[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6475731,"mediaKeyId","5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164","parentId",5732120,"title","Board approves meeting agenda and consent items, enters 20-minute executive session","audioSeconds",1426,"startMs",152630,"endMs",1578920,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164&start=152&end=1578","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164/thumbnail_152630.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475731/Garden-City/School-Boards/Kansas/Board-approves-meeting-agenda-and-consent-items-enters-20-minute-executive-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475731-fe1000a06b001162a66575ce32572a61/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015158&Signature=Supr7h15gQjo39~SRE89rXZNn5TfDkrKw5T0K064AQGAmfqo-UFGDskB5BLlIXKu5oH8m6qGPe5vAYmBZiDgNWMOudbBmDv8v4zQuzgGck41vWGH4wBKaiwLcX2ymW7sfzUfW8oPO-SZjEPyqqKpqMVK1Qm-Gj42BJ0wsyojpQZ-CQdRk1wfdjVN3LSxQ7-JdBtpGHPC8Uv0iJhqJhfJoJBZswmWkM4hTTHPf1NSp9ZIWZo5-Kf6T1wQGGJchWZgcEG4OVTPWGI-os00lXeNT5OPkjKB9rbc0oDMRFVwPobL9qz6qBZkLt-aB8Pz2cDcWzJVRqri-IpZ97RFdslGDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","GARDEN CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - USD 457","date","2025-09-08T22:59:21Z","article","The Board of Education approved the meeting agenda and the consent agenda during the meeting by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.

At the start of the meeting a board member moved to approve the agenda and a second was recorded; the motion carried after an all-in-favor call. Later the board moved to approve the consent agenda “as presented,” a second was recorded, and the motion carried.

After regular business the board moved into an executive session to review and discuss compliance with state or federal law with the district’s attorney under the attorney-client privilege exception. The board approved a 20-minute executive session beginning at 6:30 p.m. and stated the open meeting would resume at 6:50 p.m. The board invited Josh Guyman, Drew Ton, Steve Norby, Jessica Northern and Jennifer Cunningham to attend the executive session.

Motions and outcomes recorded in the meeting transcript were procedural and no substantive policy or budget votes were taken in open session during this portion of the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","USD 457 Board of Education Meeting 9/8/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Garden City Board of Education approved the meeting agenda and the consent agenda by voice/hand vote and then voted to enter an executive session for attorney-client privileged matters, inviting several staff members to join.","taxTitle","Garden City, School Boards, Kansas","taxId",38784,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475734,"CFO says committee recommends Benefits Direct over American Fidelity; board defers decision to Sept. 25",126,1165120,1291340,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164&start=1165&end=1291","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164/thumbnail_1165120.jpg","/articles/6475734/Garden-City/School-Boards/Kansas/CFO-says-committee-recommends-Benefits-Direct-over-American-Fidelity-board-defers-decision-to-Sept-25","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475734-ff0c6cb4ccbc8cd563857df80bcfd8ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015158&Signature=ToBGe0VB6wqfpzdIBJXVxEnTIrjT7l6nrQs8JXz2Mn3CfejfWdfz6SKIDkckIY09ltnAQ9Ao-78i0Wg3~e17VByM6A1MQhMr~A9phHnjbEAqwjOLIPu5gpWsBwOHNdXQldm62jTT3lW4Wv8f5jGPEF~v24svKF~HNATwOUFobiKvC8L7thikP~OXo9Cv32jGGL2nquo3Kpz77lswGHEKmy-z8axGvmXmGgo4OWJ19kDUfHL-3nl7HEqaI9nF9EoItiy9YhDOsPn~kDmyiWOZXyQs~47zDBjw5~xu5FHJxq~mdOvLZ~zS0xoXxUCGqnJq019R0y-xOFX3fSvJRzyKPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Nautner, chief financial officer for the district, informed the Board of Education that a committee established under the negotiated agreement recommended changing the district’s employee supplemental benefits vendor from American Fidelity to Benefits Direct.

Nautner said the benefits committee — composed of five classified staff members (representing areas such as nutrition and transportation), five union members and administrators including Nautner and others — heard a presentation from Benefits Direct and voted “overwhelmingly to proceed with Benefits Direct over American Fidelity.” She said that after that vote American Fidelity requested a chance to present to the committee; the committee agreed to hear the American Fidelity presentation and will re-vote.

Nautner said the change would have no financial bearing on the district because the supplemental plans are employee-paid, but the committee’s recommendation must be finalized in time to meet the district’s open-enrollment timeline beginning in November. She told the board the committee will issue a recommendation at the next board meeting on Sept. 25 and the board would need to act then to remain on the open-enrollment schedule.

No formal board action or vote occurred on the vendor selection during the meeting. Nautner described the timeline and committee process and said she will return with a recommendation after the committee’s follow-up meeting.","Chief Financial Officer Jessica Nautner told the Board that an employee-benefits committee recommended switching supplemental benefits from American Fidelity to Benefits Direct, but American Fidelity requested another presentation and the committee will re-vote before the board takes action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475739,"Garden City Achieve leaders describe ‘Leader in Me’ program, report gains on annual assessments",637,181980,819850,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164&start=181&end=819","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732120-00b1bcbc5c2316722aebe0c309789164/thumbnail_181980.jpg","/articles/6475739/Garden-City/School-Boards/Kansas/Garden-City-Achieve-leaders-describe-Leader-in-Me-program-report-gains-on-annual-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475739-c8cae9fb0e74dcb31b03374324b3a5f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775015158&Signature=m~f~M4qXeK3wLW19Uo7QXZuQbTtd1NdMxLrlEsOHZJIo4WmucD8Nx7ZP4BarwBW0a-yy5PDrxFwL4UwFkhCcU8AjqiXg0jvUyCMBEWpr04Gxym-fAzpCxgqCs-1qlfEaBP2yp6rxHVEgALCoErLoqOQJdHebAG9z8yrj4yxtzsdPitNuY2jKqFvK0gvt9u6HMEta8w0Gd2ynOi~BdKKrPg4i4T4wA5NaHqNBdiqCdcTLOhXMYvY2e90mtV~7p~4rQ7qcvwWS8Nb0ULKowwLHmNcwUlZQm69Yuayu8GJES49EeheW1dSG4lvg5N3cPxD9DH7b5tDkgtqeXW-h5ZYVYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lucas Sullivan, principal of Garden City Achieve, and student leaders presented the school’s Leader in Me program to the Board of Education and reported growth across multiple categories on the school’s Measurable Results Assessment (MRA).

Sullivan said the program shifts decision-making to students. “It’s not our school. It’s not the teacher school. It’s their school,” he said, describing how the school’s lighthouse teams help students run community events and lead school initiatives.

The presenters described a mission statement and a year theme of “confidence.” They said last year’s MRA showed growth in all assessed areas the school tracks: empowering teachers (+3 points), empowering learners (+10 points), goal achievement via FastBridge/IXL (+5 points), student leadership (+7 points), staff leadership (+11 points), family and community leadership (+11 points), supportive student environment (+6 points) and supportive staff environment (+17 points). Those numbers were presented by Sullivan and student leaders as the school’s reported year-over-year changes.

Student leaders described activities tied to the lighthouse teams. Shayla, identified as a student leader, said culture and family engagement work has included a homecoming parade presence and multi-age participation across the district. Emilio described mentoring activities and a trunk-or-treat event held for community families. Casey Lieber, a member of the culture action team, described quarterly graduation walks to celebrate students and outreach to families during parent-teacher conferences.

Several students said joining the lighthouse team changed their school engagement. Zuginski, a student leader, said, “I joined Lighthouse team because… I was a troublemaker. When I went to Achieve, I started getting my grades up. This year I decided I’m just gonna change myself forever, and I’m gonna try to help other people do the same thing as I did.” Other students gave similar first-person statements about improved grades and leadership experience.

Sullivan said every new student is placed in an action team—culture, academics or leadership—and receives a Leader in Me elective to learn the program’s seven habits. He said the school has used the MRA to focus teacher, student and parent input and that one way staff increased parent participation in the MRA was to require parents to complete it at parent-teacher conferences in exchange for a meal ticket.

Sullivan said the school is exploring how to expand Leader in Me practices into the district’s therapeutic program and into a virtual academy that uses the method; he described those plans as discussion items and no board action was requested.

The presentation concluded with board members praising the students and staff at Achieve for their engagement and reported gains.","Lucas Sullivan, principal of Garden City Achieve, and student leaders told the Board of Education their school’s Leader in Me program produced gains on the Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) and boosted student leadership and family engagement. No board action was requested.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves meeting agenda and consent items, enters 20-minute executive session

CFO says committee recommends Benefits Direct over American Fidelity; board defers decision to Sept. 25

Garden City Achieve leaders describe ‘Leader in Me’ program, report gains on annual assessments