WESTPHALIA — Fatima R-3 board members approved Proposal #6 with Verslues Construction Company, Inc., for $98,665 at their meeting on Wednesday, April 15. The proposal includes labor, materials, and equipment to paint existing copings, entrance doors, metal panel and trim, pyramid and handrails blue, three door and frame replacements with concrete slab repairs at location #3, and new scuppers and downspouts.

“We are updating the paint that is ‘Wildcat Red,’” Superintendent John Kitchens said. “This is a fair price, considering everything we have seen.”

None of the school board members seemed happy about the proposal.

Board President Suzanne Massman commented that she gets asked all the time why the color red was chosen.

“I know the ‘Wildcat Red’ color is something that has been bothering people,” Kitchens agreed. “Everything that is not getting replaced will be repainted in blue.”

“I hate it, and I think it is too much money, but I don’t know what else we would do,” board member Jeff Winkelman said.

Kitchens noted that there was still plenty of money in the capital improvements fund, although some of that had been earmarked for removing the asbestos from the old school and tearing down the building.

Vice President Matt Robertson noted that if money ran short, the old school could be locked up and left as is.

Verslues Construction’s proposal noted that the lead time for the doors and frames would be 8 to 12 weeks.

In other business, the board certified the election results and swore in two board members: new member Travis Massman and returning member Darnell (D.J.). Schroeder. New member Karen Luebbering was unable to attend her first meeting due to work constraints and will be sworn in at the May meeting.

Massman and Robertson were re-elected to their roles as president and VP, and Mandy Kliethermes will serve as the Missouri School Boards’ Association representative, Sarah Brendel is the secretary, and Lisa Neuner will continue as the district treasurer.

* Board members agreed to pay the increased amount of $11,100 per year to the Westphalia Knights of Columbus for maintenance and materials at the soccer fields. The amount has doubled since last year due to increased costs.

“The amount we were paying of $5,500 was probably pretty generous,” Kitchens said. “They would like us to share some of the expenses for speaker repairs, light poles, seeding, and fertilizer.”

The Knights of Columbus is installing additional lights for safety reasons, which is one of the reasons for the increased expenses, although it was noted that fertilizer and other common expenses have also considerably risen in the last several years.

The district agreed to a three-year contract.

* The board agreed to pay $52,678.63 for 150 Chromebooks and the same number of Google licenses, plus $4,376.10 for 140 Chromebook cases. Chromebooks and covers are a part of a regular rotation to replace old, damaged, or worn-out technology. The computers and accessories will be shipped right away, but will not be billed until July 2026.

* Board members approved a transportation contract with Rudroff Bus Company for $48,543.58 per route for the 2026-27 school year and $48,543.58 for the 2027-28 school year. The amount has increased by about $2,600 from last year. Rudroff Bus Company will drive 17 different routes for the school district, including Cadet Creek, South Frankenstein, Rich Fountain, North Frankenstein, Bluff Road, Swan Creek, Winkleman Route, Kleffner Route, Bonnot’s Route, Loose Creek Route, T Route, Freeburg, 63-Freeburg, Castle Route, Argyle, and Meta/St. Thomas.

Rudroff will also charge $37,451.24 for the Nicholas Career Center route in the 2026-27 school year and $38,762.03 for the 2027-28 school year.

Kitchens warned that there would be additional expenses to the district because of the higher cost of fuel. The district will reimburse the Rudroff Bus Company if fuel prices go over $3 per gallon.

The board also approved a transportation contract with Temmen Bus Company to run the Bode Route for $46,902 for the 2026-27 school year and $48,543.58 for the 2027-28 school year. The school district will reimburse the Temmen Bus Company if fuel prices exceed $3 per gallon.

* The school board approved Career Ladder for the 2026-27 school year.

“This is a way for teachers to help the school and by doing extra duties and getting paid for it,” Kitchens explained.

There are three levels for the career ladder, with each requiring certain requirements and offering different compensation rates for each level. Level 1 pays $1,500 for a minimum of 50 hours and is available for teachers who have two years of experience teaching, have completed the beginning teacher assistance program, participated for two years in mentoring, and have an appropriate teaching certificate. To participate, staff must teach in grades K-12 or be a counselor or librarian, must be rated at the expected level on the district’s Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation System, and must develop an individual Career Ladder program.

Level 2 compensates staff for $3,000 for 75 hours and requires three years of teaching experience and all the same requirements for Level 1.

Level 3 compensates staff for $5,000 for 100 hours and requires five years of teaching experience, plus the requirements of Levels 1 and 2.

The district lists Career Ladder ideas for teachers and stipulates activities that are not accepted. Staff wishing to participate must submit any revisions to plans no later than Jan. 15 of the school year. The Career Ladder Committee must approve all plans for the next school year by April 30. The payment request will be submitted on May 1, and the payment deadline is set for June 30.

This is the same plan that was in place for the 2025-26 school year.

* English 1 and Yearbook Teacher, Mikayla Holzer, reported that the school’s publication was selected as an Outstanding Yearbook of 2025 by Walsworth and will be featured in its publication, Possibilities Volume 11.

“That has not been something our program has ever been a part of before,” Holzer explained, adding that she had no experience with yearbooks when she accepted the position. “I had never even thought about it in high school. It wasn’t even on my radar. I didn’t know anything about photography, writing copy, or graphic design.”

Holzer said that in her first year, she felt like she learned more from the students than they learned from her.

“They were super dedicated and passionate, and they were always willing to experience new things and grow with me,” Holzer said, adding that students do not use premade templates to put together the yearbook. “We build everything from scratch, and the possibilities are endless. For the most part, it is about storytelling.”

Holzer said that the students try to come up with a story to tell for the school year that represents the vibe of the student body. They also like to use ideas and themes that have not been previously used.

“We come up with a theme, and it guides how we create our books and color schemes,” Holzer explained. “It guides the fonts we use, the layouts, and the aesthetic designs. I like to think the book is a representation of how we portray ourselves.”

Holzer showed the board a copy of the new yearbook.

“I’m really excited about this book, and we are coming up with some great ideas for next year,” Holzer said, who received a round of applause from board members recognizing her hard work.

* Kitchens plans to present a daily budget update starting at the beginning of the new fiscal year.

“I want to have a way for the board to see things monthly and compare them to past budget years,” Kitchens said. “I would like to make the comparison before the new construction starts.”

Kitchens said that he is hopeful that the recent changes to property taxes that were a part of the April election will not have a big impact on the school district.

“I’ve talked to several groups, and the measure will probably not stand up in court,” Kitchens said.

Board members noted that they were confused by different wordings that were found on the ballot measure across the state. They said it was hard to find additional information about the ballot measure and had trouble understanding some of the wording and intent.

“I’m not as worried about it in the same way as I was a month ago,” Kitchens said. “I’m still concerned.”

The superintendent added that he will not present a budget for the new fiscal year until the May meeting since the state legislature has more decisions to make.

Kitchens said that he is not worried about the budget, noting that the district has absorbed two teaching positions and replaced a retired veteran teacher with a first-year educator.

“For 2026-27, I’m just pointing out that the salaries should be less,” Kitchens said.

He noted that he is not making recommendations at this time, but believes that the district may be able to afford to offer a modest raise to staff for the next school year.

* The boys’ golf team will no longer be practicing or playing at the Osage View Golf Center.

Osage View wanted to push back Fatima’s practice times until after 5 p.m.

“Logistically, that just did not make sense,” Athletic Director Matt Baker said. “Oak Hills Golf Course took us in, and they have been wonderful to work with.”

Baker noted that the drive time is relatively the same between the two locations, and Osage View refunded the team dues at a prorated rate.

* Kitchens announced that next school year, the district will need to update its Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

“I’m going to try to get parents and community members involved to take some pressure off of the board,” Kitchens said. “We need to have other folks give us ideas, so we are not doing every piece of it.”

Kitchens noted that he has not had a lot of interest in helping with the project as of yet, but he intends to keep asking.

“We want to get other people l involved,” Kitchens said. “I want the community to have a voice in this.”

* Effective immediately, the district will charge a $20 refundable fee for cards used to access the gym. Kitchens noted that a lot of cards get lost or misplaced, and the district has to buy replacements for $15 per card.

* Board members approved hiring Lucy Warren as a preschool substitute, and they accepted resignations from Special Education Aides Cristy Rosentreter and Cynthia Wineter, who will stay on through the current school year.

* The district preschool calendar was approved for the 2026-27 school year.

“This is very similar to last year’s calendar,” Kitchens said.

The preschool will be closed on July 3 and 4 for Independence Day, Sept. 7 for Labor Day, Nov. 25-27 for Thanksgiving, Dec. 23-25 for Christmas, Dec. 31 through Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day, Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Feb. 15 for Presidents’ Day, March 5 for a conference, March 26-29 for Easter, May 14 for preschool graduation, and May 31 through June 4 for deep cleaning.

* Board members approved the solicitation of bids for financial audits. The district is requesting a one-year and a three-year quote for a regular and a single audit. Bids will need to be received by Tuesday, May 19, at 2 p.m. to be considered. Bids will be opened at the May 20 board meeting.

* The school board tabled a request by the administration to have all dual-credit college classes be graded on a five-point grading system.

“We would like the grading system to reflect that a dual-credit class should be weighted more heavily,” Kitchens said. “I think we should recognize the extra work students do.”

VP Robertson agreed with the idea but felt that the school board and administration would get some pushback from parents and students.

“If a student is taking multiple, dual-credit courses and getting As, they should get something for that,” Massman said.

“So, a student could get As all the way through school and not be in the top 10 or a valedictorian?” Schroeder questioned. “If they miss taking a dual-credit course, they are going to be out of the running. That competition for valedictorian is a big deal for a lot of students and parents.”

“We always have more than one valedictorian and salutatorian,” Kitchens said. “We should only have one.”

Massman noted that when her daughter graduated, there were eight valedictorians and two salutatorians.

“We really don’t like to see multiple valedictorians,” Kitchens said. “It diminishes the value of the award.”

The new grading system would most likely start with incoming freshmen so that all students understand how it would affect their grade point average.

The item was tabled so that administrators could look at additional information, and will be discussed again at next month’s meeting.

* Board members approved the check register for a total of $35,910.73.