Thank you to Mr. Truelove and the HHS staff for being flexible today as we had a small window of the right weather conditions and scheduling to make this happen, everything went perfect. Great mini field trip for our students.
#weareholton
Parents,
Holton High School will be offering a Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for 11th and 12th graders starting the week of October 14th. This is an evidence-based program designed to teach teens how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers. The training emphasizes getting help from a trusted adult and gives teens the skills to have supportive conversations. The training is taught by certified school or partnering organization staff.
Training Details
The training is taught in six 45-minute sessions and covers a variety of topics, including:
Understanding common mental health challenges in teens.
Helping a friend in crisis, including those who are suicidal or experiencing a traumatic event like bullying or abuse. The course will not discuss any specific suicides that may have occurred at the school.
How to help a friend who may be dealing with substance use or a developing mental health challenge.
The importance of getting help from a responsible adult.
After completing the course, teens will receive a certificate and a manual with additional resources.
Parent Meeting & Resources
A voluntary parent meeting will be held on September 10th at 6 p.m. at Holton High School for anyone who would like more information about the program.
Please note that the course will discuss topics some teens may find distressing, such as school violence and suicide. You may want to discuss these subjects with your teen before or after the training.
For more information, you can contact the school's tMHFA Coordinators, Jeremy Truelove and Traci Frazier.
If you’d like to purchase a pass and show your support for our Wildcats, simply scan the QR code or click the link below. Just a reminder — this year, student-athlete sports passes were not included in their fees. Once you’ve completed the form, our amazing secretaries will add the amount to your account, you will pay and then passes will then be handed out!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdOD8Mzlf9vqISxDLJZgXg9srENFJ33Z4RNOZyk_k79QTSfA/viewform
Thank you for supporting Holton Athletics, and Go Cats!!
🚍✨ Bus Safety First! ✨🚍
Today, our entire school participated in a bus evacuation drill. These safety drills are an important way to prepare our students, just in case of an emergency.
We’re proud of how responsibly our students practiced—and grateful to our bus drivers and staff for helping keep everyone safe every day! 💛🚌 #SchoolSafety #BusSafety
Do you have a passion for sports and inspiring young athletes? Holton Wildcats are looking for Assistant Coaches and Head Coaches to join our athletic programs!
Bring your leadership, teamwork, and energy to help our students grow on and off the field.
Why coach with us?
Be part of a supportive school & community
Help shape the future of Wildcat Athletics
Apply today and make a difference!
#HoltonWildcats #CoachingOpportunity #GoWildcats #WeAreHolton
District Budget Update
Since I began as superintendent in July 2024, we have been focused on strengthening our financial systems and ensuring long-term stability for our district.
Cleaning Up and Strengthening Our Accounting System
When I started, we immediately engaged a CPA to review and clean up our accounting data.
In October 2022, the district transitioned from MAPP to Skyward. Unfortunately, the transition created data issues that compounded over time.
During that same period, an out-of-state actor fraudulently accessed district routing and account information, resulting in stolen funds. While authorities determined the activity occurred in the Northwest Continental U.S., the perpetrators could not be directly traced.
Board Response and Safeguards
In response, the Board of Education:
Refined financial procedures
Enhanced insurance coverage
Adjusted policies to ensure stronger safeguards going forward
Progress Over the Past 13 Months
Through steady collaboration among CPAs, auditors, and financial advisors, we have made significant progress:
March 2025 – Board approved the 2022–2023 audit (Varney’s)
August 2025 – Board approved the 2023–2024 audit
Fall 2025 - Anticipate completing the 2024-25 audit
September 2025 – Board approved the 2025–2026 budget
These audits provide a clear picture of our current cash balances in each fund, allowing us to responsibly plan and monitor spending. Over the past year, we have been diligent in ensuring all expenses stayed within approved budgetary limits.
Building for the Future
We are now taking important steps to plan beyond a single budget cycle: Developing multi-year plans for Facility Projects, Technology, and Curriculum.
These efforts allow us to comprehensively plan budgets for years to come, positioning the district to meet future needs even as we face challenges such as declining enrollment from lower birth rates and limited affordable housing.
Understanding the Special Education Cooperative
It is important to note that Holton cannot be directly compared to neighboring districts when it comes to overall budget numbers. That is because Holton is the sponsoring district of the Holton Special Education Cooperative.
The Cooperative includes five districts, and revenues/assessments from each are combined into the Cooperative budget, which appears in Fund 78 (Cooperatives) of the Holton budget.
These are not Holton USD 336 expenses — they are shared, collective expenditures of all five districts.
Holton’s portion is 29% of the Cooperative, based on our enrollment.
When Cooperative expenditures are removed, Holton USD 336’s budget as a single entity is $27,247,738.
This distinction is essential for clarity and transparency when comparing Holton’s financial picture with surrounding districts.
2025–2026 Budget Highlights
The 2025–2026 budget was shaped by feedback from the District Site Council and our community budget meeting on June 17.
Key points:
The overall mill levy reduces from 57 to 56 mills.
Despite this reduction, the district exceeds the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR). This means the district will receive slightly more revenue than last year — not because of higher taxes, but because the dollar value per mill increased due to rising property valuations, which is outside the district’s control.
👉 To see an accurate spending cost per pupil, see slide 20 of the Budget Overview Presentation, which was presented at the June 17, 2025 Community Budget Session hosted by USD 336.
For additional information and clarification on the district budget, please reach out to Trevor W. Ashcraft, Superintendent, at 785-364-3650.
USD 336 Holton currently has open classified positions available, and we’re looking for dedicated, hardworking individuals to join our team!
Classified positions are essential to the success of our students and schools – from supporting classrooms to keeping our facilities running smoothly.
If you’re ready to make a difference in the lives of students and be part of a supportive school community, we’d love to hear from you!
Apply online today or stop by the District Office and we would be happy to get you started!
Come be part of something great at Holton! 💙
USD 336 Holton is seeking passionate and dedicated educators to join our team! If you’re looking to inspire students and make a difference in a supportive school community, we want to hear from you.
Why Join Us?
Small Class Sizes
Supportive Parents & Community
Tuition Reimbursement
Team-Oriented Environment
Apply online at or come by the District Office and we would be happy to get you started!
#HoltonWildcats #TeachingJobs #EducationCareers #USD336
Holton is seeking a dedicated and dependable Middle School Math Paraprofessional to support students in their learning journey!
If you enjoy working with kids, are passionate about helping students succeed, and want to make a difference every day, we’d love to have you on our team.
✅ Supportive, collaborative environment
✅ Competitive pay
✅ A meaningful way to impact student success
Interested? Apply online or stop by the District Office — we’d be happy to help you get started!
We hope this message finds you well. As the school year gets into full swing, we are so grateful for your continued partnership in making our school a safe and welcoming place for all students and staff.
As you know, our parking lot is a very busy area, especially before and after school. We have noticed some instances of unsafe driving behavior and want to proactively address this to ensure everyone remains safe. This is a great opportunity to remind our students about the importance of being cautious drivers.
If your student drives to school, we kindly ask that you take a few moments to talk with them about safe driving practices in and around the school. Please encourage them to focus on a few key points:
Following traffic rules: All stop signs, one-way signs, and designated traffic flow patterns must be followed.
Keeping a low speed: The speed limit in the lot is 10 miles per hour to allow for quick stops and safe maneuvering.
Yielding to pedestrians: Students on foot and bicycle always have the right of way.
We believe that a simple conversation from you can make a huge impact. By working together, we can ensure that our school parking lot is a safe environment for every person who uses it. Just so you know, we have made morning announcements about this and asked HPD and the Sheriff's Department to patrol our parking lots before and after school.
Thank you again for your help in this important matter.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Truelove, HHS Principal
Band will have its own separate QR code.
🎉 Congratulations, Katie Morris! 🎨
We are proud to share that Katie Morris has been named the 2025 Overall Outstanding Art Educator of the Year by the Kansas Art Education Association!
This statewide honor recognizes Katie’s incredible dedication to inspiring creativity, fostering student expression, and advancing art education across Kansas. Her passion for helping students see themselves as artists — and for making art a meaningful part of their lives — has had a lasting impact on our school and community.
Katie, Holton High Art Teacher, will be honored at the KAEA Fall Conference in Hiawatha on Friday, October 10, during a special awards banquet and ceremony.
Please join us in celebrating this remarkable achievement and thanking Katie for the countless ways she enriches our students’ learning through the arts.
Katie — we are proud of you and grateful for the inspiration you bring every day!
Parents and Athletes,
Due to the projected high temperatures on Monday, August 18th (the first day of fall sports practices), we are adjusting some of the outdoor practice times. We will continue to follow KSHSAA’s heat acclimation guidelines, with the safety of our student-athletes and coaches as our top priority. Additional adjustments may be needed later in the week, and those will be communicated by each individual coach.
Please remind your kiddos to stay hydrated and fuel their bodies properly as we begin the season.
Practice Information – Monday, August 18th
HS Volleyball
Head Coach: Kristel Bontrager - k.bontrager@holtonks.net
Practice: 3:20 p.m. in the HHS Varsity Gym
MS Volleyball
8th Grade: Head Coach Keri Miller – k.miller@holtonks.net
7th Grade: Head Coach Emmy Tanking – e.tanking@holtonks.net
8th grade will practice in the old HHS gym right after school | 7th grade will practice at HES from 3:30–5:15 (Transportation will be provided to HES, the 7th graders will ride the duck bus).
MS/HS Cross Country
Head Coach: Terilyn Seele – t.seele@holtonks.net
HS Football
Head Coach: Brooks Barta – b.barta@holtonks.net
Practice: 6:00 p.m.
MS Spirit Squad
Head Coach: Tara Hurt – t.hurt@holtonks.net
Practice: Will be inside after school on Wednesday
MS Football
Head Coach: Justin Lillie – j.lillie@holtonks.net
Practice: MS Gym right after school
HS Girls Golf
Head Coach: Kurt Haussler – k.haussler@holtonks.net
Practice: Meet in Coach Haussler's classroom after school
HS Spirit Squad
Head Coach: Jessica Snyder – j.snyder@holtonks.net
Thank you all for your flexibility as we navigate the Kansas heat!
Bowe Behymer
Holton HS/MS Athletic/Activities Director
