WESTPHALIA — At their meeting last Wednesday, Aug. 21, Fatima R-3  board members voted to leave their tax rate at $4.0838 per $100 assessed valuation, to match the maximum rate allowed.

“By doing that, we are still going to lose an estimated $75,000 of what I had budgeted for, based on what the numbers were from last year,” said Superintendent Chuck Woody, explaining the district saw a significant decrease in assessed valuation for 2025.

In other business, Woody noted that construction is proceeding, and praised the crew. “Guys, I’m telling you,” Woody said, “we’ve got guys on that crew that (are) our guys. We’re very blessed. They’re going to do it right, I don’t care where they are, but they’re going to do it doubly right because it’s their money, too. It’s home. We’ve got a heck of a crew. I’m so glad to have them.”

Woody is meeting with teachers this week to select paint colors for their classrooms in the new building. Teachers will be allowed to choose one of three pre-selected colors. The locker color will also be selected soon. Crane work should be complete around October, which will open up parking in the bottom lot.

Woody again brought up the possibility of the district purchasing a skid steer. The board agreed that he should look for a unit priced at less than $45,000.

• Board members approved hiring Assistant Soccer Coach Anne Koenigsfeld, Assistant Volleyball Coach Lacy Bertels, and Para/Aides Atasha Clark and Alexzandria Fitzgerald, and accepted the resignation of Aide Lori Woehr. The board also approved the substitute teacher list.

• The board voted to re-adopt the conflict of interest policy, as required every two years by the Missouri Ethics Commission.

• Bills were approved in the amount of $293,072.76.

REPORTS

Athletic Director Mike Thompson said the high school’s new weight room equipment has been installed. “It is fabulous. It is awesome. I love it,” Thompson said, adding that all coaches and several students helped unload the equipment, which was later assembled on the first day of school.

• The district is now advertising for bids for surplus weight room equipment and a pitching machine, photos of which have been posted on the district’s Facebook page. In addition, they are taking bids for 15 surplus sewing machines. Sealed bids will be accepted at the district’s Central Office until 3 p.m. on Sept. 16.

• Thompson told board members that band students are very excited about new band teacher Amy Backes. “They are super happy with her,” he said. “They just think things are going great this summer. And I will say, from our perspective, she is doing a fabulous job. It seems like the kids are super excited and on a very good trajectory right now.”

The elementary school has 231 students this year, 224 of whom attended the open house. The high school has 450 students in grades 7-12, and their open house also went well. Staff noted several potential ways to streamline the registration process next year. School pictures were scheduled for Aug. 28.

• Woody and HS Principal Matt Verslues praised high school students for doing a good job parking, given the ongoing construction.

• High school students will be participating in Arrive Alive on Sept. 4, and the district is working with Osage County R-1 (Chamois) to partner on a second date, as Chamois would like to participate but does not have enough students to meet the minimum requirement.

In his superintendent’s report, Woody said he showed the teachers a video most of them have seen before, which talks about how every kid deserves a champ. “That was kind of my theme,” Woody said, “‘All I ask is for everything you’ve got.’ Kids need that. Times are different. It’s obviously different now than when you all went through school. The one thing I was going to ask them for was that - to be a champion for our kids.”

• The next meeting will be held in the high school library on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.