Shawnee Mission high school teacher found dead in home Friday, officials say

A Shawnee Mission high school teacher was found dead in her home, the school announced last week.

Kenna Kobin, an instructional coach at Shawnee Mission North High School who started working for the district in 2018, was found dead in her home, Principal David Ewers wrote in a letter to parents Friday.

“This is devastating news for all of us, as she was a cherished member of the North family,” Ewers wrote. “As you can imagine, this will be an extremely difficult time for her family, as they process their grief.”

Ewers encouraged families to talk about Kobin’s death with their children before they returned to school and shared resources to help them process the loss.

The school did not specify Kobin’s cause of death but said more will likely be known in the coming days. Ewers said parents should discourage their kids from spreading speculation and rumors and allow Kobin’s family space and time to mourn her.

School and district staff are available to talk with anyone, according to the message to families, and additional resources were being made available for students and staff this week. Ewers encouraged students to reach out to the school if they’re in need of support.

“There is so much that does not make sense about this tragedy,” Ewers said, “but we can be here to support each other during this difficult time.”