Geary County Schools board approves landscaping, staffing and insurance items; receives academic and special-education reports

Geary County Schools Board of Education members voted unanimously on multiple consent and action items and spent the bulk of the meeting receiving reports on district assessment, special education, attendance and discipline.

The board approved a landscaping package for the new Early Childhood Center, formalized a title change for an existing teacher position to “instructional coach/teacher,” added a team-leader stipend for the Early Childhood Center, approved personnel and administrator contracts, and renewed the district health insurance plan for the 2025–26 plan year. Most motions passed on voice votes or unanimous roll call votes.

Why it matters: the landscaping vote finalizes how the new Early Childhood Center campus will be finished for opening, the staffing and contract votes update personnel arrangements ahead of the coming school year, and the health-plan renewal fixes employer and employee costs the district will carry next year. The reports the board heard show modest district academic gains and ongoing pressures in special education and student behavior that district leaders say will require continued programmatic work.

Votes at a glance - Approve Early Childhood Center landscaping package (motion as presented): motion moved and seconded; board approved the package with all options included at a total price of $435,891. Vote: 6–0. - Instructional coach/teacher name change (HD Karnes): motion to approve changing the current teacher title to “instructional coach/teacher”; no net new position; motion passed 6–0. - Early Childhood Center team-leader stipend: motion to add a team-leader position/stipend for the EC (one teacher would serve as team lead); motion passed 6–0. - Personnel report (hires/resignations): motion to approve the personnel report as presented; motion passed 6–0. - Renewal of Blue Cross Blue Shield plan (2025–26) with a gap plan: motion to approve renewal as presented; motion passed 6–0. District estimated increase: roughly $316,000; employee share increase estimated at approximately $192,000 (based on current enrollment in plans). - Administrator contracts: motion to offer new contracts for building principals, assistant principals and central office administrators for the coming school year (placement and salary to be determined later); motion passed 6–0.

Discussion and context Early Childhood Center landscaping: District staff presented four options and recommended a base seed plan plus trees and sodding of the playground and entrance; expanded irrigation was presented as an optional upgrade. Staff said the project budget is $400,000 and that unused funds would be returned to the general fund. Board members argued that first impressions matter for the new $32–$36 million facility and pressed for irrigation so the plantings establish successfully. A staff presenter said the full irrigation expansion cost estimate was about $87,000; the board approved the landscaping package that included all options at $435,891.

Personnel and titles: The board approved a formal name change for an existing position (teacher → instructional coach/teacher) and added a team lead stipend for the Early Childhood Center (the stipend listed as $1,155). Staff emphasized that these actions do not add net new full-time teaching positions in the budgeted year; one teacher will perform the team-lead duties.

Health insurance: District staff reported the employee/employer split would remain approximately the same as prior years (about a 64/36 split in costs for single plans). The district projects the employer increase at roughly $316,000 and employee cost increases about $192,000, dependent on next year’s enrollments in plans (about 700 employees currently participate).

Reports received: Board members spent substantial time receiving a district academic overview, special-education annual reporting and discipline/attendance updates. Presenters told the board district assessment scores (proportion of students scoring level 3 or 4) have held near district historical averages (about 34% in ELA and similar numbers in math), with signs of improvement in math and science. The special-education presentation flagged continued growth in identification and service load: the December 1 special-education count was lower than the number of students served during the year (1,437 counted vs. 2,033 served in 2023–24), and evaluative workload and move-in rates have increased. The discipline report showed declines in incidents and suspensions in the most recent period and increased use of detention as an alternative to out-of-school suspension; the board discussed emergency safety interventions (ESI), classroom clearing and state monitoring.

What’s next: Staff said they will continue work on balanced assessment and structured literacy initiatives, monitor special-education staffing and funding needs, continue PBIS (positive behavior interventions and supports) implementation across schools, and follow up with board members on specific budget items and staffing questions.