6 takeaways from Salina USD 305 school board meeting
November 10, 2025
Community survey shows strong support, highlights budget concerns
Student test scores show progress amid state assessment overhaul
Board approves new middle school math curriculum
New agriculture leadership course approved to support growing FFA program
Partnership with Kelly Education boosts substitute teacher fill rate by 31 percent
Board member Bonnie Schamberger bids farewell in final meeting
Community survey shows strong support, highlights budget concerns
SALINA, Kan. – Salina Public Schools continues to receive strong community support, earning an overall “B” grade in its 2025 community survey, according to results presented at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday. The annual telephone survey of 300 district households revealed high marks for the quality of school facilities, teacher performance and student safety. When asked for areas of improvement, residents identified budget and spending as the top priority, followed by a desire to emphasize academics over athletics. The survey also showed strong community backing for future adjustments to both elementary and secondary school attendance boundaries to balance building populations, with 84 percent and 58 percent in support, respectively. District communications were rated highly, with 87 percent of respondents finding them effective.
Student test scores show progress amid state assessment overhaul
SALINA, Kan. – Salina Public Schools is seeing signs of academic progress, though direct year-over-year comparisons are now impossible due to a recent overhaul of the state’s assessment system, an administrator reported Tuesday. Shanna Rector, deputy superintendent, informed the board that changes to state testing cut scores and performance level descriptions prevent a direct comparison to previous years’ data. Under the new system, 40 percent of students are proficient (Level 3) or advanced (Level 4) in English language arts, while 35 percent meet that standard in both math and science. Rector also reported a significant 15.4 percent decrease in social-emotional behavior offenses from the previous year but noted that chronic absenteeism had increased by 10 percent from the district’s baseline.
Board approves new middle school math curriculum
SALINA, Kan. – Middle school students in Salina will use a new math textbook and curriculum next year after the Board of Education unanimously approved the adoption of the i-Ready Classroom Mathematics program. The board moved the item from discussion to the action agenda for immediate approval Tuesday. Laura Lyons, curriculum coordinator, said the new resource provides a better balance of conceptual understanding and procedural fluency than the current, more inquiry-based materials. The district already uses i-Ready for diagnostic testing and intervention, and officials said aligning the core textbook with the existing platform would create a more cohesive and data-driven approach to math instruction for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
New agriculture leadership course approved to support growing FFA program
SALINA, Kan. – Responding to rapid growth in its agriculture program, the Board of Education on Tuesday approved a new agriculture leadership and communications course for high school students. The course will provide a fourth-year option for students in the agriculture pathway, allowing them to remain enrolled and eligible to participate in the National FFA Organization (FFA) as seniors. According to discussion at the meeting, the Salina FFA chapter has grown its membership from just four seniors three years ago to 50 students today. The board voted 7-0 to move the proposal from discussion to action and approve it immediately.
Partnership with Kelly Education boosts substitute teacher fill rate by 31 percent
SALINA, Kan. – The district’s new partnership with staffing firm Kelly Education has resulted in a 31 percent increase in the substitute teacher fill rate compared to last year, Superintendent Heath Hogan announced Tuesday. In his report to the board, Hogan praised the success of the partnership, which began this school year to address a chronic shortage of substitutes. While a recent community survey showed 76 percent of residents were unaware of the partnership, Hogan said the results have been a significant operational success. He noted that Kelly Education has a goal of reaching a 90 percent fill rate for the district.
Board member Bonnie Schamberger bids farewell in final meeting
SALINA, Kan. – Board of Education member Bonnie Schamberger delivered a heartfelt farewell Tuesday during her final meeting after serving a four-year term. Schamberger, who was elected in November 2021, said she ran for the board because of her love for children and teaching. She thanked the administration and her fellow board members for a term she described as exciting, stressful and a blessing. Superintendent Heath Hogan presented Schamberger with a plaque, thanking her for her positivity and service to the district. Her term officially ends in January.
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