High school student tests positive for COVID-19

A student at Raymore-Peculiar High School has tested positive for COVID-19. This case involves a student who had been participating in football summer conditioning workouts. 

The Cass County Health Department is conducting contact tracin...

Improving air quality in our schools

As part of a continuing effort to implement health and safety measures as we approach the start of school, the District is implementing ways to improve indoor air quality for staff and students. 

The District plans to make several changes immediat...

Matt Davidson of State Farm donates $1,000 to CAN program

Thank you to Matt Davidson of State Farm for donating $1,000 to support the Caring About Nutrition (CAN) program. Davidson presented the donation on July 28 to Jodie Huston, Executive Director of the Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation.

Bus ride is dream come true for this kindergartner

Shout out to Apple Bus! A Summer School kindergarten student realized that he would never get to ride a bus because his mom is a teacher. This has been bothering him all Summer school.

Apple Bus had a bus show up after school Tuesday to give Easton Curtis ...

No in-person registration event today

Due to the large number of families that have already completed registration, the in-person registration event planned for today has been canceled. If you need to register/enroll your child for the 2020-2021 school year, please call your child's school.

District employee tests positive for Covid-19

A Raymore-Peculiar employee has tested positive for COVID-19. This case involves an employee who is working at Eagle Glen and the High School for Summer School. 

The Cass County Health Department conducted contact tracing and determined that there...

School year to begin with alternative schedule for grades 6-12

Online registration for the 2020-2021 school year is now open!

As you register your children, you will make a choice for your child between an in-person learning experience or a virtual learning experience. Please make this choice by Tuesday, July 21.

As of...

District reports positive COVID-19 case

The District learned today that an employee at the Administrative Services Center has tested positive for COVID-19. This case involves a non-teaching employee who does not have interaction with students and teachers during the workday. The employee&rs...

Middle School Summer School art students create pinatas

Middle School Summer School students in Rachel Jacobs' Art class are making paper mache pinatas this week.

Graduation ceremonies set for July 17 and 18 at Panther Stadium

A view from the stage as preparations are under way for the Class of 2020 graduation ceremonies this weekend at Panther Stadium. Here is the Graduation Program. You can watch the ceremonies live on this Facebook page at 8 p.m. Friday, July 17, (last names...

Audrey Huffman places 9th at FBLA Nationals

Ray-Pec High School student Audrey Huffman placed 9th in the nation in the FBLA Client Service Event! In 2019, Audrey placed third in the nation in Impromptu Speaking at the FBLA Awards of Excellence Program. She will be a junior this fall at Ray-Pec High...

Students practice coding with Ozobots at Summer School

Raymore-Peculiar Summer School students at the elementary schools have been working with Digital Learning Teacher Aimee Wilson on some fun lessons. In these pictures, they’re trying to find a solution to get the Ozobot coding robot through the m...

Three more positive COVID-19 cases

The District learned today that three additional high school employees have tested positive for COVID-19. This brings the total positive cases to five. All five cases involve non-teaching employees who had worked in close proximity to each other.

Upon ide...

Ray-Pec High School student earns Gold Award

Congratulations to rising RPHS Senior Kerstin Randolph on completing her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting (comparable to the Eagle Scout Award).Kerstin has been in Girl Scouts for 12 years and is a member of Troop 1701. Her Gold A...

Welcome new Superintendent, Dr. Mike Slagle

Dr. Mike Slagle is the new superintendent of the Ray-Pec School District, effective July 1, 2020.

He comes to Ray-Pec from the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kan. Slagle had been with the Blue Valley School District for 25 years, most recent...

Delayed start for HS/MS Summer School

School Board approves 2020-2021 budget plan

The School Board on June 25, 2020, approved the budget plan for fiscal year 2020-21. The budget reflects the priorities of the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and anticipated growth. It also includes plans and contingencies for current economic uncertainties due...

Board honors retiring Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees was named the 2020 School Business Official of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Business Officials (MoASBO).Ray-Pec Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Byous, left, serves on the MoASBO Board of Directors. She pre...

School Board congratulates Tom Kruse

Raymore-Peculiar School District retiring Athletic/Activities Director Tom Kruse was honored at the June 25 School Board meeting.

He was congratulated on his recent induction into the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, which inc...

Ray-Pec finishes in top 40 at national speech and debate tournament

Ray-Pec High School finished in the Top 40 in the nation from more than 1,000 participating schools at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. This year, the tournament was held in a virtual format with students submitting recorded performances.

Beginn...

Major Saver fundraiser has best year ever

This year’s Major Saver card sale set a new record, raising $38,422.50 to benefit the Ray-Pec Public School Foundation and individual elementary and middle schools.During the annual fundraiser, students in grades K-8 sell the discount cards for ...

Board members take oath of office

Paul Coffman, Ruth Johnson, and Kim York were sworn into office during a Board reorganization meeting on June 11, 2020. All three were re-elected to 3-year terms. 

Board Secretary Pam Steele administered the oath of office after the Board certifie...

Ray-Pec High School announces spring semester honor rolls

Congratulations to the students named to the Ray-Pec High School honor rolls for the 2020 spring semester. Students named to the Honor Roll have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Students on the Principal’s Honor Roll have a GPA of 3.7 or higher.

Ray-Pec East Middle School announces spring semester honor rolls

Ray-Pec East Middle School announces the honor rolls for spring semester 2020. The Principal’s Honor Roll includes students with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher. The Honor Roll includes students with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49.

Free COVID-19 testing on June 11 and 12

Free COVID-19 testing will be available Thursday and Friday at Raymore-Peculiar High School. The test is open to Missouri residents, with or without symptoms. No doctor’s order is needed. 

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Ser...

Voters re-elect three incumbents to School Board

The winners in the June 2 School Board election were Paul Coffman, Ruth Johnson, and Kim York. All three incumbents were re-elected to serve for three more years.

The Board will certify the election results at a special meeting at 6:45 p.m. June 11. Board ...

Andrea Cox is Volunteer of the Year

Congratulations to Andrea Cox, the Ray-Pec Volunteer of the Year for 2019-2020! The Ray-Pec Council of PTAs made the announcement on May 26. Andrea is the President of the PTA at Creekmoor Elementary and is also active at East Middle School. One of Andrea...

'Guys and Dolls' nominated for 11 Blue Star awards

Ray-Pec’s production of "Guys and Dolls" has been nominated for 11 Blue Star awards.

Starlight Theatre’s annual Blue Star Awards recognize achievement and excellence in musical theatre among Kansas City area high school studen...

Scholarship offers to seniors top $1.2 million

As a group, the Ray-Pec High School Class of 2020 has qualified for and/or earned the potential of $1,248,144 in tuition and fee savings for the first year of college. Because many of the awards are renewable, the Class of 2020 can potentially receive sch...

Best wishes to Ray-Pec's 2020 retirees!

The Raymore-Peculiar School District appreciates the dedication and years of service from this year’s retirees:

• Doug Becker, Principal, Stonegate Elementary School
• Carol Brandt, Section 504 Administrative Assistant
• Jackie Coop, Special Education Pr...

Kiley Brown is the Ray-Pec 2020 Teacher of the Year!

Kiley Brown is the Raymore-Peculiar 2020 Teacher of the Year! Brown is a first grade teacher at Bridle Ridge Elementary School. She has been working for the District since 2012 teaching first and second grades. During the 2018-2019 school year, she taught...

Glenda Whitaker is the 2020 Support Staff Employee of the Year

Glenda Whitaker, the day lead custodian, also at Bridle Ridge Elementary School, is the 2020 Support Staff Employee of the Year!

As the winner, Whitaker receives a $500 cash award, an acrylic desk award, and a banner for her schools. Her photo will be on d...

Nine from RPHS qualify for NSDA

We are proud to have nine students competing at the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament to be held virtually this summer. Congratulations to them and to our alternates:

• Ella Schnake, defending her 2019 National Championshi...

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees selected as MoASBO Business Official of the Year

The Missouri Association of School Business Officials (MoASBO) announced Dr. Kari Monsees as the 2020 Business Official of the Year.  Monsees, the superintendent for Raymore- Peculiar School District, has been a member of MoASBO for the past 17 y...

Ray-Pec High School graduation rescheduled for July 17

Due to Covid-19, the closure of schools for the rest of the school year, and social distancing requirements, the Ray-Pec High School graduation ceremony set for May 15 has been postponed.

In the hopes of having an in-person ceremony, Ray-Pec High School is...

Scott Jermain Named 2020 Paul Lambert Coach of the Year

Scott Jermain, head boys basketball coach at Raymore-Peculiar High School has been named the recipient of the 2020 Paul Lambert Coach of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the top high school boys basketball coach in the Kansas City metro ...

School Board to have virtual meeting

The April meeting of the Ray-Pec Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23. You may view the agenda at: www.raypec.k12.mo.us/boarddocs. This will be a virtual meeting with Board of Education members participating via Google. T...

RPHS Senior donates "Happy Bags" to Children's Mercy Hospital

Ray-Pec music education program receives national recognition

The Raymore-Peculiar School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the Nationa...

RPHS play selected as one of the top in the nation

Free WiFi at some school parking lots

To help students who do not have internet access at home, or who have unreliable internet access available, the District now offers free WiFi at some school locations.

The District’s Maintenance and Technology Departments worked together to insta...

Ray-Pec offers meal service during school closure

For families who rely on school meals, to-go breakfast and lunch will be provided at no charge to any Ray-Pec student during the school closure.

• 8:30 to 10 a.m.: Pick up breakfast and lunch.

Ray-Pec students can be served at any of the sites list...

RPHS Journalism students receive awards

On March 25, Ray-Pec High School journalism students should have been attending the state contest and conference at Mizzou, but those plans were changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic!Some entries are submitted in advance for judging, and Ray-Pec performed ...

Scroggins and Jermain named to Class 5 All-State Basketball Team

Local Lions Clubs donate $2,140 to Caring About Nutrition program

Thanks to the local Lions Clubs for donating $2,140 to the Ray-Pec Caring About Nutrition program. 

The funds were raised by the Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club & Raymore Lions Club during a Chili Cook Off Fundraiser on Feb. 22. The funds were pres...

Ray-Pec High School announces Students of the Month

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec High School Students of the Month for March! From left: Shawn Courtney and Sasha Trujillo-Fernandez were selected for recognition by the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club, and Kevin Bennett and Jeni Cobb were honored by the Raymore...

Sean Martin named next head football coach

Congratulations to Sean Martin, the new Ray-Pec High School head football coach!

The School Board last night approved hiring Martin as the next head football coach.

Martin has been a physical education teacher and coach at Ray-Pec High School since 1997 and...

Share your input as District plans for the future

Share your input as District plans for the future

The District is updating its 10-year Long-Range Facility Plan with the assistance of community input.

Last fall, the District contracted the services of a demographer to assist with growth projections for th...

Belton 8th grader wins Cass County Spelling Bee

Congratulations to Belton 8th grader Esai Oquendo, who won the Cass County Spelling Bee and qualified to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.!

Six spellers participated in the county Spelling Bee, which was hosted on March 11 by...

RPHS Band Teacher honored at Gem Theater

Ray-Pec High School Band Teacher John Wilson was honored with a standing ovation on March 7, during Jazzin'at the Gem at the American Jazz Museum for his many years of teaching. Wilson is retiring from the school district at the end of this school year.

RPHS student to compete in Educators Rising State Competition

Congratulations to Southland CAPS Education Exploration and Ray-Pec High School student Kendra Hacker on her top 5 placement in two competition events at the Educators Rising State Competition on March 4 in Columbia, Mo.!

Kendra placed 5th in Impromptu Les...

Public presentations about Long Range Facility Plan

This school year, the District is updating its Long Range Facility Plan. During fall 2019, the District contracted the services of a demographer to assist with growth projections for the community. The planning process thus far has focused on data collect...

Ray-Pec Foundation presents books written by RPHS grad to elementary schools

What a wonderful way to celebrate Ray-Pec graduate and children’s book author Cheryl Klein!

The Ray-Pec Public School Foundation purchased and presented two of Cheryl’s picture books for the library at each elementary school and Shull E...

Ray-Pec students attend Women of Color Conference

A group of Ray-Pec students attended the invitation-only "Women of Color Leadership Conference: Girls Day" on March 5 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Pictured in the back row, from left: Aniaya Reed, Alana Kearney, Aaliyah Green, Raven...

Prowlers win awards at Missouri State Dance Championship

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec Prowlers Dance team!

The Prowlers placed 2nd in the mix category and 5th in the jazz category in the 6A division at the Missouri State Championship on Feb. 29 at the Hy-Vee Arena.

The Prowlers had 5 team members recognized for...

Ray-Pec East Middle School honors February Students of the Month

Speech and Debate students place first overall at Neosho Tournament

Ray-Pec Speech and Debate Students placed first in the Overall Sweepstakes out of 46 schools at the Neosho Varsity tournament on Feb 28 and 29.

Congratulations to the following who were awarded and all who competed:

• Abby Ball, 1st in Dramatic Interp
• Abby Bal...

Middle School musician honored at Jazz Festival

Board honors All State Choir students

Board recognizes All-State Band students

Board Members honored for Board Appreciation Week

Board members were recognized at the Feb. 27 meeting in honor of School Board Appreciation Week! From left: Board President Ruth Johnson, Bill Lowe, Billy King, Aaron Howlett, and Ashley Jones. Not present: Board Vice President Paul Coffman and Kim York.

Ray-Pec Foundation presents Partner in Education awards

The Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation honored the Peculiar Charitable Foundation and Allison Scott as the 2020 recipients of the Partners in Education award. They were honored on Feb. 22 at the annual Gala and fundraiser to support Foundation proj...

RPHS student Audrey Huffman selected for Sophomore Pilgrimage

RPSMS honors February Students of the Month

Congratulations to the South Middle School Students of the Month! They were recognized for exhibiting self control. Back row, from left: Kyra Littlejohn, Austin Paulson, Frieda Brauer, Rachel Belche, Matthew Como, Amilyah Freeman, and Olivia Prewitt. Midd...

Major Saver card sale continues through March 2

The 2020 Major Saver discount card campaign starts Feb. 20-21 and continues through March 2.  Elementary and middle school students are selling $15 cards featuring 21 special offers. In addition, patrons may download a free app to access other re...

RPHS honors February Students of the Month

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec High School Students of the Month for January! Efren Rodriguez and Abigail Prince were honored by the Raymore-Peculiar Sunrise Optimist Club, and Seth Kelley and Kate Lagis were recognized by the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club.&...

Human Resources Director earns industry certification

Ray-Pec Director of Human Resources Rachel Surls was awarded the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification by the HR Certification Institute. Surls has worked for the Ray-Pec Human Resources Department for five years.

The PHR demonstrates mastery...

Students use "Whisper Phones" funded by Foundation grant

First graders in Alex Tompkins’ class at Bridle Ridge Elementary School use "Whisper Phones" during partner reading and independent reading to increase fluency and build confidence. The "Whisper Phones" were purchased through...

District Chief Financial Officer earns SFO certification

Ray-Pec Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Byous was recently awarded the Certified Administration of School Finance and Operations (SFO) certification by the Association for School Business Officials International (ASBO International). This is her fourth ye...

Coach Jamin Swift named XC Coach of the Year for Missouri

Congratulations to Jamin Swift on being selected by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the Boys’ High School Coach of the Year for the state of Missouri for the 2019 cross country season.

The honor is based upon the...

Ray-Pec High School to present "Guys and Dolls"

Raymore-Peculiar High School announces its winter musical comedy, the American theatre classic “Guys and Dolls.” The final performance of the show will be in the RPHS Theatre at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. Reserve tickets by calling the...

District announces finalists for Teacher and Support Staff Employee of the Year

Teacher of the Year finalists

Congratulations to the finalists for Raymore-Peculiar 2020 Teacher of the Year:

• Jenni Beck, Raymore Elementary
• Kiley Brown, Bridle Ridge Elementary
• Michelle Claus, Peculiar Elementary
• Erica Dodson, Creekmoor Elementary
• Travis Houst...

Ray-Pec cheerleaders compete at nationals

Student raises funds for Toys for Tots

Ray-Pec High School student Hailey Lucas was awarded a plaque of thanks for raising over $100 for Toys for Tots as part of a school project.

Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose p...

20 DECA students qualify for state competition

Fifty-two Ray-Pec High school DECA students attended the District 3 contest on Feb. 6. Of that total, 30 students placed in their event, and 20 qualified for the state competition.

• Megan Allen, 6^th place, Accounting Applications (state qualifier)
• Ariel Ange...

School Board Recognition Week is Feb. 9-15

Communities across the state are honoring the service of boards of education Feb. 9 to 15 for School Board Recognition Week.

Ray-Pec School Board members volunteer their time and energy to help shape the future of the district. We appreciate their hard wor...

Twenty-eight student athletes sign letters of intent

It was a full gym on Feb. 7 when 28 Ray-Pec High School student-athletes celebrated plans to continue in their sport at the college level. Read a short bio about each student.

Front row, from left: Marissa Dick, Gracyn Kloth, Abigail Prince, Kerstyn Finch,...

FBLA students qualify for state in many events

Congratulations to the following students for placing in the top five of their events at the FBLA District Leadership Conference on Feb. 4 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. There are 35 schools in our District. A first place finish qua...

Ray-Pec East Middle School honors Students of the Month

Ray-Pec students participate in All-State Choir

Foundation awards more than $11,000 in classroom grants

The Foundation Prize Patrol traveled the District on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to present more than $11,000 in grant awards. Many of the grant award will be used for items to provide hands-on experiences for students. Some examples include robotics parts, books...

Ray-Pec High School students perform with All-State Band

Several Raymore-Peculiar High School students performed with the All-State Band on Jan. 25 at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference at Tan-Tar-A.

Pictured: Lilah Manning, 1st row seat 2, Sage Buckley 2nd row seat 4, and Lucian Howlett, back r...

High School Student Leadership Team helps at Harvesters

On Jan. 23, RPHS Teachers Emily Craig and Scott Jermain took 21 Student Leadership Team members to Harvesters, where they packaged bags and boxes of frozen chicken to be sent out across the Kansas City area to feed those in need. The group set a record fo...

RPEMS recognizes December Students of the Month

Ray-Pec middle schools announce first semester honor rolls

Ray-Pec East Middle School and Ray-Pec South Middle School announce their honor rolls for first semester. 

Ray-Pec East Middle School honor rolls for fall semester 2019

Principal’s Honor Roll (Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher)

6^th grad...

Kirk Hipple is new Activities Director for Ray-Pec School District

Kirk Hipple will be the new Activities Director for the Ray-Pec School District, effective July 1. The School Board approved the hiring at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Hipple is currently the Activities Director in the Grandview School District. This is his first ...

Dr. Lauren Gechter to be new principal of Timber Creek Elementary

Dr. Lauren Gechter will be the new principal at Timber Creek Elementary School, effective in July. The Ray-Pec School Board approved the hiring at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Gechter has been the assistant principal at Westridge Elementary and Little Blue Element...

Keri Collison is new principal of Peculiar Elementary School

Keri Collison will be the new principal at Peculiar Elementary School, effective July 1, 2020. The Ray-Pec School Board approved the hiring at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Collison has been a resident and parent of two children in the Ray-Pec School District for 1...

Carolyn Deane named new principal of Stonegate Elementary School

Carolyn Deane will be the new principal at Stonegate Elementary School, effective July 2020. The Ray-Pec School Board approved the hiring at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Deane is a familiar face in the District. She came to Ray-Pec in 2011 to work across the distr...

Rotary Club donates to Ray-Pec Foundation

The Belton-Raymore Rotary Club?? donated $2,200 to ?the Ray-Pec Public School Foundation??. Club President Lisa Peek, at left, presented the funds to Foundation Executive Director Jodie Huston at the Jan. 8 club meeting.

Ray-Pec High School announces first semester honor rolls

Raymore-Peculiar High School announces the honor rolls for fall semester 2019.

Honor Roll (Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher)

9^th grade

Mia Abnos, Remington Adams, Jacob Adams, Braden Beard, Dominyc Berry, Jocelyn Black, Caroline Bult, Laney Cracraft, Bry...

8th grader Audrey Mitchell wins Ray-Pec Spelling Bee

Congratulations to 8th grader Audrey Mitchell, winner of the Ray-Pec School District Spelling Bee! 8th grader Connor Cranston was the runner-up. Both students attend South Middle School.

Twenty-six students from across the district participated in the Dist...

District seeks nominations for Teacher and Support Staff awards

Ray-Pec seeks nominations for Teacher and Support Staff awards

The Raymore-Peculiar School District is seeking nominations for the 2020 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff Employee of the Year. A banquet on April 7 will honor the award finalists.

Anyone m...

Board honors state champion varsity cheerleaders

Board recognizes Junior Varsity Cheerleaders on state championship

Board honors Sarah Chellberg

The School Board on Dec. 19 recognized Ray-Pec Director of Child Nutrition Sarah Chellberg, at left. Sarah is the current president of the Missouri School Nutrition Association Board of Directors. She is pictured with School Board President Ruth Johnson.

A.D. and Head Football Coach Tom Kruse to retire at end of 2019-2020

While attending Northwest Missouri State University, student Tom Kruse was assigned to write about what he wanted to do in 10 years. “I stated that I wanted to be back at my high school as the head football coach,” he said.

And that&...

Sympathy notice - Death of RPHS teacher

We are saddened to inform you of a death in the Ray-Pec family. Deborah Hale, a study skills teacher at Ray-Pec High School, passed away this morning.

Mrs. Hale experienced a medical emergency in the school before the start of classes. Emergency medical pe...

SMS LEGO Robotics Team qualifies for regional championship

Congratulations to the South Middle School First LEGO League Robotics Team, also known as the Green Machine!

The team competed in its first qualifying tournament on Dec. 14 and qualified to advance to the Kansas City Regional Championship on Jan. 25. The t...

RPHS Students of the Month for December

Congratulations to the High School Students of the Month for December! From left: Dalton Apel and Alani Delce were honored by the Raymore-Peculiar Sunrise Optimist Club, and Jordan Jermain and Te'a White were recognized by the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club.

Ray-Pec places 2nd in overall sweepstakes at William Chrisman Tournament

Ray-Pec speech and debate students won 2nd place in the overall sweepstakes Dec. 6-7 at the William Chrisman Varsity Tournament. Congratulations!

Individual awards to:• Spencer Barr, 1st in Humorous Interpretation• Angelique Brown and Mik...

Dr. Monsees selected for state Deputy Commissioner post

Dr. Kari Monsees, who is retiring as Ray-Pec Superintendent of Schools in June 2020, has been selected to fill a statewide position with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Beginning July 1, 2020, Monsees will be the deputy commi...

Six RPHS students selected for All-State Band

These Ray-Pec High School students were selected for the All-State Band:

• Sage Buckley, Clarinet Honor Band, 2x All State, junior
• Lilah Manning, Flute Honor Band, 2x All State, junior
• Lucian Howlett, 1st chair snare option, junior
• Aeryn Mitchell, Bassoon Honor...

Music teacher composes alma mater for Ray-Pec High School

After learning that Raymore-Peculiar High School did not have an official alma mater, Vocal Music Teacher Stephen Rew created one. Over the summer, he wrote the music and lyrics for the song. The first public performance of the alma mater was during the N...

District announces new superintendent, Dr. Mike Slagle

The Raymore-Peculiar School District Board of Education has selected Dr. Mike Slagle to serve as superintendent of the district, effective July 1, 2020. He will replace Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

In a s...

School Board candidate filing begins on Dec. 17

Qualified persons interested in running for a position on the Ray-Pec School Board are invited to file to be a candidate in the April 7, 2020, election. You may file at the Administrative Services Center, 21005 S. School Rd.

Filing will begin at 8 a.m. on ...

Five RPHS students earn national journalism awards

Congratulations to these students who earned national awards at the National Student Press Contest sponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association.

Jennifer Aguilar (12) received an Honorable Mention award in Fea...

Ray-Pec places 1st in individual events at Park Hill South tournament

Ray-Pec speech and debate students brought home many awards from the Park Hill South Varsity and North Kansas City Novice tournaments on Nov. 22 and 23, 2019.

Varsity Results:

• 1^st Place in Individual Events Sweepstakes
• 3^rd Place Overall Sweepstakes
• Spencer Ba...

Semifinal football game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday

School Board honors softball team

The School Board on Nov. 21 recognized the Ray-Pec High School softball team for placing 2nd in the state! Front row, from left: Madison Busby, Elizabeth Pace, Alexis Helzer, Brooke Law, Lexi Blackmon, Haley Smuder, and McKenna Wilson. Middle row: Natalie...

Last week to order RPHS yearbooks

Hailee Teeter earns All-State cheer honors

Congratulations to Hailee Teeter for achieving All-State cheer honors in the Base Category at the state competition. From left: Coach Courtney Morgan, All-State Cheerleader Hailee Teeter, and Coach Megan Speer.

Ray-Pec Cheerleaders are state champions!

Ray-Pec has two more state champion teams! Congratulations to Ray-Pec Cheerleading for winning the state championship in the Varsity Superlarge Division AND the JV Large Division! Also, congratulations to Hailee Teeter for achieving All-State honors in th...

JV cheerleaders win state championship!

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec cheerleaders who won the state championship in the JV Large Division on Nov. 16 at the Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association competition. Last month, the JV squad captured its first regional championship.

Varsity and JV c...

Enrollment projected to grow by 800 in next 10 years

Enrollment projected to grow by 800 in next 10 years

The Board met on Nov. 14, 2019, to discuss Long Range Facility Planning and to hear an update about planned capital improvements.

Enrollment in the Ray-Pec School District is projected to reach nearly 6,8...

Share your feedback on school calendar

The Ray-Pec School District Calendar Committee is currently constructing a draft calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. The link below takes you to a brief survey asking for input on various calendar topics. Recently, Missouri Law was changed and does no...

Softball players receive many post-season awards

Ray-Pec qualifies record number of students to All-District Band

The Ray-Pec High School band set a new record for the number of seats earned for All-District Band! From approximately 500 students auditioning, Ray-Pec students earned 62 band chairs through blind auditions on Nov. 9 at Warrensburg High School.

Both the H...

STEAM Expo is tonight!

Ray-Pec middle and high schools present the 3rd Annual STEAM Expo from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 12 in the High School Library/Media Center. This free and open to the public event will showcase over 30 student-led exhibits in the areas of scie...

Boys Cross Country Team wins State CHAMPIONSHIP!

Congratulations to the Boys Cross Country team for winning the Class 4 State Championship on Nov. 9 in Columbia! Ray-Pec was in 14th place as a team after the 1K marker, but moved up throughout the race to finish in first place. Senior Braden Zaner placed...

Braden Zaner is 4th at state and sets new school record

At the Missouri Class 4 cross country race on Nov. 9, Senior Braden Zaner placed 4th out of about 180 runners with a time of 15:26 for a new school record and his second straight All-State honor. Braden led the Panthers to a 1st place finish as a team.

Marissa Dick places 4th at state Cross Country Meet

In the Class 4 Girls Cross Country race on Nov. 9, Senior Marissa Dick placed 4th with a time of 18:33 for her 3rd straight All-State honor. Freshman Michaela Duran was 84th in 20:07; and Senior Abigail Prince was 103rd in 20:20.

Trick or Treat so Tots Can Eat!

"Trick or Treat So Tots Can Eat!" For Halloween, these Ray-Pec High School speech, debate, and theatre students collected more than 1,100 food items for a local food pantry. 

Kneeling, from left: Kerstin Randolph, Jillian Humke, Abby Bal...

Speech and debate students win awards at Lee's Summit tournaments

High School to present "Lost in Yonkers"

Raymore-Peculiar High School announces its production of Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Lost in Yonkers. Performances will be in the Ray-Pec High School Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 8, and 9, and at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 10. Tickets may be reserved by...

Softball team ends season placing second in the state

Congratulations to the softball team for a great season for placing second in the state! The Lady Panthers defeated Northwest (Cedar Hill) 10-0 in 6 innings in the Nov. 1 semifinal game, and then fell to defending state champion Blue Springs South 10-0 in...

Boys cross country team wins sectional championship

Congrats to the cross country teams for their outstanding performances on Nov. 2! The boys team won the Class 4, Sectional 3 meet, and the girls team placed 5th, just a few points shy of their state bid. Medalists and individual state qualifiers included ...

Board approves annual audit of District finances

The Board of Education on Oct. 17 approved the audit of the District's finances for the year ended June 30, 2019. Brad Steele, CPA and partner from Westbrook & Co., P.C., presented a summary report. The District had a clean opinion on its financial st...

Ray-Pec Speech and Debate students bring home awards from two tournaments

Ray-Pec speech and debate students brought home many awards the Lee’s Summit Varsity and Belton Novice tournaments on Oct. 25 and 26. Congratulations to the following who were awarded and to all who competed!

Novice Results:• 3rd Place i...

RPEMS recognizes October Students of the Month

Office Depot/Office Max donates thousands of school supplies to Raymore Elementary

Thanks to Office Depot/Office Max for the donation of more than 4,000 school supply items to Raymore Elementary School! The store partners with the community to collect school supplies throughout the summer. Each year, one school is selected as the recipi...

Peculiar Elementary 5th graders produce a podcast

Fifth grade music students at Peculiar Elementary are producing an audio podcast called "Music Movers!" 

Music Teacher Katie Schork is working with the students, who are on teams to handle different aspects of the process, including prep...

RPHS student receives more bowling awards

Sixteen-year-old Brooke Law's success in bowling makes her a top contender in local, state, and national tournaments. 

The Ray-Pec High School Junior is a 4-time Missouri State Pepsi champion in two divisions (U15/U17), and this year placed 31st a...

Ray-Pec High School honors students for academic achievements

Raymore-Peculiar High School Principal Steven Miller welcomed guests to the Academic Honors ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The school honored students with academic achievements earned during the 2019-2020 school year. 

Students were recognized for...

Sports updates

Varsity football

The Panthers, with a record of 6-2, play their last regular game of the season at 7 p.m. tonight at Lee’s Summit West High School, 2600 SW Ward Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64082. Districts begin on Friday, Nov. 1, with the location depe...

Foundation hosts luncheon for Ray-Pec retirees

A group of District retirees on Oct. 23 enjoyed lunch and heard updates about the District, the Foundation, and Ray-Pec CARES. To be notified of future retiree events, send a message to jodie.huston@raypec.org.

RPHS Field Biology students experience Monarch Migration

Ray-Pec Field Biology students were able to experience the wonder of the fall Monarch migration as it passed through the outdoor classroom on Oct. 8. Many Monarchs were captured and released, and 18 were tagged as part of a citizen science project coordin...

RPHS Students of the Month for October

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec High School Students of the Month for October! From left: Braden Zaner and Camryn Stickel were honored by the Ray-Pec Sunrise Optimist Club, & Spencer Harris and Peyton Balfour were honored by the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club.

School Board recognizes RPHS Teacher Karla Penechar

The School Board on Oct. 17 recognized Ray-Pec High School Teacher Karla Penechar for being named the 2019 Wayne Brown Outstanding Speech and Theatre Teacher for the state of Missouri. The award was presented last month by the Speech and Theatre Associati...

School Board recognizes President Ruth Johnson

The School Board on Oct. 17 recognized Board President Ruth Johnson for receiving the Carter D. Ward Excellence in Advocacy Award at the recent Missouri School Boards' Association conference. She is pictured with Board Vice President Paul Coffman.

Marching Band is Grand Champion at Cameron MarchFest

Wow! The Panther Pride Marching Band was the Grand Champion at the Cameron MarchFest! Ray-Pec won the award for the top combined score from parade and field competitions.

The Panther Pride Marching Band won 1st place for parade, 1st place for indoor color ...

RPEMS recognizes Students of the Month

Congratulations to the East Middle School Students of the Month for September! Front row, from the left: 8th graders Meagan Faulkner, Dorien Fredericks, Savanna Porter, Zatorian Crawford, Tre Hill and Maggie Schaub. Middle row: 7th graders Levi D...

Parents as Teachers supports a child's first teachers

A family's connection with the Ray-Pec School District can begin well before a child enters kindergarten. Parents as Teachers is a program that serves families with children who are younger than kindergarten age. In fact, services can begin before birth -...

Mustang Teams helps promote positive school culture

Panther Pride Band wins awards at marching festival

The Panther Pride Marching Band won 1st place in prelims and finals at the Park Hill High School Marching Festival on Oct. 12.The Band won awards for Outstanding Effect, Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Brass group (Hayden Smith, Noa...

Seven Ray-Pec singers selected for All-State Choir

Boys cross country team wins conference championship

Suburban Gold Conference! The girls placed 4th overall, while the boys won their first Gold Conference Championship! Senior Braden Zaner was the first place finisher in the varsity boys race with a time of 16:01.1!

Earning 1st team all-conference honors we...

Ray-Pec wins speech sweepstakes at Blue Springs South Varsity Speech and Debate tournament

The Ray-Pec High School Speech and Debate 2019-2020 season is off to a great start after competing at the Blue Springs South Varsity and Blue Springs Novice tournaments over the weekend. Congratulations to all who competed! The varsity squad won 1st Place...

RPHS Student Leadership Team trains at Camp Clark

On Sept. 30, the High School Student Leadership Team, along with Teachers Emily Craig and Scott Jermain, went to Camp Clark in Nevada, Mo., for training from the National Guard.

Students learned how to work together during life-threatening emergencies, how...

University students visit Ray-Pec to learn about special education programs

A group of students from Northwest Missouri State University visited Ray-Pec last week to learn more about the District's programs to support students in the areas of behavior and special education.

The on-site visit tied into one of their college special ...

Four Ray-Pec golfers qualify for sectional tournament

Congratulations to the Raymore-Peculiar High School girls golf team for success at the District tournament on Oct. 7 in Joplin.  Lauren Kurtz and Sydney Sampson earned All-District honors. Lauren, Sydney, Sarah Larkins, and Ashley Sclesky qualifi...

Meet Dr. Lisa Hatfield: Ray-Pec Compliance Officer

As Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for the Raymore-Peculiar School District, Dr. Lisa Hatfield is involved in all aspects of recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees. The District relies on Dr. Hatfield for information about compensation, ...

Band takes first place at Valhalla Marching Band Festival

First place! The RPHS Panther Pride Band won first place at the Valhalla Marching Festival on Saturday at Parkview High School in Springfield. The band won Outstanding Winds, Outstanding Drum Line and Outstanding Drum Majors.Students, from left: Debrah To...

Cass Career Center honors RPHS Senior Lucas Tracy

Cass Career Center EMT/Fire Science student Lucas Tracy, a Senior from Ray-Pec High School, was recognized as the October Young Professional of the Month at CCC.  The CCC Young Professional of the Month award is given out monthly to an outstandin...

RPHS Monarch Waystation featured at conference

Students in the Botany and Field Biology classes at Raymore-Peculiar High School have created a Monarch Waystation in the outdoor classroom on the campus.  

Developed over two years, the Monarch Waystation provides a milkweed garden for caterpilla...

2018-2019 RPHS yearbook receives award

Last year's Ray-Pec High School yearbook earned the All-Missouri Award from the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. The award is presented to the top 1 percent of yearbooks in Missouri. The yearbook staff will be recognized on stage in March at th...

Ruth Johnson honored for advocacy work

Ruth Johnson, president of the Ray-Pec Board of Education, is the recipient of the 2019 Carter D. Ward Excellence in Advocacy Award presented by FutureBuilders, the education foundation of the Missouri School Boards' Association.

She was recognized on Sept...

Karla Penechar named Outstanding Theatre Teacher of the Year

Her students’ work is viewed by thousands each year and has been recognized and honored repeatedly in the metro area and at state and national competitions. But this teacher and coach remains mostly behind the scenes. Karla Penechar, who teaches...

FAFSA Frenzy event is 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3

Marissa Dick is 2019 Homecoming Queen

Senior Marissa Dick was crowned Homecoming Queen during halftime of the game on Sept. 27. She is pictured with her father, Billy Dick.

Homecoming foootball game moved to Thursday, Sept. 26

Football game moved to Thursday

Due to the forecast for storms on Friday night, the Ray-Pec Homecoming football game vs. Park Hill is being moved to 7 p.m. THURSDAY, Sept. 26. Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for students. Residents ages 55 and older may...

Ray-Pec High School announces Students of the Month

Ray-Pec Foundation to honor 3 with Distinguished Alumni Award

The Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation announces 3 recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award: Nicholas Hart, Jeremy Jones, and Mike Medsker. The award recipients will be honored on Sept. 27 at a luncheon and at the Homecoming Football Game

Tennis team places 2nd at Blue Springs South JV Invitational

RPHS announces 2019 Homecoming candidates

Senior Homecoming King and Queen candidates

In the front row, from left: Riley Westpfahl, Peyton Balfour, Rylee Blake, Abbey Park, and Marissa Dick.Back row: Jacob Collins, Dylan DeLeon, Micah Baird, Dalton Apel, and Carson Eve.

Read on...

SADD students stencil safety messages at RPHS

Several members of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) met at the high school to stencil sidewalks with "Buckle Up Ray Pec!" messages.

The students painted the messages on Sunday, Sept. 15. They wanted to have the messages in place befo...

Foundation awards prizes to employees who give

Thanks to the Ray-Pec employees who regularly give to the Foundation! The Foundation Board today awarded some prizes drawn from the names of employees who give to support the Foundation.

Front row, from left: Foundation Executive Director Jodie Hu...

Board begins search for new superintendent

The School Board on Sept. 12 met with consultants from the Missouri School Boards' Association about the District's search for a new superintendent.

Current Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees has announced his retirement at the end of the 2019-2020 school yea...

Softball team wins tournament

Congrats to the Ray-Pec Softball Team on winning the Ozark Fall Classic Tournament after defeating the following: Nixa 10-2; Eureka 9-1; Poplar Bluff 9-0; Grain Valley 4-2; and Francis Howell Central 9-1.

Twenty-four RPHS singers selected for All-District choirs

Varsity Girls Golf team has strong start to season

Congratulations to the Ray-Pec varsity girls golf team on winning the Independence Invitational Tournament Sept. 6 at Drumm Farm! Medal winners were Madi Priest, Sarah Larkins, Lauren Kurtz, and Ashley Sclesky.Earlier in the week, the girls beat Raytown a...

District expands Real World Learning program

District expands Real World Learning program

The District is expanding its Real World Learning program in an effort to better prepare students for the future.

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees said that the District wants students to leave high school with mo...

Students in Law Enforcement Class learn about police radar

Kindness Crew plans "Operation Buddy Bench" project

The 5^th Grade Kindness Crew at Peculiar Elementary School asked Scott Dobson, Director of Buildings and Grounds, for some information about their project, “Operation Buddy Bench.” The students want to provide buddy benches on both school playgrounds to be...

Ray-Pec CAN sponsors Fall Food Drive

Ray-Pec Caring About Nutrition (CAN) is holding a food drive to re-stock the CAN Pantry. Donations may be delivered to any Ray-Pec elementary school, East Middle School, South Middle School, or the Raymore Chamber of Commerce. You may also donate on Satur...

New schedule for Parent-Teacher Conferences

New schedule for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Separate dates set for conferences for high school students

This year, the District is implementing a split schedule for Parent-Teacher Conferences. In the past, Parent-Teacher Conferences for all grade levels wer...

School Board honors Technology Department

The School Board on Aug. 22 honored the Ray-Pec Technology Department for winning the first ever MOTechTalk Technology Department Excellence Award.

The award was announced in July at the MOTechTalk conference in Osage Beach, Mo. The two-day conference for ...

School Board honors Ella Schnake for national championship

The Board of Education on Aug. 22 honored Senior Ella Schnake for winning the national championship in Program Oral Interpretation.She competed in June at the National Speech and Debate tournament in Dallas. Her piece was titled "Debate Like a Girl.&...

School Board begins search for new superintendent

As one of the first steps in finding a new superintendent for the District, the Ray-Pec School Board last night voted to approve a proposal from the Missouri School Boards' Association to assist in the search process. Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees is re...

Ray-Pec tax levy rate to decrease by 18 cents

The Raymore-Peculiar School Board on Aug. 22, 2019, approved the 2019 tax levy rate at $5.1823, which reflects a decrease of 18 cents from the 2018 rate. The 2019 rate includes an operating levy of $4.1492 and a debt service levy of $1.0331. The approval ...

Superintendent speaks to Belton-Raymore Rotary Club

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees shared news about growth in the Raymore-Peculiar School District while speaking on Wednesday to the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club. Enrollment is up, and the District has added new positions to accommodate the growth. ...

District welcomes new teachers!

This school year, the Ray-Pec School District welcomes more than 65 new certified staff members, including teachers, counselors, library media specialists, and speech pathologists.

RPHS Senior participates in Missouri Boys State

Braden Zaner, senior at Ray-Pec High School, participated in The American Legion Boys State of Missouri June 15 to 23 on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. During his week, he was a citizen of Ingle City and held the position...

Foundation board delivers treats to all staff

The Ray-Pec Public School Foundation Board delivered drinks and snacks to all staff on Friday, Aug. 9, as they prepared for the new school year. Executive Director Jodie Huston and Board Member Mike Medsker are pictured here at Peculiar Elementary.

Mo Retired Teachers Foundation awards grants to Ray-Pec teachers

Wow! The Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation is awarding 101 classroom grants across the state. Ray-Pec teachers received FIVE of the 8 grants awarded in Region 2, which includes five counties! Each grant is for $500. 

Pictured here: Melinda Youn...

Aimsweb Data Breach - Sharing Information

We are in receipt of information about a data breach affecting the Aimsweb 1.0 assessment platform used in the district. Aimsweb is owned by the Pearson Clinical Assessment company. The nationwide breach affected more than 13,000 school and university acc...

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees announces retirement

Ray-Pec School District Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees announced that he will retire at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

He made the news public at the Aug. 7 all-staff Convocation. This annual meeting of District employees is the kick-off to the sch...

District honors employees for 10 years of service

These employees were honored for 10-years of service in the Ray-Pec School District!Front row: Nicki Heist, teacher at Ray-Pec High School; and Dr. Michelle Hofmann, Director of Elementary Education.Middle row: Samantha Allen, teacher, Shull Early Learnin...

Ray-Pec honors employees for 20 years of service

These employees were honored for 20 years of service in the Ray-Pec School District. Back row, from left: Dan Garrison, teacher at South Middle School; Pepper Grimm, teacher at Stonegate Elementary School; Steve Hatfield, teacher at Ray-Pec High ...

Superintendent welcomes new teachers to District

Superintendent Dr. Kari Monsees welcomed our new teachers to the District during their 3rd day of orientation. Foundation Executive Director Jodie Huston announced that each new teacher would receive a $25 grant to help purchase supplies.

The teachers were...

District partners with Gaggle for online safety

The Ray-Pec School District and Gaggle are partnering to keep students safe when they use G Suite for Education from Google. 

Gaggle Safety Management combines technology with live safety representatives, who review content 24/7 to assure students...

New School Resource Office at South Middle School

Back to school registration

During Centralized Registration on July 30, future Ray-Pec student Charlotte played with a hat while Mom Megan and Dad Chris registered her two siblings to attend Peculiar Elementary School. (Megan Beckett is a RPHS graduate.)

RPEMS honors January Students of the Month

Congratulations to the January Students of the Month at Ray-Pec East Middle School!

Front row, from the left: 8th Grade – Jamari Cornelius, Rinna Goodson, Mason Sewing, Jaxon Fellhauer, Avery Kiehl and Dylan Matteson.

Middle row: 7th Grade &nd...

Ray-Pec Foundation honors Partners in Education

Allison Bruflat and the Raymore and Peculiar Sonic restaurants are the 2017 recipients of the Partners in Education award from the Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation. Read more about the award recipients: http://www.raypec.k12.mo.us/1104/Gala-2017

A...

First day of school