From a first-ever state baseball championship to increased student participation across athletics and activities, the Excelsior Springs School District’s co-curricular and extracurricular programs earned an “Excellent” evaluation for the 2025-26 school year.

The Board of Education recently approved the annual evaluation after Activities Director Doug Baker presented an overview of the district’s athletics and activities programs, highlighting the participation, accomplishments and overall performance that contributed to the top rating.

Baker noted one of the biggest indicators of success was increased student participation. During the 2025-26 school year, about 145 additional students participated in athletics and activities compared to the previous year, bringing the district’s total to approximately 1,200 middle and high school participants.

He said growing participation, along with an increase in student recognition, led both he and Assistant Activities Director Roger Siegel to rate th…