The Arkansas City USD 470 Board of Education approved a contract Monday for William Pfannenstiel to serve as the district’s next superintendent and authorized several technology upgrades during its regular meeting.
Pfannenstiel will assume the superintendent role July 1, 2026. The board also appointed Braden Smith as assistant superintendent for business and operations, effective the same date.
Board members also approved the purchase of network switches and wireless access points totaling $87,768 to improve internet connectivity across district schools. District officials said approximately 80 percent of the cost will be covered through the federal E-Rate program.
The board additionally approved the district’s 2026–27 school calendar. The calendar was developed by a committee of teachers, staff and administrators and was designed to balance instructional time, professional learning opportunities and scheduling alignment with Cowley College for students enrolled in concurrent courses.
The board also recognized several recent student and staff accomplishments. Students were selected for the Kansas Art Education Association Youth Art Month exhibit, Arkansas City High School wrestlers earned strong finishes at the state tournament and Arkansas City Middle School students placed second overall at Math Relays.
Additional recognition included the ACMS girls wrestling team for its league runner-up finish, the ACMS orchestra for earning top ratings in competition and January’s Top DAWGS staff honorees.
In other business, the board approved the district’s 2026–27 Head Start grant application and budget totaling $1,837,255 to support early childhood education services in the community.
Board members also approved the purchase of Chromebooks and interactive classroom projectors to support classroom instruction and authorized a request for proposals for a new districtwide phone system.
The board accepted a $40 anonymous donation to support the YELL program at IXL Elementary and received updates on the district’s Local Option Budget percentage for fiscal year 2026 and the ongoing review of the student handbook.
The board held two executive sessions to discuss non-elected personnel matters.
