Saturday, August 18, 2018

Worth County Hires Substitute Teachers, Girls Basketball Assistant

Worth County’s school board approved the substitute teacher list for the 2018-2019 school year and hired a girls basketball assistant.

Named to the substitute teacher list Thursday were Jamie Allee, Jeff Blaine, Janice Borey, Ashley Briner, Dawn Brown, Julie Cassavaugh, Tera Coleman, Barb Dannar, Cody Green, Mary Kay Hunt, Jodi Lawrence, Judith Matteson, Elizabeth Martz, Rebecca New, Jessica Sanders, Jan Ruckman, Becky Thompson, Valerie Tomes, and Ginny Quick. The vote was 5-0-2, with board members Rodney Brown and Les New abstaining.

Named as a volunteer high school girls basketball assistant was Daniel Gladstone. Tiffany Bliley will continue to be a girls basketball assistant under head coach Les New as well. The vote was 7-0.

This year, the Worth County School conducted the Missouri Student Survey. This is conducted in even-numbered years to track at-risk behaviors in public schools in Missouri. This includes alcohol, tobacco, drug use, suicide, and bullying.

Among Worth County students, 21.7% used either tobacco or chew in the past 30 days. 21% rode with someone who was drinking alcohol in the last 30 days. 25% spread mean rumors or lies about other kids in the past three months. 18.3% posted something online or sent a text that might embarrass or hurt another student in the last three months.  61.3% made fun of other people in the last three months. 20.8% hit, shoved, or pushed another student and was not fooling around in the past three months. 37.5% had been bullied on school property in the last 12 months. 20% were in a physical fight within the last 12 months. 16% felt hopeless about the future often or always in the past month. 68.3% felt their friends would feel it would be wrong or very wrong to smoke tobacco. 69.2% felt their friends would feel it would be wrong or very wrong to take one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day. 59.2% said it was very easy or sort of easy to get cigarettes. 64.2% said it was either very easy or sort of easy to get alcohol. 37.5% believed that their peers would think someone their age would be pretty cool or very cool if they drank alcohol. 50.4% thought there was no risk or a slight risk if they smoked e-cigarettes. 49.6% felt there was no risk or a slight risk if they drank alcohol. 34.7% felt there was no risk or a slight risk if they had 5+ drinks of alcohol once or twice a week. Most of these numbers were higher than the state average.

Most of these numbers were an improvement over 2016. Among the biggest improvements, 5% had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, compared to 17.3% in 2016. 20% had been in a physical fight in 2018, compared to 40.8% in 2016. 10.8% admitted to using alcohol, compared to 30.6% in 2016. And 19.8% admitted to using tobacco, compared to 36.6% in 2016.

Among marks showing depression, 16.7% said they were very sad. 16% felt hopeless about the future. 16.7% felt like not eating or ate a lot more than usual. 24.2% slept more or less than usual. 28.3% had difficulty concentrating on schoolwork. 31.9% felt grouchy, irritable, or in a bad mood. 13.6% seriously considered attempting suicide. 11% planned suicide, while 4.2% admitted to actually attempting suicide.

Three teachers introduced themselves to the board. They were Danielle Henry (Elementary Special Education), Kaleigh Meyers (1st Grade), and Caleb Smith (K-12 Music).

Elementary Principal Chuck Borey shared information about staff training to begin the new school year. High School Principal Jon Adwell reported on the new cell phone policy. Kids have to place cell phones in special pouches handed out to them at the start of each school day. A phone that is out of the pouch means an automatic office referral.

Before the meeting, the board conducted its annual tax rate hearing in a separate meeting. During its regular meeting, the board set the tax rate at 3.4531 for Fund 1 and .25 for the Debt Service Levy for a total levy of 3.7031.

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