Dear USD 429 Parents, Patrons, and School Community,

May 1 has arrived! While students and staff may have a countdown going, I tend to avoid that—though I am very aware of how many school days remain. There was a time in my life when I wondered if a day or week would ever end. Now, it feels like there’s never quite enough time. May is always a busy time in the school year, with events happening nearly every day and evening, including some weekends. The days are quickly winding down.

Please encourage your children to maintain their daily and evening routines. We still have two full weeks and a few additional days left in the school year, and there are many activities taking place both during and after school. Keeping a consistent routine during these final weeks will be important, and we will work to do the same during the school day.

This year, many laws were passed in Topeka that affect public schools, including our district and your children. Perhaps the most significant is the new statewide school cell phone ban. While it is too late for debate, as it has been passed and signed by the Governor, it will go into effect next school year.

So what will this look like for our students? The law establishes a “bell-to-bell” ban, meaning cell phones may not be used during the school day. While this type of policy is not entirely new to our district, it is now state law and will require some adjustments. We will be working with the Board of Education to determine the best way to implement and follow this requirement. This law also addresses communication between staff and students, which is another topic we will review and share more information about in the future.  Texting will not occur between a coach/sponsor/teacher and students.  We will be looking at  uniform way to communicate with our students and those participating in school activities.

I have always believed that if we do not police ourselves, others will step in to do it for us. While I am not personally in favor of government involvement in this matter, the law is now in place, and we will move forward accordingly. We expect parents and students to respect and follow this new rule, and we appreciate your support in helping us do so.

Let’s make the most of these final weeks. There is still much to accomplish and celebrate. Thank you for all you do to support our schools.

Sincerely,
Patrick E. McKernan
Superintendent of Schools
Troy USD 429

The USD 429 Master Teacher of the Year Selection Committee met on April 22, 2026, to select the Master Teacher for the 2025-2026 school year.  Eight committee members met from representation across the district and parent organizations.  Five teachers were nominated for the honor.

Our 2025-2026 Master Teacher of The Year is Mrs. Cheryl Cluck.

Mrs. Cluck is in her fourth year of teaching students with the Troy School District after very successful teaching stops in the Atchison and St. Joe School Districts.  Mrs. Cluck has taught second grade students since she was hired in Troy. 

Mrs. Cluck’s colleagues, students’ parents, and others said the following:  Cheryl truly represents what it means to be an outstanding educator. She is dedicated, creative, and always finding new ways to make learning meaningful and fun for her students.  Mrs. Cluck has been described as “crafty”.  She puts her heart into everything she does and goes out of her way to make sure each child feels supported, included, and excited to come to school. Her classroom is a warm, welcoming place where students feel safe to take risks and grow.

What really stands out is the impact Cheryl has on her students beyond academics. She builds their confidence, encourages them to be proud of their work, and helps them see what they are truly capable of. Her kindness and genuine care don’t go unnoticed—by students or colleagues.

On behalf of the USD 429 Staff and Board of Education, congratulations Mrs. Cluck on being chosen as Master Teacher of The Year for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Other teachers nominated for the honor include….

Brittany Clary – Ms. Clary is completing her 7th year of teaching.  She has taught students at all levels in our district, which can be a challenge at times.  During her time at Troy, Ms. Clarry has put on musicals, concerts, plays music at the sporting events, and also serves as middle school scholars bowl coach.    

Angela Johnson – Mrs. Johnson is a veteran teacher and a well-respected teacher for the school district.  A former Master Teacher of The Year winner, she has taught in the Troy district for twenty years.  Mrs. Johnson not only teaches middle school math, but she makes it worthwhile, applicable, and enjoyable.   Mrs. Johnson also helps with middle school track and enjoys watching all the students participate in their activities.   

Veronica Masters – Mrs. Masters is finishing up her 4^th year teaching in the Troy school district. Mrs. Masters teaches middle school science with content ranging from the solar system to cell life. Something is always going on in her classroom: activities, experiments, cooperative learning. She has grown tremendously as a teacher over the years and continues to grow as she settles into her effective, veteran teacher role.

Roger Purdy – Mr. Purdy has taught art in the Troy district for sixteen years.  He has helped and has proudly witnessed many of his students performing well in art contests and festivals.  Mr. Purdy has helped guide the development and painting of many murals we have on our school and city walls.  Mr. Purdy is very involved outside the classroom as well. He coaches multiple sports involving middle school and high school student athletes. 

USD 429 Troy will be livestreaming using NFHS the following events:  NFHS Livestream Link

*Due to music copyright laws, it may be very hard to hear the programs below.  

May 1 - Gr. 6-12 Music Program - 6:30 PM

May 6 - HS Academic/Athletic Banquet - 5 PM

May 12 - Gr. K-5 Music Program - 6:30 PM

May 13 - HS Baccalaureate - 7 PM

May 17 - HS Graduation - 3 PM

May 18 - MS Promotion - 7 PM

May 19 - Pre-K Promotion - 7 PM

Troy High School’s Role Model Dessert Banquet was held on Wednesday, April 22 for seniors to recognize those that have been inspirational in their lives. The program was organized to say thanks to those that helped shape the young men and women of our future. Thank you to Mr. Derek Frieling, Troy High School Social Studies teacher, for facilitating the event.

Pic 1: Henry Geiger recognizes his father, Nathan, as his role model.

Pic 2: Nicole Judd recognizes her mother, Kerry, as her role model.

Pic 3: Caden Rosenberger recognizes his father, Branson, as his role model.

Students of Troy School District Give Back to Their Community!

Students of Troy School District were excited to take part in Community Service Day on Friday, April 24^th.  Students in grades Kindergarten through 12^th grade and staff hit the streets of Troy to preform various community service acts throughout town.  Each class partnered with a local organization or business to give their time and energy to better their community.  Grade school students performed service acts like cleaning and stocking shelves at John’s Market, clean up at the county courthouse, flower planting on Main Street, painting projects at the county 4H grounds, city park clean up, and collecting golf balls at the local driving range. Middle school and high school students helped clean up the city park, softball field, football bleachers area, and various roads around town. They also assisted the Doniphan County Pet Rescue, Kaden’s Kloset, the Doniphan County Education Cooperative, and the Doniphan County Courthouse with various tasks. Finally, students distributed cookies to various businesses as a show of appreciation. Students showed great Trojan pride that day and were happy to have the opportunity to give back and say ‘Thank You’ to our very supportive community.  It was a great day to be a Trojan!  A huge thank you to Mrs. Adrienne Geiger and Mr. Jeremy Prudden for leading this event.  

ORDER OF EVENTS
FIELD EVENTS: 2:00 pm Discus: Girls West Ring, Boys East Ring - 7th followed by 8th Shot put: Girls South Ring, Boys North Ring - 8th followed by 7th Long jump: Girls- North Pit Boys- South Pit - 7th followed by 8th Triple jump: Starts at the conclusion of Long Jump, same pits & order High jump: 8th Boys, 8th Girls, 7th Boys, 7th Girls
RUNNING EVENTS: 4:00 pm
Order of Running Events: 7th Girls - 8th Girls - 7th Boys - 8th Boys
3200M (2 races - 7th Boys/Girls followed by 8th Boys/Girls)
100M Hurdles 100M Dash 1600M Run 4 X 100M Relay 400M Dash 200M Hurdles 4 X 200M Relay
800M Run 200M Dash 4 X 400M Relay