Takeaways from Dodge City USD 443 Education Board Meeting
Week of May 14, 2026
City, school district gear up for Red Demon Drive project
District approves new signage to fix navigation issues at Comanche
Funding approved for new girls' wrestling room equipment
Audit reveals Dodge City understaffed in special education
New assistant principal hired at high school
CARES team position reduced to nine-month contract
Great Jobs KC to fund dual-credit costs for Dodge City seniors
District to dispose of outdated ELA textbooks
City, school district gear up for Red Demon Drive project
DODGE CITY, Kan. — The city of Dodge City presented finalized concepts for the Red Demon Drive intersection improvement project, an overhaul designed to alleviate traffic congestion and crash rates near Dodge City High School. The project features two new roundabouts, separated bus and parent drop-off zones and improved highway access. The city's portion will cost roughly $13 million, with the school district contributing $2 million to $2.5 million for on-campus improvements. Bidding for the city's portion is expected to open soon, with construction targeted to begin later this year.
District approves new signage to fix navigation issues at Comanche
DODGE CITY, Kan. — To alleviate ongoing navigation confusion for drivers relying on mapping apps, Dodge City Public Schools is investing $3,729.93 for new directional signage at Comanche Middle School. The sign will feature a clear arrow directing traffic to the district's transportation office, which is located nearby at Memorial Stadium. District officials noted that Google Maps regularly sends drivers to the wrong location, and the purchase is part of an ongoing districtwide signage improvement project.
Funding approved for new girls' wrestling room equipment
DODGE CITY, Kan. — More than $75,000 in capital outlay funds will equip a new girls' wrestling room at Dodge City High School. The purchase includes $23,150 for padded wall panels and $52,663 for three wrestling mats, featuring one permanent mat for the new room and two competition mats to replace 25-year-old mats deemed ineligible for future competitions. The funds will be drawn from leftover contingency money originally set aside for the high school's bowling and weight room addition project.
Audit reveals Dodge City understaffed in special education
DODGE CITY, Kan. — A recent personnel audit by the 613 Special Education Cooperative revealed that Dodge City Public Schools is currently short nine special education personnel. District administration reported that the audit recently failed to pass a cooperative board vote because it highlighted that while Dodge City lacks necessary staff, other participating districts currently employ more special education personnel than required.
New assistant principal hired at high school
DODGE CITY, Kan. — The district has filled a key leadership vacancy at Dodge City High School with the hiring of Tate Lowe as a new assistant principal. Lowe currently serves as a teacher and coach at the high school.
CARES team position reduced to nine-month contract
DODGE CITY, Kan. — A behavioral support position within the district's CARES team will transition from a 12-month contract to a nine-month contract. Superintendent Jason Scheck explained that the position was initially extended to 12 months to allow staff time over the summer to build out behavioral student-support structures. Now that the district's processes are firmly in place, the year-round administrative time is no longer necessary.
Great Jobs KC to fund dual-credit costs for Dodge City seniors
DODGE CITY, Kan. — A new partnership with Great Jobs KC will provide tuition-free skills training and cover ancillary costs for Dodge City High School seniors enrolled in specific career and technical education pathways. Representatives from Great Jobs KC announced they will cover the $250 to $750 per semester expenses for personal protective equipment, uniforms and textbooks required for dual-enrollment programs. The initiative aims to help low-to-moderate-income students in Ford County secure family-sustaining jobs earning at least $45,000 upon entering the workforce.
District to dispose of outdated ELA textbooks
DODGE CITY, Kan. — Following the recent adoption of a new McGraw Hill curriculum, Dodge City Public Schools will discard unusable, district-owned K-12 English language arts materials from the previous curriculum. While the outdated textbooks will be disposed of in accordance with district policy, administrators instructed staff to retain all supplementary chapter books and novels to be sent home with students or used for free reading in classrooms. The district will also check a state database to see whether smaller Kansas districts could use the discarded instructional materials before disposing of them.
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