The Worth County School Board approved a policy requiring random drug testing for athletes at their regular Board of Education Meeting Thursday. This policy also applies to students who park on school grounds. This also applies to all students who participate in MSHSAA activities such as band, choir, cheer squad, and academic bowl. It does not apply to activities that are not under the MSHSAA umbrella, such as FCCLA, FBLA, and FFA. Northeast Nodaway students who participate in Worth County's football cooperative would not be tested under the program. Students from 7th grade to 12th grade would be covered; parents can opt to have their students placed in the random pool. If a student does not initially qualify to be placed in the pool, but then later goes out for a MSHSAA sport, the student would be placed in the pool at that time. Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz told the Express that the school could not order a test of a specific individual based on hearsay allegations of drug use under the new policy.
District employees would not have the authority to waive testing of a student who was selected randomly under the policy. A positive test would not result in academic sanctions, suspension from school, or referral to law enforcement. However, students who test positive may be suspended from covered activities and/or lose parking privileges on school property.
Stormy McClellan, Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, reported on the school test scores that were released last week. The state will release a more detailed breakdown of test scores, allowing the school to focus on areas in need of improvement. Some of the areas that were covered by the test were not covered in school.
Assistant Principal Chuck Borey has implemented a policy with the goal of creating a "complaint-free world" in the school building. All staff get wristbands; if they complain, they have to switch their band from one wrist to the other. The goal is to go 21 days without complaining. The program was created by Will Bowen, who spoke at a conference Mr. Borey attended. It takes the average person 4-7 months to get through the 21 days without a single complaint.
Loren Jackson has received an Exemplary School Bus from the Missouri Highway Patrol for having all the buses pass inspection last spring. He also received a Total Fleet Excellence Award as well. He has earned these awards for the last several years.
Borey reported that the elementary building was working on character education for its students. This month, the word of the month is "responsibility." There will be a different character word every month. Tiger paws will be given to students caught displaying positive character traits. A character store will be established so that students can spend their tiger paws. A boy and a girl will be named "character superstars of the month" from both primary and intermediate. Community service projects involving the students will be planned. 90% of parents participated in the elementary open house on Monday, August 17th.
Enrollment this year at Worth County is at 318, up two from last year.
Principal Jon Adwell reported on the new teachers at the school this year. Farrah Richey has moved to Special Education, where she is working on the Odyssey Software. Blair Owens is teaching ACT Prep and Senior Seminar and has been talking about college expectations for students. Adwell said that Donald Heaton, the new music teacher, was highly organized and thorough with inventory. Tyler Miyashiro has been really good at communicating with parents and has ideas for improving the students' test scores. Sean Thurm has been organizing his students into communities, or "homes," which are rewarded for meeting high expectations.
Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz reported that teachers will now be evaluated based on student performance, among other things. This is a requirement by the state. The current projected deficit is now at around $170,000, down from $215,000 at the start of the school year. Martz said that the school could bring it down some more. He also gave board members a video presentation about a statewide goal to make Missouri a top 10 state in the nation for education by 2020. To get there, three goals were listed -- making every high school graduate high school or career ready, giving all children access to early childhood education, and putting an effective teacher in every classroom.
Board members took a tour of the facilities before the meeting. Items in need of improvement noted by members include the gym bleachers and floor, the boys locker room, a standing water issue east of the new stairwell caused by a plugged drain, and bathroom stall doors in the elementary that are rusted. Dr. Martz will come up with a comprehensive list of needed repairs before next month's meeting. The school can pass a $500,000 bond issue with no tax increase in 2016, or a $750,000 bond issue with no tax increase in 2017. Currently, the school is deficit spending, which Dr. Martz said that the school could not afford to keep doing.
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