By Matt Hoover
Communications Coordinator - USD 475
The Geary County Schools USD 475 Board of Education approved the hiring of Kimbre Smice as Fort Riley Elementary principal on Friday morning. Smice will take over for longtime principal Kenny Upham who was recently named academy principal of the Business, Public Service and Hospitality (BPSH) Academy at Junction City High School.
She has been an assistant principal at Ware Elementary since 2022. While at Ware, Smice has held several prominent leadership roles, including being the school’s SIT coordinator as well as the buildings state testing coordinator and 504 coordinator. During her tenure in the district, Smice has worked at Fort Riley Middle School, Seitz Elementary, Fort Riley Elementary and Ware Elementary.
Smice graduated from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., in 2011. She later received her master’s degree from Kansas State University in 2019.