Free State High School has won an annual Kansas award for excellence across performing arts programs for the second time, marking a first in the award’s history.
The Performing Arts School of Excellence Award is given each year by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) to recognize a school with outstanding results in programs such as debate, speech, band, orchestra, theater and choir.
FSHS, which initially received the award in 2019, is the first high school to win twice.
KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director of Performing Arts Megan Hagaman and Executive Director Bill Faflick announced the award to staff members at the high school.
“It was decided that we just need to give this award to the absolutely best school, doesn’t matter if they’ve won it in the past,” Hagaman said.
The district said in a news release that the win exemplifies the school’s dedicated educators as well as a tradition of student excellence. They also acknowledged the value of community support of high school programming.
“Our community is very supportive of all arts, performing and visual,” Free State Principal Amy McAnarney said in the release. “When your community members and parents continue to encourage students in the arts, and teachers have very high expectations for their students, this is the result.”
The award will be presented during halftime of the FSHS vs. Gardner Edgerton High School football game Friday, Sept. 5.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Email us at Hello@LawrenceKSTimes.com (don’t forget the KS!), or find more contact info and a quick contact form at LawrenceKSTimes.com/contact.
Follow us so you won’t miss the local news that matters most to you:
Latest Lawrence news:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Wulfe Wulfemeyer/Lawrence Times
