Takeaways from Garden City USD 457 Education Board Meeting
Week of August 11, 2026
School district nearly eliminates teacher vacancies for new academic year
USD 457 adds 21 paraprofessionals to support kindergarten classrooms
Schools target math and reading declines with new interventionists
Proposed school budget keeps mill levy flat, lowers total tax levy
District transfers millions from general fund to cover special education shortfalls
Board approves $119,000 in district vehicle purchases
Unbudgeted tennis court repairs to cost district $49,750
Elementary school generator replacement comes in well under budget
School district nearly eliminates teacher vacancies for new academic year
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Garden City Public Schools will begin the 2026-27 school year with only two unfilled positions across the entire district — a dramatic improvement from the 20 vacancies reported just two years ago. Deputy Superintendent Drew Thon announced that the district successfully added 18.5 certified teaching positions and 20 classified staff members over the last two years, driving the number of long-term substitute teachers down from 46 to 21. Officials credited the successful hiring wave to localized recruiting strategies, competitive benefits and a recently achieved $50,000 base teaching salary.
USD 457 adds 21 paraprofessionals to support kindergarten classrooms
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — To help young students transition smoothly into full-day schooling, the district has hired 21 new kindergarten paraprofessionals for the upcoming academic year. Human resources officials noted that the transition to kindergarten has historically been one of the district's biggest early childhood hurdles. To fund the initiative without breaking the budget, administrators repurposed six existing paraprofessional roles and permanently closed five unfilled teaching positions, ensuring every kindergarten class with more than 16 students receives an aide.
Schools target math and reading declines with new interventionists
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — In response to building needs assessments and state testing data showing persistent achievement gaps, the district is restructuring its academic intervention programs. Kansas Assessment Program data revealed that math proficiency in the district drops from 34 percent in third grade to just 17 percent by 10th grade, while between 66 percent and 83 percent of all district students remain in the lowest two testing tiers. To combat this, administrators are prioritizing budget investments in certified math and literacy interventionists while partnering with the Wichita-based Phillips Fundamental Learning Center to provide specialized dyslexia training for early childhood educators.
Proposed school budget keeps mill levy flat, lowers total tax levy
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The proposed 2026-27 budget for Garden City Public Schools maintains a flat mill levy of 51 mills while levying $1.16 million less in local taxes than the previous year. Chief Financial Officer Jessica Nothern reported that the district will levy approximately $23.9 million in local taxes to support its $148 million net expenditure authority. Nothern noted that Garden City currently has the fifth-lowest mill levy among 16 peer districts of similar size, costing the owner of a $200,000 home exactly $1,173 annually.
District transfers millions from general fund to cover special education shortfalls
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A growing special education population combined with declining state support will force the district to transfer $4.38 million from its general fund to cover legally mandated special education costs this year. Chief Financial Officer Jessica Nothern reported that state funding is projected to drop by $1,200 per special education student, even as the district's special education population has swelled from 11 percent pre-pandemic to nearly 17 percent. The shortfall means diverted general fund dollars that could have been used for other district-wide priorities must instead fill the gap.
Board approves $119,000 in district vehicle purchases
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The board of education unanimously approved the purchase of two new district vehicles from Burtis Motor Company for a combined total of $119,061. The approved bids include a $57,432 eight-passenger sport utility vehicle to replace a district vehicle that suffered a failed transmission and a $61,629 heavy-duty pickup truck. Facilities staff noted the pickup is needed to safely tow the district's football and Future Farmers of America trailers, a task previously assigned to an SUV that was not properly equipped for heavy towing.
Unbudgeted tennis court repairs to cost district $49,750
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The district is weighing an unbudgeted $49,750 repair to strip, seal and recoat two Garden City High School tennis courts after previous patching attempts failed to hold. Facilities Director Brandon Anderson recommended a comprehensive repair rather than attempting additional spot fixes, citing water seepage issues from the courts' original installation. While the two courts will be out of commission for competition during the upcoming tennis season, the athletic department indicated it will be able to work around the closure.
Elementary school generator replacement comes in well under budget
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — A planned generator replacement at Florence Wilson Elementary School is expected to cost significantly less than the district initially anticipated. The board heard a first reading for a $34,650 bid from Cummins to install the new equipment, coming in well below the $60,000 allocated in the district's long-range facilities plan. The new unit will replace a generator installed in 2000, addressing deferred maintenance by coming in six years past the district's 20-year lifecycle replacement schedule.
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