During Fatima’s regular meeting on Feb. 16, board members addressed the district’s health insurance policy increase through their current insurance consortium, which is composed of more than 40 schools. 

“We are one of the healthiest schools in the consortium, and central Missouri for health insurance is cheaper than other parts of the state,” said Superintendent Chuck Woody. “The overall consortium increase came back at 9.3%. Ours was only 6.3% and that was almost exactly what I was anticipating.”

Woody and Human Resource Manager Tim Luebbering were told by the district’s insurance broker, Wallstreet Group, that some members of the consortium are not happy because they are seeing such high percentage jumps in cost.

“Wallstreet’s fear is that if 10 or 15 schools leave … when you’re in a consortium we’re helping to pull the weight of some of these other schools,” said Woody. “We can be left holding the bag a year from now. Wallstreet is looking at another consortium; they are shopping us out to them. I believe there are 80 members and there are some local mid-Missouri schools in that consortium as well.”

Woody said that they might have more information by the work session scheduled for March 1 at 6 p.m., and that he believes it would benefit the district to examine the additional data when they receive it.

* Board members voted to accept the retirement of special education aide Shirley Veit.

* The board agreed to hire Chuck Schwartz and Joyce Brandt as assistant soccer coaches.

* There is no new updated COVID-19 information.

* Students of the quarter — Conrad Schulte, Austin Royston, Sarah Groene, and Christopher Wilde — were recognized.

* Bills were approved totaling $416,513.92.

* The next meeting is scheduled for March 16 at 7 p.m.

REPORTS

Woody told board members that they need to keep an eye on Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) reports as they come into the member’s emails. 

“Guys, there is some very scary legislation out there,” he said, noting school board member recall elections and charter school expansion are being discussed. “They are talking about property tax changes. So be watching those.”

* Woody noted he had received a memo from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that he is taking as good news.

“I have a webinar on Feb. 24 on information and guidance on SR3 money,” said Woody of Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund III (ESSER) funds. “We are the only state that has not released that yet. I don’t know why. It has to be appropriated by March 24 or it goes back to the feds. I don’t see them doing that. They’re going to release it. Hopefully, that’s coming.”

* Senior citizen day is set for March 23.

High School Principal Sharyl Kelsch reported that an assembly was held featuring Jim Marshall from Cody’s Gift, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and prevent substance use disorders as well as raise awareness on mental health issues and coping skills.

“He was very well received by our students and by our teachers,” said Kelsch. “I heard lots of good things. The kids told me it was one of the best ones they have ever seen. He comes and he talks and he is pretty direct about things.”

While the assembly was held, the school had drug dogs come in and check classrooms, backpacks, and the parking lot.

“(Assistant Principal) Matt (Verslues) and I were a little concerned he might be offended because we were not able to be in the assembly because we were doing that but he actually loved the fact we were doing that at the same time,” said Kelsch. “He is a big supporter of doing whatever he can to get the drugs out of schools.”

* A career fair will be held in the high school gym on March 10 from 5-6:30 p.m.

* Meaghan Frank signed with Missouri S&T as a member of the teacher education program.

* Summer school forms are being finalized along with the master schedule.

* Enrollment in grades 7-12 was reported at 507 students with attendance at 95.27%.

* Vape detectors have been shipped and are en route to the district.

Verslues reported that they are in an appeals process with A+ for students that have been out with COVID-19 and that they are waiting for DESE to give them more information on the situation.

* Verslues is also updating the athletic handbook in the area of academic eligibility and changing any suspensions from a number of weeks to a percentage-based system.

Elementary School Principal Mellissa Wright announced they will be doing their Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser again this year on March 17 from 3-9 p.m.

“We are going to be given a flyer that I will put up on Facebook and send home with the kids,” said Wright. “All they have to do is show that flyer and our Comets With Character will receive 10% of the cost of that meal.”

* Students are working on the reading for the education program, which is being done online through March. 

* Kindergarten screening will take place on March 2 and March 3. Currently, there are 32 kids signed up. 

* Enrollment in grades K-6 was reported at 259 students with attendance at 98.6%.

Curriculum Coordinator Janah Massman announced they are getting students signed up to take the  ACT on April 5. * Massman said that students with IEP and 504 combinations need to be submitted and they are working on it.

* Teachers are testing through Evaluate. The window for the testing was extended due to COVID-19 and weather conditions.

* Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) and End Of Course (EOC) test schedules are being put together.

* Elementary will begin its English Language Arts (ELA)  curriculum in the next week.

Special Education Director Kristie Scrivner reported her department has 24 students with a 504 plan and that they were currently evaluating two more. Scrivner also told the board that the district has 95 students with an IEP and nine initial evaluations were in progress. 

* Scrivener noted that professional development has been a focus in her department this year. “We have done some professional development over writing smart goals and plan IEPs,” she said. “We are going to try and take some of the information that the regular education teachers have done with curriculum and try to align our goals to be as close to their curriculum, to try to keep our students a little bit more on track.”