as preparing snacks, tying shoes and caring for the classroom. Families can choose full-time or part-time schedules, extended-day care comes at no extra cost, and the school follows a year-round calendar with minimal breaks. Parents receive daily updates, photos and progress notes through the Illumine parent app.

More than 50 clubs, activities and athletic opportunities give Leavenworth High School students places to explore interests and take on leadership. We connect that participation with academic preparation for college or a chosen career, supported by counseling and school resources that keep families involved as students approach graduation. The Pioneer Way sets our expectations for daily school life. We ask students to arrive on time, use appropriate language, show respect and dress appropriately. Academics, attitudes and attendance guide our work, and we work with families to carry those expectations through the school year. Students can take part in activities alongside their classes as they practice responsibility and prepare for the next stage of education or employment. Within Leavenworth Public Schools, staff and parents contribute to identifying students who qualify for special education and developing their Individualized Education Programs. The district also provides special education services for eligible gifted students in Kansas. For each eligible student, the IEP guides instruction around identified educational needs, with families participating in that planning.

Accelerated Schools of Overland Park is a nonprofit private school in Johnson County for students in grades four through twelve. The full-day program accepts applications throughout the year and also offers summer school. Students come from across the Kansas City area with a range of academic needs; the school serves gifted, average, and learning-challenged learners. Instruction moves at an individual pace, and schedules can change when a student needs a different mix of classes. The published student-to-teacher ratio is 7:1. Executive function is part of the school day: teachers set clear expectations for completed classwork, give realistic homework, and send daily report cards so students and parents can follow academics and behavior. A licensed counseling team meets with students individually and runs Pathways small groups on mental health topics. Two certified therapy dogs spend time at school, and Friday activity clubs and field trips give students ways to connect outside class. Juniors and seniors can work with the College and Career Program as they plan their next steps. Families can schedule an in-person visit to learn how the approach would fit their student.