Rubi Perez Obituary – Great Bend, Death: Middle School Community Mourn
Great Bend, Kansas — The community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of 14-year-old Rubi Perez, an eighth-grade student at Great Bend Middle School, who was found deceased on the morning of April 9, 2026. The news has deeply impacted both the school and the wider community, leaving students, staff, and families in shock.
Rubi is remembered as a young student whose absence is already profoundly felt throughout the school. Classmates and friends are struggling to come to terms with the loss, while educators work to support students during an emotionally difficult time.
In response to the tragedy, the Great Bend USD 428 school district acted swiftly to provide support. Counseling services were made immediately available to both students and staff, with a crisis response team deployed at Great Bend Middle School. This team includes school counselors and external mental health professionals offering both individual and group support sessions.
District leadership emphasized the importance of compassion and connection during this period. Superintendent Khris Thexton highlighted that grief affects individuals differently and encouraged open communication and support among students and families.
Additional counseling resources have also been extended across all USD 428 schools, along with access to approved online mental health tools to ensure continued support beyond school hours.
As the Great Bend community grieves, the focus remains on providing care, stability, and unity as students and staff navigate this difficult time together.
The family will release obituary, memorial, funeral, and visitation arrangements at their discretion, as it is their sole right to do so. We respectfully ask that their wishes be honored. Pending official announcements, some information currently available may be incomplete or inaccurate, and this report may be updated as new verified information emerges.
The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy and timeliness, no guarantees are made regarding the completeness or reliability of the content.