December 2025 USD 417 District Spotlight

It's an exciting time to be a Brave & Twister! Student activities are in full swing across USD 417. At Council Grove High School, our students are hitting the courts and mats in basketball and wrestling, showcasing their knowledge in Scholars Bowl, and competing in the ever-growing world of Esports. At Council Grove Junior High, the basketball season is wrapping up strong with a few more games in January before wrestlers take the spotlight, and our JH Quiz Bowl team is gearing up for their season. And let's not forget—all three of our buildings put on fantastic holiday concerts this month! Our students truly shined on stage and our teachers did a great job leading them.

It's time to celebrate our Every Day Difference Makers for December! Congratulations to Lori May, 1st Grade Teacher at Council Grove Elementary School; Kim Coover, Biology Teacher at Council Grove Junior/Senior High School; and Kayla Romme, Aide and building technology support at Prairie Heights Elementary School. These outstanding individuals were nominated and selected for showing up and making a difference every single day for our students and staff. Thank you for all you do!

Great things are happening with our facilities! We are wrapping up the new HVAC installation in the small gym at CGJSHS, and our next stop is Council Grove Elementary School where we will tackle HVAC systems that are 25 years or older. We are also launching new door access controls to enhance safety and security across our buildings. Looking ahead, we have exciting capital outlay projects on the horizon including sound system upgrades in our gyms and auditorium, plus lighting improvements in the auditorium. These investments take time and resources, but they reflect our commitment to providing the best possible environment for our students and staff.

As we close out this calendar year, I'm proud to reflect on everything USD 417 has accomplished in 2025. We are raising the bar on academic success by giving our teachers dedicated time to work on standards alignment, strengthen instruction, and increase rigor to challenge and grow our students. We made a strategic investment in Career and Technical Education by bringing on a dedicated leader to expand our pathways and bring career education into our elementary schools. We're only in year one, and we're already seeing momentum—the future is bright!

We've also been hard at work planning for what's next. As we turn the page to January, we'll be sharing drawings and details about the upcoming bond election. This is an incredible opportunity for our students, staff, and community, and we can't wait to share more with you!

As I look back on another great year, our success comes down to one thing: we come together and support one another. That's what makes USD 417 special. I'm excited to carry that momentum into the second half of the school year and into 2026. Let's keep building something great—together!

Tyson Eslinger 

Superintendent of Schools 

USD 417 Morris County 

#ForwardTogether417