Twenty years since its opening, BVNW has grown in more ways than one. From its academic and athletic successes, BVNW has retained its high standard by creating a cohesive student, teacher and administrative environment. Former principal Russell Kokoruda said his original vision for the school was to be a place centered around students. He wanted students to have numerous opportunities in athletics and performing arts, and ultimately be successful both inside and outside the classroom.

“I wanted BVNW to be a place where both adults and students, for the most part, could look forward to their day and where they would want to come to,” Kokoruda said.

Currently Kokoruda is the executive director of school administration and works at district office. Although he does not work at BVNW now he gained a lot from his experience with the school.

“It was probably the most significant 11 years I had during my profession,” Kokoruda said. “Not very many people get the opportunity to work with a group of people to create a school culture. I had the opportunity to work with a lot of great people and students that helped shape a lot of beliefs I have about education. Bottom line, it made me a better person.”

When the school first opened in 1993, athletic director Steve Harms transferred from Washington High School in Kansas City, and was hired as the first head football coach and physical education teacher.

“We were all a lot younger and excited to start a brand new school,” Harms said. “It was about taking all of our experiences and saying ‘We’ve got a brand new school here what do we want this to look like and what are the building blocks of what we want this school to stand for.’”

Harms said he believes that after 20 years, the founding principles are still in place. Sophomore communication arts teacher Bill Smithyman, a former BVNW student, graduated in 1996 and said he is impressed with the amount of work Harms and others put in to begin a brand new school.

“I can’t imagine the amount of hours that went into starting up a new school and doing everything for the first time,” Smithyman said. “ I have a growing respect for this now seeing it from the other side.”

Harms said they have been more traditions continued from years before than changes at BVNW. However, he said he has noticed two major changes, in demographics and the area surrounding the school.

“Twenty years later, the outside of the school has been built up,” Harms said. “I remember seeing all the cornfields and deer running around just outside our stadium when I would take [physical education] classes outside.”

Smithyman said he remembers his main impression of the school when it first opened, and the excitement he experienced entering BVNW his sophomore year.

“The first thing I noticed was the physical structure itself; it was a beautiful building,” Smithyman said. “The commons didn’t have all the flags and trophies and it was a little bit barren, but it was really striking and pretty and was made very well. It was also the only building with a huge atrium and a second floor.”

Among the physical changes to the school and the growth of the population, Harms said he still feels the major similarity from the past is the role of activities at BVNW. However, some activities or niche programs such as Peeps and Rebel did not existed when the school opened. Smithyman said he believes this is because teachers were busy setting up the fundamentals of the school.

“The thing about student life that has changed the most is probably the growing support systems we have for our students,” Smithyman said. “Almost all teachers at BVNW are invested in more than just their classes, they all are passionate about something. There are a very few amount of teachers that check out and leave the building right when school gets out, and I think that’s what makes this such a great place.”

Now seeing the school from a teachers perspective, Smithyman said he sees a lot more behind-the-scenes work. Contrary to what students may believe, he said BVNW is nothing like most other schools.

“There are complacent teachers and complacent coaches everywhere and I think that in this building, really, they all care,” Smithyman said. “I would tell you that some of your best coaches are also teachers. We have people at this school that show students every day that [academics and athletics] are equally valued.”

Psychology teacher Tenny Dewey said there has always been a strong emphasis in the administration to work hard and have BVNW be a place that is very receptive and where students feel welcome in their environment. Even after 20 years, Dewey said he is still enthusiastic for his subject and enjoys interacting with the class.

“BVNW has always had nothing but super students and the climate has done nothing but get better and better,” Dewey said. “The relationship between teachers and adults has always been respectful.”

Dewey said he started out coaching at BVN and taught a few history classes at BVNW, and his second year he became a full-time coach and was a history and psychology teacher.

Harms said he remembers starting the football program with Dewey and physical education teacher John Reichart.  The initial football team and staff is one of the things Harms said he remembers most about his first years at BVNW.

Harms said the following year the team came back and went six and four, becoming the first team in Kansas to qualify for the state playoffs during their first year of existence. For the next three years, Harms said the team continued to be one of the more dominant football teams in the state.

“The football players were our model students,” Smithyman said. “[Harms] had a program where students respected him and the school. Teachers could count on the football players to be leading the pack.”

Although Harms said developing the football program was one of his favorite memories from the past 20 years, he appreciated other elements as well.  Harms said he loves to see the school growing and changing, as well as maintaining its beloved traditions.

“Being able to be a part of starting every tradition at BVNW and 20 years later seeing a lot of these traditions still in place is a great success,” Harms said.

Art teacher John Butcher, started off teaching design fundamentals his first year at BVNW and his second year he worked towards expanding the art program.  He said he has noticed how much the art department has grown and that students now have a lot more choices of which art classes they would like to take.

“I convinced Dr. Kokoruda that I could attract more students into the art program by starting a sculpture and photography class,” Butcher said.

Before Butcher started at BVNW he taught at Emporia high school. He said the main difference between the two schools is that Emporia is much older, holds deeper traditions and has a greater ethnic diversity. Butcher said he has been fortunate to teach at two excellent programs and that he has been very fortunate to do so.

“There has been something special about the school since it first opened and that it’s been much more inclusive and family oriented,” Butcher said. “You don’t realize this until you’ve been or go to another school.”