Superintendent search process leads Monday's USD 308 board agenda
The district's Lil' Hawks early childhood program is also set to deliver its annual report, the only presentation Monday with a posted attachment.
Sign up for our free newsletter and never miss a story.
Sign up freeHutchinson's school board is set to take its first public step Monday, Sept. 14, toward replacing retiring Superintendent Dawn Johnson, when ESSDACK, the education service center, presents a search process the agenda leaves undescribed. The entry for the presentation carries no attachment, so no timeline, fee or community-input plan is posted for the public in advance.
The search follows Johnson's announcement that she is retiring at the end of the 2026-2027 school year. Her successor inherits the 2026-27 budget, which the board adopted Aug. 24, lowering the mill levy — the property tax rate charged per $1,000 of a property's assessed value — to 51.364. The successor also inherits the districtwide facilities assessment that was on the board's Aug. 24 agenda.
The agenda lists the ESSDACK item as information and a presentation rather than an action. It does not say whether the board will later be asked to approve a search agreement.
District materials describe Lil' Hawks, the district's early childhood program, as having expanded its services, and its annual report is also on Monday's agenda. The agenda itself does not summarize the report's figures, including enrollment, any waitlist or staffing.
The superintendent's consent agenda bundles the annual renewal with Apptegy, the district's website and communications provider; a 2026-2027 letter of engagement for legal services with Carole DeWald, the district's legal counsel; and grants and gifts to schools. Each item carries an attachment, but no dollar figure appears on the face of the agenda. Consent items are approved in a single vote unless a board member asks to pull one for separate discussion.
The board is scheduled to hold two closed-door executive sessions Monday — one on matters concerning an individual such as a student, and one on personnel — followed by an action item on the personnel report.
Routine business on the consent agenda includes minutes of the budget hearing and the Aug. 24 regular meeting, the July 2026 treasurer's report and August 2026 accounts payable. The published agenda does not list a start time or location for the meeting.
This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: