After graduating from Deerfield High School in 2000, Mr. Eslinger pursued higher education. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Newman University in 2007, his master's degree in building leadership from Emporia State University in 2017, and completed his district leadership program at Fort Hays State University in 2020.

Mr. Eslinger's broad educational experience is rooted in a family tradition of educators. He began his teaching career in 2007 at Dighton Jr/Sr High School as a teacher and coach. In 2010, he transitioned to Kenneth Henderson Middle School and Garden City High School, continuing in teaching and coaching roles. In 2016, Mr. Eslinger returned briefly to his hometown of Deerfield to teach and coach before advancing to the position of building principal at Hugoton Middle School in 2017.

In 2019, Mr. Eslinger's career took a new direction as he joined Southwest Plains Regional Service Center as an education consultant. However, when the Superintendent of Schools position opened in Deerfield, Mr. Eslinger took the opportunity to lead his home district. He began his tenure as Superintendent of Schools in USD 216 Deerfield in 2020.

During his time at Deerfield, Mr. Eslinger achieved significant milestones. Working collaboratively with the Board of Education, community, and staff, they successfully passed the district's first bond in 32 years. Under his leadership, enrollment grew by approximately 100 students, and career and technical education pathways expanded from 2 to 12. The district has also seen improvement in academic data. He also helped to implement a new strategic plan for the district.

Mr. Eslinger's influence extended beyond Deerfield. He served as the Chair of the SWPRSC Superintendent Council and sat on the Rosen National Advisory Board for Reading.

Mr. Eslinger is married to Shelly Eslinger, who is also an educator. They have two daughters, Peytyn and Pyper, who will attend USD 417

ENROLLMENT INFORMATION 

2024-2025

New Students: New students, defined as those students who are entirely new to the district or those who are returning to USD 417 after having transferred out, must enroll in person at Onsite Enrollment unless their parent/guardian already has a PowerSchool Parent Portal account with USD 417 from another student and/or school year. To make the new student enrollment process faster you can go through the pre-enrollment process starting on July 8th at our pre-registration portal - all new students, regardless of whether they are returning to USD 417 after having transferred out or whether their parent/guardian has an established USD 417 Parent Portal account, must use the pre-registration portal and complete the New Student enrollment forms.

Again, all new students (whose parents/guardians do not already have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account with USD 417 from another student and/or school year) will need to attend onsite enrollment on July 26th between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the Council Grove Jr/Sr High School commons. Any students who move into USD 417 after July 26th will need to visit the office of the school the student will be attending to complete the enrollment process.

Returning Students: For returning students (and now new students whose parents/guardians already have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account with USD 417 from another student and/or school year), online enrollment will open up on July 8th and will end on July 19th. If you need assistance with the online enrollment tool between July 8th and July 19th, please contact the district office at 620-767-5192. Any returning students who do not complete the enrollment process online between July 8th and July 19th will need to visit the office of the school the student will be attending to complete the enrollment process. 

Both New and Returning students will enroll through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you are the parent/guardian of a returning student, you will already have a Parent Portal account because one was needed to complete your student's enrollment last year - if you forgot your username or password, please use the Parent Portal link above, click "Forgot Username or Password?," and follow the prompts to recover access to your account. If you are the parent/guardian of a new student, please use the Pre-Registration Portal link above to pre-register your student - an administrator will review the information you submit, and you will be notified at the email address you provide whether your student's pre-registration has been approved or rejected. If your student's pre-registration is approved, you will receive an email with instructions for setting up a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, which you will use at onsite enrollment on July 26th to complete the rest of the enrollment process in person - here's a short video from PowerSchool which shows the account creation process. Having a Parent Portal already set up will reduce the amount of time a parent/guardian of a new student will need to spend at onsite enrollment.

Free and Reduced Lunch: The Free and Reduced Meal Application will be used again to determine your household's eligibility for free or reduced price meals. Like last year, a link to the state's online Free and Reduced Lunch Application will be presented to parents/guardians as they're completing their new or returning student enrollment forms via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Hard copies of the Free and Reduced Meal Application are available upon request. For more information, please contact Becky Shearer at 620-767-6763 or bshearer@cgrove417.org

2024-2025 Fee Information: Please use the following fee information:

Preschool Enrollment Fees: $0

Grades K-12 Enrollment Fee: 

• $75 (full-pay status)
• $40 (reduced status)
• $0 (free status)

(Additional fees may be charged for workbooks, periodicals, gym uniforms, etc.)

Our goal is to make the enrollment process as convenient as possible while trying to collect all the information necessary to ensure your student has a successful start to the school year. Please ensure that students are enrolled by July 26th. If you have any questions, please contact the district office at 620-767-5192.

Enrollment Support - If you encounter any issues at all, or if you have any questions about the enrollment process, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance at the USD 417 District Office (620-767-5192) or at registration@cgrove417.org. We can guide you through every step of the enrollment process, and we can solve almost any issue you might have with the online enrollment forms or your PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Should you encounter a technical issue outside of our scope, we can refer you to the appropriate product support team.

          Parent/Guardian Guide to Enrollment Express

          PowerSchool Parent Portal - Account Setup Instructions

          SchoolMessenger Contact Manager Guide - manage which of your student's contacts receives messages (and what types of           messages: phone call/text/email) through the district's automated notification system by using the SchoolMessenger Contact           Manager in your PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Student Handbooks

           CGES Parent/Student Handbook

           CGJSHS Student Handbook

           PHES Parent/Student Handbook

Other Enrollment Documents

           Proof of Custody

           Request for Student Records

           504 questionnaire

           Proof of Identity

           Insurance Waiver Form

           After School Program (ASP)

           CGES Student Bike Contract

           Safety Interventions

           Calculator Contract - 11th Grade

           Nonresident Enrollment Capacity & Application      

Technology Documents

           Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

           District Technology Policies & Procedures

           Chromebook Use Contract

           FERPA and Parent Right Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

           Video explaining FERPA from US Dept of ED

           Annual Notice of Authorized Student Data Disclosures

           TCPA opt in

           G Suite for Education Notice to Parents and Guardians        

mySAEBRS Survey

            Description and General Information

            mySAEBRS Survey

Kansas Communities That Care (KCTC) Survey

            Information For Parents

            Overview and FAQs

Child Nutrition Program 

           Food Service Page

Athletics Forms

           Medical Physical

           KSHAA Recommended Concussion & Head Injury Information Release Form

           USD 417 Athletics Code of Conduct

Health Forms

          Health Services Page

Transportation Information

           Transportation Handbook   

           Transportation FAQs

           Previous Year's Bus Routes and Stops

           Previous Year's Route Maps                       

Legal Requirements

Students under 16 years of age must be in school under Kansas law. No pupil will be admitted to kindergarten who will not be the age of 5 by September 1. Birth certificates must be presented on enrollment. No pupil will be admitted to the first grade who will not be the age of 6 by September 1, unless that student attended kindergarten in the previous year. Any person entering Kansas schools for the first time must present a Kansas certification of immunization against Diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles (rubeola), meningitis, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, rubella (German measles), tetanus, and varicella (chickenpox).

Bell Schedules
Council Grove Elementary 8:00 a.m. - 3:10 p.m.
Council Grove Junior Senior High School 8:10 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Prairie Heights Elementary School 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
 

Free Breakfast for USD 417 Students