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New members join USD 428 Board of Education
Jan. 8, 2014, Meeting at a glance
428 new logo

Here’s a quick look at the Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education meeting for Monday, Jan. 8

• January is School Board Appreciation Month and the administration recognized board members for their crucial role in our community and schools. Current and outgoing members received a certificate and a pie from Perkins. 

• Cody Cale, district support specialist, received the board’s ROSE Award, Recognizing Outstanding Support of Education.

• New and revised policies suggested by the Kansas Association of School Boards were approved. Board members had a first reading of these changes at the Dec. 11 meeting and approved them Monday. 

• The 2022-2023 Business Audit was presented by Danielle Hollingshead, CPA with AdamsBrown, and was approved.

• Education Foundation Trustees were appointed.

The USD 428 Education Foundation is an independent community-based organization that meets monthly to improve the quality of education by directing its resources toward areas of identified need. The USD 428 Education Foundation Board of Trustees received applications to fill vacancies on the board of trustees. Anna Faye Hensley, Jayme Mayers, and Tina Mingenback’s terms have ended, and Dan Quillin and Jaimee Beugelsdijk will fill their positions.

• Fundraiser requests for 2024-2025 were approved. Requests were from school and parent-organization groups.

• A curriculum report was presented by JoAnn Blevins, director of teaching and learning. She addressed staff professional development and the next curriculum adoption.

• Assistant Superintendent John Popp gave an update on the remaining federal ESSER III funds that must be spent by Sept. 30, 2024. ESSER is the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, created to address the needs of students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Popp provided updates on the progress of the insurance committee and the safety committee, as well as an update on the expansion of the district’s security camera system.

• Popp explained how a partnership with an energy company could potentially produce improvements that will decrease energy consumption for the district. These savings are then used to pay for the improvements over several years. The board approved entering an Energy Savings Performance Contract to improve the efficiency of district facilities.

• Popp updated the board on the status of current projects in district buildings.

• Superintendent Khris Thexton’s report included:

- USD 428 Education Foundation Mini-grants. Applications are due Jan. 26. Teachers are encouraged to apply for grants to underwrite innovative teaching ideas.

- Members representing GB-NEA and the Board of Education will tentatively meet at the District Education Center for Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17. John Rasmussen from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will provide IBB training to participants.

- The superintendent recommended holding a work session for board members to review district goals and review leadership roles. This workshop will be led by a Kansas Association of School Boards official and is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 20.

• Grants applications and contributions to the district were approved.

• The personnel report was approved.