Takeaways from Dodge City USD 443 Education Board Meeting
Week of March 10, 2026
Superintendent warns of legislative threats to local control
State Senate proposes $16 million cut to student mental health services
Local taxpayers shouldering $3 million for special education
Board approves $322,000 for security camera upgrades
Summer roofing projects fast-tracked ahead of hail season
Board to vote on districtwide English curriculum in April
Superintendent warns of legislative threats to local control
DODGE CITY, Kan. — Superintendent Jason Scheck warned the USD 443 Board of Education about several bills advancing in the Kansas Legislature that could impact local school board control, including a mandate to ban student cell phones. The proposed legislation would require personal devices to be turned off and stored in inaccessible locations throughout the school day. Scheck expressed concern over the logistical challenges of implementing the mandate across all grade levels and noted the legislation would override the authority of local school boards, adding that many districts already have effective cell phone policies in place.
State Senate proposes $16 million cut to student mental health services
DODGE CITY, Kan. — In his legislative update, Superintendent Jason Scheck alerted the USD 443 Board of Education that the Kansas Senate's budget proposal includes a $16 million cut to the state-funded Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program. USD 443 currently relies on these state funds to support personnel who handle acute behavioral and mental health issues in schools. If the cuts are finalized by the conference committee and signed into law, USD 443 would be required to either reduce services or find local funding to maintain the intervention teams.
Local taxpayers shouldering $3 million for special education
DODGE CITY, Kan. — USD 443's business manager reported that the district had to cover more than $3.07 million in special education costs last year due to a shortfall in state funding. The business manager said the state only funded 64.6% of USD 443's $8.54 million special education expenditures, requiring the district to pull the remainder from its general and local option budgets. The business manager equated the local funding burden to approximately 9 mills of property tax, urging residents to contact their Kansas state legislators to fully fund the mandate.
Board approves $322,000 for security camera upgrades
DODGE CITY, Kan. — A $322,435.26 bid to replace aging security cameras at five district properties, including Dodge City Middle School, the transportation and food service buildings and Memorial Stadium, was unanimously approved by the USD 443 Board of Education. Purchased through a state contract with Convergint, a security integration company, using capital outlay funds, the phase-one project came in roughly $26,000 under budget. Functional legacy cameras removed from these sites will be repurposed to replace failing equipment at other schools to maximize USD 443's resources.
Summer roofing projects fast-tracked ahead of hail season
DODGE CITY, Kan. — USD 443 officials announced that major capital outlay roofing repair projects are currently ahead of schedule and are expected to be completed before the academic year ends. District officials noted the accelerated timeline will ensure the roofs are finished before the region's traditional spring and summer hail season, helping protect the buildings from potential, costly weather damage.
Board to vote on districtwide English curriculum in April
DODGE CITY, Kan. — Following a comprehensive vetting process involving 43 staff members, USD 443 administrators recommended adopting McGraw Hill's "Emerge" and "StudySync" programs for K-12 English language arts. The committee prioritized finding a consistent, single-vendor curriculum to close educational gaps and streamline vocabulary as students advance through the grade levels. The district plans to integrate the program's data dashboards with existing screening tools to help teachers track student mastery of Kansas state standards. The USD 443 Board of Education is expected to take formal action on the purchase at its April 13 meeting.
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