Patricia Cauthon nominated for Horizon Award
Patricia Cauthon was recognized at Monday’s Great Bend USD 428 school board meeting for being the district’s nominee for the Horizon Award Program. She was nominated by Special Education Coordinator Ashley Riley.
The Horizon Award Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, is an award to recognize exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding. Cauthon is a teacher of Special Education for Barton County Special Services (Therapeutic Learning Center/Washington Early Education Center).
Here’s a quick look at what the Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education did at the Monday, Oct. 9 meeting:
• Recognized special education instructor Patricia Cauthon for being nominated for the 2024 Horizon Award, representing USD 428.
• Approved the Title VI B (3-21) and VI B (3-5) Early Childhood flow-through budget application.
The 2023-2024 allocation of these federal funds amounts to $1,131,420 for Title VI B pass-through funds ($58,134 higher than the prior year) and $40,835 for ECH ($661 higher than the prior year).
• Discussed a new board policy: Enrollment of Nonresident Students.
Action by the Kansas Legislature requires this new policy that allows nonresident students to enroll in any district. The board may adopt some limitations, such as setting classroom policy and the right to refuse students suspended from their home district. USD 428 will adopt this policy at a hearing at 5 p.m. on November 13, before the board meeting. Notice of this hearing shall be published at least once each week for two consecutive weeks in the Great Bend Tribune and published on the district website.
• Approved security camera purchases/placement for the Support Services facility at 625 East 10th St. for a total price to $31,091.25.
• Approved the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) Delegate Assembly voting delegate. The annual business meeting of the association is set for Nov. 11-13 in Wichita. Board president Jacquie Disque will be the district’s registered delegate and board vice president Aaron Emerson is the designated alternate.
• Approved the Local Consolidated Plan Allocation.
The 2023-2024 Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) amounts total $1,232,981, which compares to a prior-year total of $1,039,902. The board approved state and federal program allocations for 2023-2024:
- Title I - Improving Education Programs - $925,227
- Title II A - Supporting Effective Instruction - $137,288
- Title III - English Learner and Immigrant Programs - $44,938
- Title IVA - Grants for Student Support/Academic Enrichment - $50,453
- Title I Part C - Migrant $75,075
• Announced the district’s upcoming appointment of a Great Bend Recreation Commission Board Representative.
The Great Bend Recreation Commission board is comprised of five members representing the city, school, and recreation commission. Members serve four-year terms and may serve two consecutive four-year terms. Sue Cooper’s first-term board membership expires on Dec. 31 and an ad will be submitted to the Tribune announcing the open position if she does not intend on serving a second term. Interested applicants may respond with a letter of interest to Assistant Superintendent John Popp until Oct. 26. Responses to the ad will then be a BOE consideration / decision at the November regular meeting.
• Heard a curriculum report from Director of Teaching & Learning JoAnn Blevins and a business and operations report from Assistant Superintendent John Popp.
• Heard the superintendent’s report from Khris Thexton that included:
- Enrollment Numbers Update - Total enrollment is officially three students more than last year
- Bus Safety Week, October 16-20, has the theme, “Safely Rolling to My Destination”
- October is Anti-Bullying Awareness Month
- This is Fire Safety and Awareness Week, with the theme “Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay Attention to Fire Prevention!”
• Approved grants and contributions
• Learned this Support Services Open House & Job Fair will be from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 625 East 10th St.
