USD 457 Board of Education Meeting Recap April 13, 2026

Garden City Public Schools Board of Education met during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 13, 2026. The meeting was held at the Educational Support Center Board Room, 1205 Fleming Street. 

The Board received a building presentation from Georgia Matthews Elementary School. Students from the school led the opening of the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Bryan Kott, the school principal, along with the Student Leadership Team, provided a presentation of the events and activities that have been happening at the school during the year.

The Board recognized the Garden City High School State Wrestling Champions, the Garden City High School Green Club, which was named a Silver Globe of Excellence winner in Kansas, and the KNEA Student Expression Campaign winners.

The Board approved the following items during the meeting. They include minutes of the March 26, 2026, regular meeting. Accounts Payable with all major accounts containing adequate balances to meet current obligations. Personnel certified and classified actions.

The Board received a report from Virginia Duncan, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, on the AVID Program. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) College and Career Readiness System gives teachers the tools they need to engage students, strengthen academic skills, and create supportive, organized classrooms. These classroom experiences help students develop strong habits and the confidence they need to take on new challenges.

The Board received a report from Steve Nordby, Assistant Superintendent, on the district’s Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) plan. KESA is the state’s K-12 school district-level accreditation process, mandating that districts continuously improve and align with state standards, typically over a five-year cycle. The KESA process requires districts to select at least one significant goal and report yearly on their progress and outcomes. The goal should be selected from activities that are known to positively impact student learning outcomes. Throughout the year, districts receive technical support and visits from a KSDE representative.

Under new business, there was a first read of the following items Meal Charge Policy 2026-27, Jennie Barker Elementary School Flooring, Plymell Elementary School Flooring, Florence Wilson Elementary School Roofing, GCHS Water Heater, Garfield Early Childhood Center HVAC, and a Memorandum of Understanding between Garden City Public Schools and SparkWheel, Inc. for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years for $30,000.00.

The Board had a first read under new business addition of the following new courses and additional credit to existing courses. Oral Communications to Agriculture Leadership and Communications, Clothing and Sewing, Teaching Observation, GCCC Criminal Procedures, and GCCC Introduction to Robotics and Embedded Systems.

They approved a Boundary Study RFP and the 2026-2027 open seat capacities for Non-Resident Enrollment.

The Board held three executive sessions after the completion of all other business. The first executive session was for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency, which would be deemed privileged in an attorney-client relationship.  The second executive session was for Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations, whether or not in consultation with the representative or representatives of the body or agency. The third executive session was for Personnel matters for non-elected personnel. No action was taken after the executive sessions.

The next meeting of the Board of Education will be on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Board Meeting Room at the Educational Support Center, 1205 Fleming St., Garden City, Kansas.

The complete agenda can be found under the BOE link on the district’s website at www.gckschools.com.

The Board of Education meeting can be viewed on the USD 457 YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usd457.