Iola High School’s graduating class of 2022 has endured a more challenging four years than pretty much any class before it, Principal Scott Carson said. “With the pandemic and everything they’ve gone through to get…

Iola High School’s graduation rate reached its highest level in years, surpassing the state average for possibly the first time.  Principal Scott Carson last week gave board members an update on graduation rates.  In May…

Iola High School’s Class of 2021 attended 662 days of school, which rounds out to more than 19 million seconds, senior Sidney Shelby told her fellow classmates at Saturday’s graduation ceremony. “Our freshman year may…

Marmaton Valley High School’s Class of 2021 graduated Saturday evening. Above, exchange student Helena Schneck poses with her diploma and sister Ann-Sophie. Schneck’s family came over from Germany for the ceremony.

She brought it on herself. “I think I gave myself the responsibility. … I wanted to hold myself to the standard,” said Jada Cunningham on earning a 4.0 GPA. That, and free scholarship money is…

Hannah Gardner is going to enjoy the moment today when she walks across the stage to accept her diploma as well as recognition for being a valedictorian. It’s her reward for 13 years of hard…

Audrey Coltrane’s 4.0 was born of high personal goals, along with encouragement from parents Jennifer and Aron. As she explained, “it was never something my parents required me to do,” but they taught her to…

Between schoolwork, practice and holding a job, Dillon Slaven often found himself squeezing everything he could from each day. Burning the candle at both ends? Slaven blasted his with a blowtorch. “I may not miss…

Sidney Shelby has a term for the effort necessary to get good grades in high school: thinking at a high level. “I’ve always been pushed to get good grades, or take hard classes,” she explained.…

Levi Meiwes has been counting on his chickens, and they’ve helped him hatch a plan to graduate from college nearly debt- free. Meiwes, a senior at Iola High School and a valedictorian candidate, capitalized on…