USD 428
1809 24th Street
Great Bend
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
November 10, 2025 5:00 p.m.
(AI) 1. CALL TO ORDER
1.1 Roll Call
1.2 Adoption of Agenda
1.3 Recognition of Visitors
1.4 Request to Speak Reminder
· Persons may present ideas or concerns regarding USD 428. The Board will take no action at this meeting. Such items will be referred to the appropriate administrator(s) for future information and researched and reported back to the Board at a later meeting. Personalities and behavior of employees are not to be presented during this period but are to be reported to the employee’s immediate supervisor. The president shall determine the amount of time to be spent for citizen participation.
1.5 Citizen’s Open Forum
(IO) 2. COMMUNICATIONS
· Board Member Comments
· Welcome to the newly elected Board of Education Candidates
· USD 428 Education Foundation
USD 428 Education Foundation Dinner & Auction- Thursday, November 13, 2025, Great Bend Events Center. 6:00 p.m. Social Hour, 6:30 p.m. Taste of Great Bend Dining stations. Tickets for the Red and Black Ball are available by contacting the District Education Center. The Education Foundation Trustees plan and execute this event, and USD 428 is grateful for this group of volunteers.
(IO) 3. RECOGNITIONS / PRESENTATIONS
· Kansas Teacher of the Year
Two deserving educators from Great Bend USD 428 have been nominated for the 2025 USD 428 Teachers of the Year. Honorees Lori McLeland, an English teacher at Great Bend Middle School, and Mandy Stansfield, a fifth-grade teacher at Riley Elementary School, will advance to the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year competition. The Kansas Teacher of the Year program recognizes outstanding teachers and highlights their work among colleagues and peers statewide. Congratulations, Lori and Mandy!
● Director’s Report
Each month, a district director will present department updates to board members. Andrea Bauer, Director of Public Relations, will provide a report to board members at this meeting.
(IO/AI) 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
(AI) A. Notification of Title VI B (3-21) and VI B (3-5) Early Childhood Flow-Through Budget Application
(Refer to Mr. Popp)
Public notification of the Title VI B and VI B ECH budget, which covers salaries for licensed special education staff, is required. The 2025-2026 application totals $1,125,038 for Title VI B pass-through funds ($5,018 more than the previous year) and $43,104 for ECH ($2,270 more than the previous year). The budget application was available for public review at the Barton County Cooperative of Special Education for thirty days. The administration recommends approval.
(IO/AI) 5. NEW BUSINESS
(AI) A. Approval of Computer Purchase
The district has a rotation cycle for electronic purchases to maintain up-to-date technology, and computers are on a five-year rotation. At this time, the administration requests BOE approval for the following device purchases.
Device Qty Each Total Expenditure
Eisen/Riley Teacher Laptops 80 $759.74 $60,779.20
HS Computer Lab and stock Desktops 40 $640.75 $25,630.00
Teacher Chromebooks 50 $399.21 $19,960.50
Total $106,369.70
(AI) B. Approval to Release Web Design Specifications
(Refer to Mr. Thexton)
The administration requests approval to release RFQ web design specifications to invite qualified web designers to submit proposals for designing the district website. Proposals will be evaluated, and the results will be presented to the Board for approval at a later meeting. Mr. Thexton will provide additional details.
(IO) 6. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION REPORT
(Refer to Assistant Superintendent JoAnn Blevins)
A. Teacher Evaluations
Annually, teachers are evaluated by the school principals. Mrs. Blevins will provide an overview of the teacher evaluation process, as governed by state statutes, Board of Education policies, and Negotiated Agreement policies.
B. USD 428 Balanced Assessment System
Mrs. Blevins will explain the Balanced Assessment System used in USD 428 and how it aligns with KSDE expectations.
C. USD 428 Data Review
The District Administration will update the board on student performance in the fall Fastbridge benchmark screening and the spring 2025 Kansas Assessments in ELA, Math, and Science.
D. Curriculum Meetings
§ Curriculum Steering Committee: next meeting 12/2/25
§ Professional Development Council (PDC): 11/3/25 minutes, next meeting 12/1/25
(IO/AI) 7. BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS REPORT
(Refer to Assistant Superintendent John Popp)
A. Project Updates
Board members and the administration will discuss updates on the following projects.
§ Roof replacement Project: GBHS, Park
§ HVAC Project at High School
§ Camera projects at Riley and Park elementary
§ Fire Panel replacements at GBHS, Park Elementary, and Riley Elementary
(IO/AI) 8. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
(Refer to Superintendent Khris Thexton)
A. Parent Teacher Conference Feedback and Discussion
B. Non-Resident Enrollment Update
§ 2026-2027 Open enrollment 1/1/26 – 6/15/26
C. Virtual School Update
D. Approval of Grants / Contributions (Attachment)
(IO) 9. FINANCIAL PRESENTATION
(AI) 10. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of BOE Meeting Minutes [October 13, 2025, and October 29, 2025]
B. Bills and Financial Reports
C. Personnel Report
(AI) 11. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board of Education will recess into executive session.
“Madam President, I move the Board recess to executive session to discuss an individual employee’s performance pursuant to non-elected personnel under KOMA. The open meeting will resume in this Board room at : P.M.”
(AI) 12. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board of Education will go into executive session.
“Madam President, I move that the board recess into executive session to discuss the superintendent’s evaluation pursuant to non-elected personnel exception under KOMA. The open meeting will resume in this room at ___:___P.M.”
(IO) 13. UPCOMING MEETING DATES
•USD 428 Education Foundation Annual Dinner & Auction: November 13, 2025
•Annual KASB Convention- on November 14-16, 2025, in Wichita, KS
•BOE Luncheon Meeting- at noon on November 19, 2025 (Jefferson Elementary)
•Thanksgiving Recess- No School- November 26-28, 2025
•BOE Regular Meeting- The next BOE regular monthly meeting is scheduled for December 8, 2025, at the District Education Center.
(AI) 14. ADJOURNMENT