The Chamois R-1 Elementary building is again relying on supplemental heat because of problems with the aging boiler system, Superintendent Lyle Best reported at the Jan. 14 school board meeting.

Best noted that the approved repairs were made over Christmas break and the boiler was working.

“The issue was that some of the fittings on the water line underneath the building decided not to fit anymore,” Best said. “Everything has been ordered and they should be back Friday to make the necessary repairs to fix the line under the building.”

Principal Jeremy McKague confirmed that the school was using space heaters to temporarily keep everyone warm.

“If this doesn’t show our constituents that we need a new system, I don’t know what would,” said Steve Cramer, president of the board.

Best said the hope was the main line was ok and that the fittings would be the only thing that needed to be replaced. Cramer warned that due to the age of the system, this could happen to any of the water lines and fittings at any time.

In other business, there are three sitting board members who are running for reelection. Steve Cramer, Rebecca Mehmert, and Kelby Busch are running for the three open positions.

Voters will also vote on Proposition KIDS (Keep Improving District Schools) which will ask voters to allow the school district to borrow $1,750,000 to complete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs. If additional funds are available, the district is also allowed to use the money to complete other repairs and improvements to existing facilities. If approved the bond will add $.65 per $100 of assessed value for real and personal property. The election will be held on April 7, 2026.

New attendance policy

McKague is hoping to make changes to the existing attendance policy for the next school year. The main change that McKague would like to make is to have verified and unverified absences versus the current system where the absences are labeled as excused or unexcused.

“We have kids whose parents won’t call in which makes their absence unexcused when the kids were probably sick,” McKague explained.

Those students who have unexcused absences are currently punished with morning detention.

“A 20-minute detention in the morning is not a deterrent for most students,” McKague explained. “These detentions don’t deter anything.”

McKague explained that with the current system it is hard for the office to determine which absences are excused and which are unexcused.

“This will take out the gray area,” McKague said.

The new policy would give each student seven absences that they do not have to account for. Any additional absences would be classified as verified or unverified by the administration. There would be an appeals committee for any students who believe that their absence should be classified as verified instead of unverified. Students with over seven absences who receive an unverified absence will get a zero for the classes for that day.

McKague also proposed that if students have over 10 unverified absences for a class they may be denied credit for that class.

“That can also be appealed if the student feels that there is a valid reason for those absences,” McKague explained.

The other proposed change to the attendance policy would be that students who are out for either an unverified or verified absence would not be able to participate in extracurricular events on that day after school. This would include athletic events.

McKague noted that he was looking for feedback on these proposed changes from staff members, students and parents. No changes will go into effect until the 2026-27 school year.

The school board approved two mandatory policy changes that will go into effect immediately. Policy No. 0320 disqualifies candidates for school board elections if they are convicted or plead guilty to assault or harassment in the first or second degree on school grounds. Policy No. 2760 adds criteria for determining the best interest placement of foster students. Both policy changes were passed unanimously.

Best reviewed possible issues with the school calendar for the 2026-27 school year.

“We can’t start the school year until two weeks prior to Labor Day, that’s the earliest,” Best explained. “Since Labor Day is later this year that makes our start day August 24. Last year the school year started on August 18. It kinda pushes everything back.”

Best said that there were several concerns including that the two semesters would have an uneven number of days, and it would push back the last day of school in May.

“It makes the calendar a little different and some people don’t like it,” Best said.

Best noted that there is a process for schools to appeal to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and request a waiver for highly unusual circumstances so that they can bypass the legislative rule that requires schools to start no earlier than two weeks prior to Labor Day.

“Eight schools have applied for that, and it’s only been granted one time before now,” Best explained. “DESE’s hands are kinda tied because of the how the legislation reads and the circumstance as to how the waivers can be granted.”

Best said that the Chamois R-1 School District was going to wait and see what happens.

“If we could start a week earlier, I think people would be in favor of that,” Best said. “It we can’t start earlier it doesn’t make a huge difference. I don’t think either way there will be any big changes.”

Best said that if DESE approves the eight schools that have already applied for the waiver, he would expect that hundreds of other schools would also apply to get the waiver. Typically, the school board votes on the new calendar in February. Best warned that this year that may get pushed back to see what is possible with DESE.

Virtual career tech classes

The Osage County R-1 School District is hoping to offer virtual career tech classes for students who are interested in going into technical fields that may not require a degree.

“We have students who take dual credit courses for the kids that want to go to a four-year college, but we don’t always get career technical courses because we’re not close enough to Nicholas Career Center,” said Megan Birmingham, school counselor.

The school is hoping to offer several courses that will be available virtually. Birmingham is working on getting different parts of the classes worked out and hopes to have students volunteer for the courses within the next several weeks.

School board members approved expenses for the month of January totaling $55,342.39.

The Osage County R-1 School Board has the following ending balances in their accounts: general ($2,264,062), special ($44,260), and capital projects ($792,610).

Superintendent’s report

Best updated the school board members on the Missouri Governor’s funding formula committee which is planning to meet with the larger group in the spring of 2026 and make recommendations next fall.

Best noted that there is some consensus on giving incentives to school districts that have larger than average local school taxes and giving incentives for districts where the median household incomes are lower that the state average. Best said that it was important to not get caught up in the details but instead focus on the big picture.

“What is the level of funding the state wants to offer?” Best asked. “What is the point of them reviewing this calculation? If it is to update the number, that would make sense, or is it to lower the burden on the state? What is the overall goal and how much are they going to fund compared to how much they are funding now?”

Best said that Missouri is already one of the states that gives the least amount of money to the public-school districts.

“We need to hold them accountable and ask them to support public schools at a higher level,” Best said.

Best also discussed the goals of Missouri’s governor as they apply to education.

“They are looking at a possible short fall in the state this year and are looking at cutting $5 to $6 million dollars, not necessarily in education, but where will that money come from?” Best asked. Best said that the governor is still focused on open enrollment and free choice as it applies to education.

“I guess if they keep trying to push that through maybe eventually it will happen or maybe if you have to keep trying the same thing it isn’t a good idea,” Best said.

Best also noted that there is an ongoing and very popular discussion about eliminating the state’s income tax and reducing property taxes.

“If we are going to eliminate something what is going to take it’s place?” Best asked. “We need to ask those questions because it could affect the services, we are able to offer.”

The school district continues to work on the District Continuous Improvement Plan (DCIP) with the next learning walk through happening Jan. 29.

“We are focusing on the junior high classes and identifying areas where we want to see improvement,” Best said. “We are trying to unify our efforts and help the students achieve not just academically but socially.”

The school is working with junior high students to implement data binders for all junior high students.

“All our elementary teachers have a data binder system they use, and we’ve had a lot of success with it,” Best explained. “We want to figure out how to continue that and fit it into junior high and high school.”

“Data binders are nothing spectacular,” McKague explained. “The students are required to fill them out because the goal is to not have more work for the teachers to do. It’s an oversized planner to put their assignments in. It includes their goals, a working calendar and assignments. It’s a way for them to be organized and independent.”

Best hopes to expand the data binders into high school in the future.

Principal’s report

Principal Jeremy McKague reported that the Show ME Players, an anti-drug group, had a presentation for elementary school students. National Guard members will be at school later this week to interrupt the results of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.

Homecoming is on Friday.

McKague reported that there was another good Pirate Academy with over 30 students attending.

“The credit goes to the teachers,” McKague said. “They do a great job getting the kids excited about it and coming up with different themes and activities.”

McKague announced that attendance is holding steady with elementary at 93.9% and Junior high and high school at 95%.

There have been no discipline problems that needed to be discussed over the past month.

Guidance Program review

School counselor Megan Birmingham gave a general overview of the guidance program noting that the program is broken up into counseling curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services and system support.

“Basically, I’m here to teach the kids,” Birmingham said. “I’m trying to make decent human beings out of them but I’m really showing them how to be adults and how to move into a good space when they are no longer in school.”

Birmingham explained that she helps students plan for how to achieve their goals, counsels them through crisis, arranges for more extensive counseling services if needed, and helps with anything that the school needs help with.

She lists the following activities that the guidance program has sponsored: apply Missouri, college fair, financial workshop with DESE, Cardinal’s Career Days, FASFA Frenzy at Linn State Technical College, college placement tests, professional student development days, Mock Crashes, Red Ribbon Week, Career Fairs, Random Acts of Kindness, suicide prevention and awareness, Fun Days with Student Council, Bike Safety Days and college visits.

“It’s a pretty long list of things that we cover,” Birmingham said. “Our kids are doing great.”

The next school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11.