District staff told the USD 443 Board of Education that staffing shortages remain the district’s most persistent operational challenge and detailed several recruitment and retention efforts, while a board member raised urgent concerns about special‑education funding within the interlocal arrangement known as 6‑13.

Human‑resources presenter Tara (identified during the meeting) said the district currently reports 76 teacher vacancies (counting long‑term substitutes as certified vacancies), six bus driver vacancies, 12 coach openings, and other openings in custodial and paraprofessional roles. Tara said the district has 376 certified staff, 849 classified staff and a total of 1,268 employees (not counting extra‑duty‑only positions).

To address the teacher shortage the district is using multiple strategies: a Kansas registered teacher apprenticeship program with 20 approved district slots (19 currently filled), a tuition payment program that reimburses up to $2,000 per semester for eligible staff working toward certification, teacher cadet career‑pathway classes at Dodge City High School (which recently grew from 29 to 57 participants), and student teaching stipends and signing‑day outreach intended to keep graduates connected to local employment opportunities. Tara said roughly half the apprenticeship participants previously attended the district’s high school.

Tara also outlined retention incentives for long‑term substitutes (for example, increasing the teacher‑of‑record daily rate to $225 and offering holiday leave eligibility), mentor stipends, and practice‑prep sessions for the Praxis exam. She described local and out‑of‑state recruitment efforts — including job fairs in Oklahoma and plans to attend a job fair in Greeley, Colorado — and noted a state pilot program that would supply upfront funding for dual‑credit courses to eligible high‑school students.

Board member Jeff, who chairs the 6‑13 interlocal board for special education, expressed deep concern about the cooperative’s finances and governance structure. He corrected the record that 6‑13 is an interlocal (not a cooperative) where each member district has an equal vote; he said USD 443 serves roughly 1,000 of the interlocal’s students and that the interlocal is "in a budget crisis as we speak." Jeff said, "The staff at 06:13 ... they are pedaling as hard as they can," and warned that without resolution the district may need to confront difficult choices. Jeff said he has observed increasing needs of students and that federal requirements for services will not go away.

Superintendent Mr. Sheck backed the board’s concern and said district leaders are reviewing every option. In remarks to the board he framed the financial choice starkly: "We can either pay for it appropriately now and provide the services that we need to for our students and give them that hope and their families that hope or we can pay for it when they sue us." He said the district has pursued conversations with other interlocal members and examined cooperative options but still has reservations and will continue to press for solutions that preserve services.

The staffing presentation included several numeric and program clarifications: the district’s average certified experience is about 11.5 years; the district’s average certified salary and fringe package for 2024‑25 was listed as approximately $69,005.50; the state’s reported fall 2025 data showed a 21 percent decrease in certified vacancies statewide (a drop of 457 positions) though special education remains the highest‑need area. Tara and other presenters said recruitment and retention remain active priorities and that the board should expect follow‑up proposals on incentives, longevity recognition, and possible program expansions if the apprenticeship pipeline grows.

Board members did not take votes on policy changes during the staffing presentation beyond the previously recorded personnel item; they asked staff to provide additional data and to schedule follow‑up work sessions on district strategy and alignment.