Fatima R-3 board members at last Wednesday’s meeting agreed to accept a tuition increase for students attending Nichols Career Center, with no limit on how many kids from the district can attend.
Superintendent Chuck Woody told the board the increase will affect 25 students who have enrolled for the 2021-22 school year, which will cost the district $56,250 at $2,250 per student.
“I received some information a couple of weeks back that I was not very happy with from Nichols,” said Woody. “They're wanting to increase their tuition very significantly. My argument with this is we receive Perkins money, which is federal money. We divert every dime of that to Jefferson City; we’ve done that forever. They get to count those students as average daily attendance (ADA) while they are sitting there. So, to me, you’re already getting my money.”
In the current year, Fatima is sending 20 students for $1,550 each, which is on top of the Perkins funding, at a cost to the district of $31,000.
“They are going to increase tuition next year to $2,250 per student,” said Woody. “They wanted to raise it to, I want to say, $2,550.”
The 25 students signed up for next year is closer to Fatima’s average.
Woody stated that according to Nichols’ Chief Financial Officer Jason Hoffman, no one had any idea when Nichols last increased its rates. Woody also suspects that rates may go up again in 2022-23.
“So, do you continue to send the students there, or say the heck with it and not send them? I don’t think that’s an option,” Woody continued. “Do we put a limit on (how many students) we send? Or do we continue doing what we are doing now? We have kids that need to go there. We have to send them. It’s good for them, it’s what they excel in.”
Discussion on the topic revolved around alternative options that might be available to the district as well as the importance of offering the kind of education that Nichols provides to area students.
One board member asked if Rolla Technical Institute might be a viable solution to meet the district's needs.
“For us to go to Rolla, that's a one-hour bus ride one way,” said Woody. “That’s just not an option. What our kids are going over there and getting (at Nichols) is awesome.”
In other business, the board accepted resignations from Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Mitch Gier, English teacher Crystal Miller, Special Education Aide Taylor Hawkes, and Amy Kemna, who will be leaving her role as an assistant softball coach.
* Board Members also hired Ann Koenigsfeld for science, and third-grade teachers Emily Schulte, and Ashley Schnieders.
* The board approved the 2021-2022 preschool calendar as submitted.
* Bills were approved for $515,642.46.
* The next meeting is scheduled for April 14 at 7 p.m. to account for the election. The board will be dissolved and reorganized.
REPORTS
Woody spoke about HB 543 and how he is happy with State Rep. Bruce Sassmann’s involvement with the district.
“House Bill 543 passed on a voice vote,” said Woody. “Representative Sassmann has been very supportive. He is always willing to listen to us. Sassmann was here today. I took him on a tour of the facilities. He’s visiting every public school in his district. He is reaching out and that’s good.”
HB 543 is the open enrollment bill, with an amendment in the bill that talks about how districts will be able to receive reimbursement up to three times the cost of a general education student for ADA. Above that, three times and above is high-needs. Fatima will still be able to recoup some of that cost if a student transfers into the district.
* The first round of COVID-19 vaccinations took place recently, with 58 people getting the shot at the school as members of the Osage County Department provided on-site vaccinations. The second shot is scheduled to take place on the Tuesday after Easter Break.
* Senior breakfast and the staff banquet will take place at the end of the year. No date has been set yet.
In her report, High School Principal Sharyl Kelsch said that with a homecoming dance happening over the weekend and prom scheduled, all plans are still subject to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
“Prom is being set for April 17, COVID pending,” she said. “Obviously that is my little caveat for all of these events that we are doing. We are making plans for our Senior Walkout and group picture for the senior video stuff. We are beginning to plan and organize graduation and contingency plans are obviously floating around if needed.”
Sharyl also told the board that band and choir are set to have a concert coming up at the end of April.
“They are going to do a Sunday evening combined concert that will have people in person and also be broadcast through Facebook live or through the system we use for basketball,” said Sharyl.
COVID-19 and the district's sports schedule has also had an impact on the spring play.
“We had to reschedule the play due to a COVID issue. It is probably just going to be put out on video recording and or Facebook live,” said Sharyl. “The sponsor has said that the timing of trying to get it done in an evening performance will be difficult because of spring sports. They will probably come up some Saturday morning to perform it, record it, and get it out there.”
* Kelsch spoke about efforts to find a new credit recovery program that was brought up during last month's board meeting.
“We are looking at possibly buying a new credit recovery program because the one we are currently using is very outdated and no longer does updates; so it is a very dated program. Hopefully, if we get a program that works we might be able to use it in summer school,” reported Sharyl.
* Kelsch reported that the high school currently has 518 students enrolled and that the incoming freshmen class will be larger.
“We have 99 seniors and our new freshmen class will be 116,” she said. “We will be big at the high school for the next several years. Due to the changes in these class sizes, we’ve moved some things around and it looks very different.”
* Kelsch informed the board that all of the appropriate paperwork was sent out to the incoming eighth-graders and that registrations for summer school had been sent out as well.
The Fatima High School Student of the Quarter was Annabelle Massman, nominated by Matt Baker, and the Fatima Junior High Student of the Quarter was Anabel Weber, nominated by Andrea Brune.
Elementary School Principal Melissa Wright told the board planning is still underway for the elementary Knowledge Bowl.
“We are still waiting to decide on how we are going to do the Knowledge Bowl,” she said. “I know Amanda (Rademann) and Aubry (Rehagen) started practicing with the kiddos, anticipating us to have that done by now or at least have a date, but our conference principals need to get together and figure out how we are going to do this.”
* Wright reported that current enrollment in elementary is 251 students and that attendance is running at 98%.
“We currently have 34 kindergarten students enrolled for next year. That’s down about ten from this year,” said Wright. “We’re looking at only having two kindergarten teachers next year for now unless those numbers keep rising.”
* Pennies for Patients Leukemia Foundation raised more than $1,800 this year, which is $500 over last year's total.
* Texas Roadhouse night raised more than $200 for the district and the restaurant will let teachers do it again next year.
* K-1 students will have eggs again to raise chicks.
* Field Day is planned for May 11. Parents are encouraged to attend and help out during the event.
* The Guided Reading Program is going well and Wright is in the process of trying to find a phonics program.
* Summer school letters have gone out.
* The April 22 concert will start at 5:30 p.m.
* Fatima Elementary Students of the Quarter were Bentley Farnsworth, nominated by Amy Kemna, and Josie Schulte, nominated by Sandra Lehmen.
Special Services Director Kristie Scrivner reported that, for next year, her department is going to move some things around to help balance class sizes.
“Mrs. Muenks is going to do sixth through eighth grade next year,” said Scrivner. “By moving the middle school to Mrs. Muenks, it will help even out the classes. We are adding eight students next year.”
Scrivner informed the board of the loss of their speech implementer at the end of this year.
“We have a speech implementer right now, but the speech implementer goes away next year,” said Scrivner. “That could change, but as of today, that’s the way it is. We are still testing kids but we will have a better idea in April on the numbers for next year.”
Curriculum Coordinator Janah Massman reported on the update to the assessment plan using a PowerPoint presentation to the board. This was a follow-up that she had mentioned to the board during last month’s meeting.
“The new assessment plan will be on a Google site that will be linked to the school’s webpage,” said Massman. “It talks about our philosophy of assessment and what we look at here at Fatima to make sure we have a systematic approach to assessment.”
The board voted unanimously to approve the new assessment plan.
* The ACT is scheduled to be taken by juniors on March 30. State Tech will also be giving the ACCUPLACER test to 18 students that day. Fatima covers the expense for both of these.
Gier reported winter sports finished with a bang.
“Wrestling brought home their very first banner, (finishing) fourth in the state, with two state champions, one runner-up, and one sixth-place (finisher),” said Gier. “We are in spring sports already. We've had two jamborees, (one for) baseball and (one for) soccer.”
Gier stated that by March 23, everyone will have played a game and the season will be off and running.
“We have good participation and great numbers,” said Gier. “Girls soccer is a little down with 17. Baseball is 36, and golf I think has seven.”