The decision by Burrton High School and USD 369 not to play boys and girls basketball was probably a very tough one for school district officials to make, but it sounds like it was a decision that had to be made.
The school district already canceled the fall sports of football and volleyball. Burrton competed in cross country during the fall and plans to field boys and girls track teams during the spring.
The decisions were done for the students — all 21 of them in the four high school grades. Burrton was tied with Tipton Catholic with the third-lowest enrollment, according to KSHSAA classification figures released on Sept. 22.
According to school officials, help is on the way because enrollment figures for middle school and elementary school students is up. That means that if football, boys basketball and girls basketball programs come back, the teams will be young.
USD 369’s official website states a traditional enrollment of about 200 students Pre-K through 12th grade.
Burrton is not the only school in the state that has faced program cancelations during the 2025 school year.
Because of injuries to players, Chase High School canceled the rest of its 2025 schedule. Like Burrton, Chase competed at the Six-Man level.
The Burrton Chargers have a sports history distinguished by multiple state championships in basketball, track and field and cross country.
The school participates in the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) and competes in the Heart of the Plains League.
Before Burrton joined the Heart of the Plains League, the Chargers were members of the Heart of America League.
Team achievements:
• Boys cross country: The Chargers won three consecutive Class 1A state championships from 1977 to 1979.
• Boys track and field: The team secured the Class 1A state title in 1979 and again in 1997.
• Girls cross country: The Chargers claimed the Class 1A state title in 1986 and 1988.
• Girls track and field: Burrton girls track teams won Class 1A state titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990.
• Girls basketball: In 1992, the girls basketball team won the Class 1A state championship.
• Boys basketball: The boys basketball team won the Class 1A state championship in 2003.
• Football: Burrton’s football team began playing Six-Man football in 2020. That season, they secured their first win in three years with a victory over Fowler.
Burrton started the 2025 football season 0-3 and finished 0-7 because of forfeits. The 2024 team started 1-1 before forfeiting the final six games.
