Garden City Telegram
The Garden City Unified School District 457 Board of Education was given an update on the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief program and its remaining funds at the board s regular meeting Monday.
KJ Knoll, USD 457 s financial officer, said the board approved the ESSER program, which comes from CARES Act funding, at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, and the update was about presenting ideas for the remaining funds, which probably won t be spent until next year. We wanted to make sure the board understood there s these different buckets of funding and there s different things we can do with them, she said.
After almost a year of many Kansas students going through remote or hybrid learning in schools adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, state politicians are ready to move on.
Lawmakers are looking at requiring Kansas schools after March 26 to offer a full-time, in-person attendance option for every student in a bill heard Thursday.
Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, is sponsoring the bill, almost ensuring the bill will move on and pass out of the Legislature. We need to have an option for kids to have . in-person option, he said. It doesn t say every school has to have every kid in it, but every kid needs to have that option.
Garden City Telegram
The Garden City Unified School District 457 Board of Education held board retreat Tuesday, where Brian Jordan, with the Kansas Association of School Boards, gave a presentation.
Jordan s presentation focused on five topics including the personal, board and public values of the board; the board s governance system, including its responsibilities, unity, role, culture, structure and individual attitude; health and unhealthy board culture; types of boards; and the four keys to influence others – organizational intelligence, team promotion, trust building and leveraging networks.
Lara Bors, board president, said it was her idea to bring Jordan out to give the presentation as the BOE is a member of the KASB and she is the Region 10 vice president, so she works with Jordan a lot.
In-person, on-site learning has resumed in Garden City Unified School District 457.
Jan. 5 marked the first time since the school district has had face-to-face learning since the district moved to remote learning on Nov. 23.
Roy Cessna, USD 457 public information officer, said remote learning lasted for about four weeks, beginning two days before the fall vacation for Thanksgiving.
While school has resumed after winter break, unlike previous years, the district remains in the fall semester because the calendar was shifted and school began on Aug. 31, Cessna said.
The late start helped the district prepare for the start of the school year with the district s operational plan for COVID-19.
Changes made to USD 457 Athletics/Activities District Plan
Garden City Telegram
Changes were approved for the Athletics/Activities District Plan on Dec. 17 at the Garden City Unified School District 457 Board of Education meeting.
The board approved the changes 7-1, with board member Jennifer Standley dissenting.
The changes allow for activities and athletics for grades seven through 12 to follow the District Level baseline for activities and competitions and practices.
Drew Thon, Garden City High School athletic director and assistant principal, said the reasoning behind this was for equity, to allow everybody to be on the same page as far as activities, athletics and practice.