The HPS Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of a new endowed fund:
The Ron and Betty Kort Language Arts and Literature Endowment.
This endowment is intended to partially fund travel and expenses for secondary classroom teachers who are teaching Language Arts and Literature classes at Hastings Senior High School or Hastings Middle School to attend conferences / seminars related to language arts and literature.
Betty and Ron Kort came to Hastings in 1964 and started their teaching careers in the Hastings Public Schools.
Ron taught English at HHS for 40 years, 38 of those as chair of the English Department. He was named HPS Teacher of the Year in 2005.
Betty began teaching English and social studies at Hastings Junior High, but soon became a stay at home mom for over 10 years to their two daughters, Julie and Amy. After resuming her career, she taught social studies, English and art at HHS for 25 years - 10 of those as chair of the Art Department. Betty was named Nebraska Teacher of the Year in 1993, as well as receiving a Cooper Foundation Excellence In Teaching award and a Disney American Teacher award.
Betty also served as Executive Director of the Hastings Public Schools Foundation for 7 years.
Both Ron and Betty valued seminars and conferences as ways for teachers to engage with new energy and creativity in the classroom.
Thank you Mrs. Kort for your generosity!
The Ron and Betty Kort Language Arts and Literature Endowment is open to additional donations from others who would like to honor the legacy of Mr. and Mrs. Kort. Contact the Hastings Public Schools Foundation for more information.
