WESTPHALIA —  Fatima Superintendent John Kitchens voiced concerns at the board’s May 20 meeting about shortfalls in the upcoming budget for the 2026-27 school year.

“With all of the state deductions in funding we are expecting and some other double-whammies with our declining enrollment, the changes we are looking at will decrease the operating revenue by $1.256 million over the next three years,” Kitchens told board members. “To be blunt, it was explained to me (while) working with veterans in finance, that they never thought it would be this drastic.”

Kitchens anticipates the district’s enrollment will drop by 70 students over the next several years.

“It’s definitely going to have an impact on us next year and for the foreseeable future,” Kitchens continued.

He was thankful to the school board members for approving seven-period days so that the district could absorb two teaching positions.

“We may look into class size and things like that to see if we can absorb some more positions over the next several years,” Kitchens said.

He anticipates the district will have total receipts of $11.29 million dollars for this fiscal year, compared to last year’s total receipts of $11.4 million.

The superintendent explained that he is also unsure of the local contribution since Fatima R-3 is now considered a zero-percent district.

“As far as expenditures next year, I’m cutting the budget,” Kitchens said. “We are tightening up, but there is not much wiggle room left moving forward.”

Even with expected budget cuts, Kitchens is expecting the district to have a significant deficit in the budget this year. School board members will hold a special meeting on June 3 to discuss the budget in greater detail and plan to vote on the final version at the regular June meeting.

In other business, board members approved the purchase of an upgraded package for Hudl, the video cameras, and the service the district currently uses for team sports at a yearly cost of $21,854.

“Hudl is changing its pricing structure and packages,” Kitchens explained. “This is frustrating because if you are going to do anything with the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), you have to use Hudl.”

The district received a discounted price for the package that included everything comparable to the current program, which costs $23,000 per year.

“The reason the bigger package is better to go with is that we can sell advertising,” Kitchens said. “We are off the charts for viewership for a school our size.”

People who want to view district home games can buy season passes, which help offset program costs. Kitchens hopes the district will be able to sell advertising, banners, and commercials to local businesses. The district sets all the prices and collects all fees. The new program will include baseball and softball, and the district is working with the Westphalia Lions Club to set up cameras at both fields.

• Board members approved a new preschool handbook and fee structure that will go into effect on July 1. The new cost will be $35 per day for 21 days per month for a total of $735. Full-time district staff will receive a reduced fee of $20 per day for the same number of days per month for a total of $420 per month.

Current fees for full-time students are $29 per day, and there is a different pricing structure for children who attend only three or four days per week. Full-time district employees currently only receive a 10% decrease in fees.

“Currently, we have different rates for someone who comes three days a week, four days a week, or five days a week,” Kitchens explained. “The reality is that we have a waiting list, so there is no reason to take part-time folks. We’re cutting out the multiple levels of fees and going to a strictly monthly fee for everyone, and it is an increase.”

Board Secretary Sarah Brendel noted that there hasn’t been an increase at the preschool in a long time.

“Raises are not going to be that easy to come by (for district staff) this year,” Kitchens explained. “This is something to give them a little bit. It’s not free, but it is a savings.”

District staff members can also pull their children out of preschool for the summer and not lose their spot. Full-time district employees will be given priority over parents on the waiting list as well.

Brendel noted that other than the fee structure, the staff has reduced the number of pages for the handbook from 35 to 19.

“There were a lot of redundancies, health information, and even leftover information from COVID that we took out,” Brendel said.

She noted there was a question about whether it should be added to the preschool handbook that all full-time district employees, not just teachers, would be eligible for the reduced rates.

“I don’t know why we would hide it,” said Board President Suzanne Massman. “I don’t know why we wouldn’t be transparent.”

Kitchens noted that there was a concern that it would be a public relations concern if it were listed in the preschool handbook.

Massman said that she would think it could encourage people to work for the district if they knew that the decreased preschool fee was available.

“If we have a waiting list, we don’t have a public relations issue,” Massman added.

Kitchens added that another change to the handbook will be that there are no refunds made if the district is closed.

The new preschool handbook, including fee structures, will be available on the school website.

• The school /district approved a five-point grade point average (GPA) for students who take dual-credit courses starting with the incoming freshman for the 2027-28 school year. Grades for classes that are not dual-credit courses will continue to be graded on a four-point scale.

“After talking to some of the dual-credit class teachers, the number of students taking the classes is down,” Kitchens said. “This would help those numbers increase.”

He added that, after much discussion with teachers and school board members, it would be best to start with incoming freshmen for the next school year so that the students could change their class schedule based on this new information.

• Board members approved the bid from QNS for the purchase of 26 Dell desktop computers for the business lab. The total cost of the computers is $41,967.96, but up to 50% will be covered by a grant.

“We started this process before seeing the big budget issues we are facing,” Kitchens said. “We thought it was better to take the money while it is available.”

The estimate covers all shipping costs and a three-year warranty for the computers.

• The board approved the Super Kids Literacy Program for $11,639 for first grade and the Wonders Literacy Program for $20,000 for fourth grade. The Super Kids program is for three years, and the Wonders Program is for six years.

Elementary Principal Renee Ellingsworth-Albert noted that the literacy programs were approved and even required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), but that the district is not being reimbursed for the programs.

“They said before they would reimburse us, but right now that is on pause,” said Ellingsworth-Albert.

Several board members asked if the different programs for different classes would make the transitions difficult for students.

Ellingsworth-Albert noted that the programs teach in similar ways.

“And they are mandated by the state,” Kitchens added. “We have to do them.”

“The scope and sequence of both programs will match and flow together,” said Special Education Director Janah Massman.

“We are doing what DESE wants us to do, but they are not paying for it,” Ellingsworth-Albert said.

• Board members approved the summer school bus routes for Temmen Bus Company and Rudroff Bus Company for $2.87 per mile for the 20 days of summer school. Temmen Bus Company will run the Meta and St. Thomas routes, while Rudroff Bus Company will cover the Bonnots Mill/Frankenstein, Rich Fountain, Loose Creek, Argyle/Koeltztown, and Freeburg routes.

In addition to the $2.87 per mile for the route, the district will need to reimburse both companies for any fuel costs more than $3 per gallon.

• The school board approved a propane bid from Ferrelgas for the high school building for $1.075 per gallon, and MFA Oil for the preschool building for $1.24 per gallon. The motion was contingent on both companies honoring the price for just one part of the job and that MFA Oil would be able to provide a safety inspection for the preschool building tanks.

Three companies submitted propane bids. Locks Mill Propane proposed $1.15 per gallon for the 30,000 gallons needed at the high school, and $1.50 per gallon for the proposed 7,000 gallons needed at the preschool building. Ferrelgas proposed a transport delivery for the high school building of $1.075 per gallon for 30,000 gallons and $1.65 per gallon for the 7,000 gallons needed for the preschool building. MFA Oil proposed a locked-in price of $1.24 per gallon for either building. Ferrelgas and Locks Mill Propane included a yearly safety inspection with their proposal, and that was not listed separately on the estimate for MFA Oil.

In the past, the district has selected the best prices for both high school and preschool, even if those prices came from different companies.

• Board members approved a bid for copier paper from Contract Paper Group for $30.44 per carton for a total of 400 cartons. The district received two other bids, one from Universal Paper for $32.95 per carton for 400 cartons, and the other from Office Essentials for $31.85 per carton.

All three companies bid on the same weight and type of paper that the district currently uses.

• The district received a $600 donation to go towards student lunch deficits from the Osage County Democrat Club from a soup fundraiser in March. The group donated equal amounts to all three public school districts and plans to hold additional fundraisers in the future to help all three public school districts.

• Board members approved hiring Color Guard Coach Jenna Kirsch and preschool substitute teacher Kim Kever. 

The board also approved a teacher list for summer schools.

• They also approved resignations from Cindy Robertson (Title I teacher), Roger Morfeld (cook), Tara Vignola (junior high track coach), Kathryn Hudspeth (assistant boys’ and girls’ soccer coach), Amy Backes (color guard coach), and Angel Woehr (preschool aide).

• Board members approved removing the following extra-duty stipends: assistant cheerleading coach, assistant dance team coach, one of the stipends for the freshman girls’ basketball coach, one of the stipends for the assistant girls’ soccer coach, accompanist, and the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) instructor.

• The board discontinued the practice of paying for the first 18 months of membership for retiring teachers and staff into the Missouri Retired Association of Public-School Personnel (MRTA). The cost would have been $50 per retired teacher.

The measure was approved last year, but board members were conflicted about paying this cost, noting that retired staff should pay their own fees if they want to be involved.

Kitchens said that the group is very active and supportive of the school district, even going to the capital to advocate for Fatima.

“It’s good to have retired, seasoned individuals speaking on our behalf,” Kitchens said.

“I think if someone wants to be part of it, they should pay their own way,” said board member D.J. Schroeder. “In any other year, it might be okay, but not this year, when we are so worried about the budget.”

“I’ve not seen other districts do this, but I’ve not seen a group this active and fiery about educational issues,” Kitchens said. “This gives us more people to advocate for the school. It’s easy for people to think schools are flush with money when we are not. It’s a small benefit that we’ve already budgeted for.”

• The Angela Berhorst and Don and Betty Stieferman scholarships will end this year.

Kitchens said that the district is thankful for the support that both families have provided to Fatima students over the years.

He will send thank you letters to the families, as well as post a thank you on the school Facebook page.

• The district will be a pilot school for Door Checker, a safety program that is new to public school districts.

“Door Checkers works with the Department of Corrections, where they have a safety feature where they have different tags on doors, and they can tell you which doors are open and when they were opened,” Kitchens said. “It ties into our security system and tells us when a door is open and when it’s not supposed to be open.”

Kitchens explained that the company is currently trying out its program in schools and will use Fatima to test the system at no cost.

“We’ll be only the second school to work with the company,” Kitchens said. “We will have to deal with some of the bugs and updates, but it’s free, and it’s another level of security.”

• Board members tabled discussions about auditing bids since none were received, and Kitchens could not get in touch with the district’s current auditor.

• Board members listened to two presentations on food service providers, including Southwest Food Service Excellence (SFE), and OPAA! Food Management Inc.

• The board approved outstanding expenses of $330,663.16.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Kitchens told the board that he survived graduation and all the events focused on the senior class. He thanked the Ag Structures students for building the graduation stage.

“It was great, and they did a great job,” said Kitchens, adding that the Elementary Field Day went well despite having to move indoors due to the rain.

• Kitchens was recently invited to speak at the Westphalia Lions Club and thanked them for their support of the school baseball and softball teams.

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL REPORT

Principal Somer Hinshaw said a lot of new events were scheduled for the senior class, and overall, the feedback has been positive.

• The koi pond is getting a makeover, and several classes are hoping to design an area in front of the principal’s office as an outdoor space for teachers and students.

• Hinshaw reported that enrollment is at 407 students with a 97% attendance rate.

ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL REPORT

Ellingsworth-Albert told the board that Elementary Field Day was a big success, even though it was moved indoors due to rain.

“We had six bounce houses, and everyone had a great time,” Ellingsworth-Albert said. “We had a lot of parents show up. The building was full. For a rainy day, it was really nice with lots of participation.”

• Ellingsworth-Albert noted that 220 students are registered for summer school, which started on June 1.

• Attendance was reported at over 95% for the end of the school year.

SPECIAL EDUCATION REPORT

Special Education Coordinator Janah Massman reported that all testing has been completed for the year.

Sixty students took the ACT, and one junior scored a 34.

“Troy Neuner mastered a perfect score in science and math,” Massman said. “His goal, he told me, is to get a perfect score on the ACT. He is going to take it again. It was very impressive.”