United School Administrators of Kansas -

Topeka, KS - The Kansas Superintendents Association (KSSA) is pleased to announce the 2025 Kansas Superintendent of the Year is Dr. Renee Nugent, Superintendent of Atchison Public Schools. Dr. Nugent was nominated alongside Dr. Kellen Adams (USD 453) Heather Bohaty (USD 260). 

Dr. Nugent began her teaching career in Nebraska with a Bachelors of Arts in English Education. She moved to Texas where she earned a Masters in Education from West Texas A&M University. Dr. Nugent then moved to Kansas becoming the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services in Garden City USD 457 where she spent sixteen years. Dr. Nugent went on to earn an Education Administration degree from Emporia State University while working in USD 457. Dr. Nugent then began her tenure with USD 409 Atchison Public Schools in 2019 and completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Kansas State University in the Fall of 2020. 

Atchison Public Schools USD 409 serves approximately 1,470 students, employs approximately 300 staff members, spans roughly 52 square miles, and hosts four district school sites. This northeastern Kansas district resides in a historic town with traditional values and small class sizes (13:1) while still being innovative in its partnership with Highland Community College and Highland Technical Center and through the expansion of their 12 CTE pathways. Even with increasing challenges from building repairs to more students qualifying for special education services, Dr. Nugent has consistently found ways to engage and unite the USD 409 school community.  

When asked about Dr. Nugent, Carrie Sowers, USD 409 Board President shared, “No one is more deserving of this recognition than Dr. Nugent. She puts her heart and soul into our district and she has brought so much good. Her ability as a leader to know what to do, how to do it, when to do it and to be so calm and eloquent through it. She is taking our district to a new level.”

Each Friday, Dr. Nugent shares a “Superintendent Shoutout” with stakeholders with each shoutout containing four sections: Topics in Education, Tweets of the Week featuring use of the district hashtag #WeAre409, Classroom Connections with stories and images from classroom visits done that week, and Peer Recognition where staff can highlight the impactful work being done by other staff members. This weekly email, in addition to various other in-person activities,  demonstrates the commitment Dr. Nugent displays toward meaningfully engaging all stakeholders in education. Dr. Nugent has diligently led her district over the past 5 years and showed through COVID how strategic resource allocation and a commitment to transparent communication leads to resilience and productive and supportive educational environments for all students. Board President Sowers stated, “She has high integrity and high expectations. She is a great leader, and I am so thankful we have her.” 

Dr. Nugent will be recognized alongside Dr. Adams and Heather Bohaty at the Kansas 2025 Superintendent of the Year Gala to be held November 14, 2024 in Wichita, KS and hosted by Kansas School Superintendents Association (KSSA). This event is an opportunity for KSSA to recognize and honor the important work of their peers. As the 2025 Kansas Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Nugent’s application also will be submitted to the American Association of School Superintendents (AASA) for consideration as the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year. National finalists will be announced in January 2025 and the national winner will be announced at the 2025 National Conference on Education in March 2025.