Mark Hinde elected board of education president

Property tax rate reduction planned for upcoming fiscal year

$240,000 grant approved to boost special education

Horace Good Middle School roof repair bid approved

Georgia Matthews Elementary roof project indefinitely delayed

$129,000 facilities assessment proposal faces pushback

Policy update mandates Narcan in all district schools

Walkout policy updated to avoid state fines

Mark Hinde elected board of education president

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Mark Hinde was unanimously elected as the new president of the Garden City Public Schools Board of Education during Monday's meeting, replacing outgoing president Randy Ralston. In a subsequent unanimous vote, Nathan Haeck was elected to serve as the board's vice president for the upcoming year.

Property tax rate reduction planned for upcoming fiscal year

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The district plans to lower its property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year, purposefully keeping it below the state's revenue-neutral rate. Chief Financial Officer Jessica Nothern recommended setting the budget at a flat 51 mills, down from last year's 51.418 mills. The slight decrease will save the owner of a $200,000 home roughly $10 annually while maintaining financial capacity for district operations. Because the levy will not exceed the revenue-neutral rate, a public hearing will not be required this year.

$240,000 grant approved to boost special education

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A $240,000 contract with The New Teacher Project was approved to boost special education achievement at Abe Hubert Elementary School. The initiative, now in its second year, is fully funded by a state grant. Director of Special Education Gina Galpin reported that data from the program's first year showed significant academic improvement, with up to 100% of full-resource special education students achieving typical or aggressive growth. The program focuses on equipping staff to provide special education students with high-quality, grade-level curriculum.

Horace Good Middle School roof repair bid approved

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A $258,300 bid from D.V. Douglas Roofing was approved to replace leaking roofs over the band hall and lower library at Horace Good Middle School. Both the base bid and an alternate bid were accepted to secure the repairs before the fall. The sections will be securely fenced off to allow construction to proceed safely while school is in session, addressing chronic leaks that have occasionally rendered classrooms unusable.

Georgia Matthews Elementary roof project indefinitely delayed

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A planned roof replacement at Georgia Matthews Elementary School has been delayed after an initial design phase revealed severe water damage to the building's gypsum deck. Director of Plant Facilities Brandon Anderson advised that fully replacing the deck would trigger extensive fire code upgrades, ballooning the cost well beyond the initial $575,000 estimate and extending the timeline past the summer break. The district is now exploring alternative solutions, such as installing a metal overlay roof, to mitigate the issues.

$129,000 facilities assessment proposal faces pushback

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A proposal to hire an outside firm for a $129,332 mechanical facilities assessment was met with pushback over the high price tag. The assessment would independently catalogue the end-of-life status for HVAC units, electrical systems and nutrition equipment across the district. While staff argued the data would streamline long-term planning through the district's new work order software, discussions centered on whether district maintenance staff could handle the work internally to save taxpayer dollars. The item was moved to unfinished business for further debate at the next meeting.

Policy update mandates Narcan in all district schools

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — All Garden City schools will now be required to stock emergency opioid antagonists, commonly known as Narcan, under a series of policy updates reviewed at the meeting. Previously, the life-saving medication was only mandated in the district's secondary schools. The adjustment comes in response to a new state mandate aimed at combating opioid overdoses. A first reading on the policy update was held, which is expected to be formally adopted at the July 30 meeting.

Walkout policy updated to avoid state fines

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — New disciplinary requirements for student walkouts were introduced during a first reading of policy updates. Under the recently passed Senate Bill 315, the district must strictly enforce parental permission and discipline protocols regarding absences resulting from student walkouts. Administrators warned that failure to enforce the state mandates could result in a massive financial penalty for the district, equal to the superintendent's base salary for one year.

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