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Meet Randy Rivers...

...Your new Superintendent

Randy Rivers is a 50-year-old educator who has been a resident of Kansas for 43 years. Randy was born in Grand Junction, Colorado and lived briefly in Denver, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming. He began school in Northglen, Colorado (a suburb of Denver) and received most of his elementary school education in Colby, Kansas. Randy’s father, Roland Bruce was a professional basketball player in the early 1950’s and worked for Phillips Petroleum Company for many years. During the recession of the early 1970’s, Randy’s family moved to his mother’s family farm and ranch near Grenola in Elk County, Kansas. Randy attended high school at Central of Burden in Burden, Kansas and attended college at Southwestern College in nearby Winfield, Kansas.

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Randy comes from a family of educators. His mother taught school in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas for almost thirty years. His father began teaching as a second career in the mid 1970’s and taught until his death in 1990. Randy’s grandmother was a teacher and administrator in one-room schoolhouses in southeast Nebraska for over 30 years and an uncle is a retired California teacher. Randy’s wife, Kristy, has taught school for 26 years as well.

Randy’s educational career began in 1983 when the Wellington, Kansas school system hired him to initiate a computer science program at their high school. He taught computer science, business law, economics and coached basketball for six years at Wellington High. In the spring of 1989, the Wellington School district faced a financial management crisis at their district office and Randy was transferred to the position of business manager. During his 4-year stay at the Wellington School District office, he attended night classes at Wichita State University to acquire a master’s degree in educational administration. In 1993, he accepted the position of principal at nearby Belle Plaine Middle School where he and his wife resided. As principal of Belle Plaine Middle School, Randy led the way to the implementation of several innovative improvements. The school was one of the early middle school’s in the state to adopt a block schedule, highly inclusive special education services, and the highlight was the development of a reading program that in 1999 was named the Kansas Reading Association’s Exemplary Reading Program. In 1999, Randy took a step up the educational career ladder and accepted his first superintendency with USD 329 Mill Creek Valley, a 400 square mile school district in the Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County, half way between Manhattan and Topeka. While in USD 329, Randy led a team of community leaders that passed a 7 million dollar bond and constructed additions at all five of the district’s schools. Mill Creek Valley had accumulated numerous State Standards of Excellence when he left in 2004. During his tenure in Mill Creek Valley, Randy also served as a mentor and team facilitator for the Kansas State Department of Education’s KAL-Tech and KATCL initiatives.

Randy, Kristy, Logan and Kelsey moved from Alma to Arma and Northeast USD 246 in 2004.  While at Northeast, Randy worked diligently with the staff to address the needs of a high poverty district.  The addition of an all day kindergarten program including new facilities, expansion of preschool services to the community and the establishment of a respected staff-driven curriculum development process were the highlights of his tenure.  While also at Northeast, Randy was honored to be selected as a presenter on community public relations using web-based technology at the 2007 American Association of School Administrator's (AASA) national conference.

Randy and his wife Kristy live in rural Butler County on the west side of the school district. They have two children, Logan 20, a student at Kansas State University and Kelsey 18, a senior at Bluestem High school. Randy enjoys spending time with his family and working outdoors. His hobby is tinkering with computers and electronics. Randy’s is currently Superintendent of the Bluestem USD 205 school system. He intends to provide the Bluestem schools the same enthusiastic approach to leadership and community involvement that he has in his previous assignments.