Garden City forum spotlights USD 457 candidates on budget, staffing and school safety

Garden City school board candidates outlined competing priorities on budget, staffing and safety Thursday at a Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce forum as residents head into the Nov. 4 general election.

At the forum, the five candidates — Katie Cole, Robin Nichols, Rebecca Swinder, Lindley Anderson and Whitney Buckman — addressed a range of issues tied to USD 457’s recently approved 2025–26 budget and longer‑term funding pressures. Candidates repeatedly raised teacher and paraprofessional pay, deferred maintenance in district buildings, school safety and the need for a transparent superintendent search.

The budget and pay topped the evening. “I want to make sure our para pay is commensurate with the districts around us,” said Katie Cole, who identified herself as an educator and former USD 457 teacher, arguing that paraprofessionals are essential to meeting rising special‑education and mental‑health needs. Robin Nichols, a Garden City resident of 41 years, emphasized building maintenance and fiscal transparency: “I’d almost like to break it out in cost per student,” he said, adding that maintenance deferred now becomes larger expenses later.

Several candidates tied those local choices to broader funding changes. Whitney Buckman said recent state and federal funding shifts have reduced the pool available for special education and other programs and urged a local focus on preserving those services. Rebecca Swinder, a parent who said she has public‑policy experience, and Lindley Anderson, who described herself as a longtime educator in the district, both said transparency about budget tradeoffs is vital when the district considers closing or reconfiguring schools.

Candidates described the district’s enrollment trend and facility footprint as a financial pressure point. Anderson said Garden City has lost “about 100 students per year over the last 10 years,” which she estimated reduces funding roughly “$800,000,” and noted the district operates about 18 sites. Several candidates said those enrollment and facility facts should guide any school‑closure or boundary decisions and be communicated openly to parents and taxpayers.

On the superintendent search, candidates said the district should prioritize a leader who will build relationships with staff and families. “I want somebody who is willing to put roots down into Garden City and to understand this community,” Swinder said. Several candidates urged a hiring process that includes public forums and opportunities for teachers and community stakeholders to provide input.

Teacher recruitment and retention drew sustained attention. Candidates supported “growing your own” teacher pipelines with local college partnerships, revisiting starting pay and improving workplace culture to reduce reliance on long‑term substitutes. “People are not becoming teachers anymore,” Cole said, calling for competitive salaries and stronger support for new educators.

School safety was another recurring theme. Candidates cited active‑shooter preparedness drills, enhancements such as updated locks and cameras, and the value of having school resource officers on site. Swinder thanked the district for recent investments she said included new cameras, outside door locks and a part‑time school resource officer, and called for clearer family notification protocols in emergencies.

Candidates also addressed state funding and the prospect of legal action. Several said they would support the district joining other districts in litigation if a new school‑funding formula left USD 457 materially underfunded; others urged first working with the state task force drafting the formula. The forum included references to the Gannon litigation and to statewide funding shortfalls candidates said have affected special education and general aid.

The forum, hosted by the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Ryan Bridal, gave each candidate time for opening and closing statements and a series of questions on the district’s priorities. No formal board action or votes occurred; the event was a public candidate forum rather than a board meeting.

The candidates’ statements at the forum outlined the core decisions incoming board members will face: how to allocate constrained revenue among staff pay, maintenance and student services; how to run a hiring process for a permanent superintendent; and how to balance fiscal responsibility with community attachment to local schools. Voters in Garden City, Holcomb and Finney County were reminded during the program that the general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, and that the voter registration deadline is Oct. 14.