Kaleb Stoppel named district athletic director 

Dr. Kaleb Stoppel, an assistant principal and athletic director for Olathe East High School, has been named district athletic director for the Wichita Public Schools. 

Stoppel will take over his new duties in late July with the retirement of WPS district athletic director J. Means, who has served as athletic director for the past 11 years and for 23 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director at Northwest. 

“While I’m looking forward to retirement, I will miss the students and staff of WPS and the local and state athletic officials I’ve enjoyed working with,” said J. Means. “I’m eager to begin working with Kaleb in this transition and I know he is excited to get started. Having grown up in western Kansas and then working in the Olathe area, Kaleb brings a unique perspective of how athletics works throughout the state. He’s very active in both our state and national organizations and will bring a wealth of knowledge to this position.” 

Dr. Stoppel comes to the district from Olathe East High School where he has served as assistant principal and athletic director for the past four years.  He has also served as a middle school assistant principal and athletic director at Santa Fe Trail Middle School and a high school math teacher and head track coach at Olathe South High School. Dr. Stoppel began his teaching career in the North Kansas City School District at Winnetonka High School where he was a teacher and coach of multiple sports including track, football, cross country, swimming and diving. Dr. Stoppel was a multi-sport student-athlete at Osage City High School, and later, a NCAA Division I collegiate athlete, running track and field at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.