A former Great Bend High School teacher and her husband have donated an American flag for the GBHS main gym that can drop from the ceiling and unroll during the national anthem. The gift from Tina and Rick Hiss was approved by the school board on Monday.

Superintendent Khris Thexton said the Hisses saw a rolling flag at a sporting event and Tina  thought it was “amazing.” They decided they wanted to purchase one for Great Bend. During the playing of the national anthem before the game, the flag they saw rolled out of the ceiling and dropped down, about where the scoreboard would be at GBHS. At the end of the national anthem the flag went back up.

The cost of the flag is $6,692.65, and installation will be provided by MPIRE Improvements & Overhead Door at no additional cost. The flag will be installed by Sept. 1.

Tina Hiss was a longtime GBHS math teacher who retired in 2024. She was inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame for the class of 2014.