Saturday, May 18, 2019

Worth County School Board Hires New Junior High Cheer Coach

The Worth County School Board hired Tera Coleman as the Junior High Cheer Coach for the 2019-2020 school year following their regular board meeting Thursday. The vote was unanimous.

Elementary Principal Chuck Borey reported that the elementary celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week last week and that they did special activities honoring the teachers, including bringing them treats and covering their lunch duty. Grandparents Day and Elementary Track Day were held, and both events went well. The Spring Music Concert was held Monday, May 13th. The school expects there to be 18 Kindergarteners next fall.

The fourth through sixth grades went on a field trip to Maryville, where they watched a movie, had lunch in a park, and went bowling. The Kindergarten through third grade went to Arrowhead Stadium May 21st. Students were rewarded for effort during MAP testing this year with movies and snacks. Students with less than two days missed were given another field trip to Maryville, where they watched a movie and were rewarded with snacks. Seven students have signed up for summer school at Albany this year.

Character Superstars for April were named. For Kindergarten, Jace Mullock and Mason Gray were named for always being willing to help in the classroom. For first grade, Lane Pickering was named for being kind and considerate. Nathan Fitzgerald was named for being one of the most improved students this year. For second grade, Gracie Thurman was named for always being respectful, while Owyn Wuillay was named for being compassionate to his classmates.

For third grade, Audrey Runde was named for being respectful, while Brynn Chapman was named for being respectful and doing the right thing even when nobody was watching. Both were chosen by their peers. For fourth grade, Caleb New was named for his positive attitude, while Keira Hardy was named for being compassionate and nice to everyone. They were chosen by their peers.
For fifth grade. Bailey Steele and Jace Cameron were named for turning in all assignments and for being kind. They were chosen by their peers. For sixth grade, Emma Spencer was named for being quiet, respectful, and working hard. MacKenzie Walter was named for showing extra effort. They were chosen by their peers.

Borey said that next year, there would be no more individual character superstars and that classes would be named instead. He said that it would encourage the kids to work as a group; he said there would be a traveling trophy for the grades to compete for.

High School Principal Jon Adwell was not present, because he was at the State Track Meet; however, he turned in a report. Junior High testing was completed, and students who put forth effort will be rewarded with a trip to the movies on May 22nd. The Greenhouse class finished landscaping and planting flowers for graduation.

Student Council Representatives were named for the 2019-2020 school year. They were Kristin New & Regan Allee (Seniors), Anna Spainhower &  Danyelle Jackson (Juniors), Josh Freed & Jace Cousatte (Sophomores), Tanner Ridge and Alison Anderson (Freshmen), Autumn Cousatte & Kara Staton (8th Grade), and Camden Frisch and Abbi Brown (7th Grade).

Athletic Director Chris Healy was not present due to the State Track Meet, but turned in a report. He reported that the music program had done well at state. Keelin Engel received a Gold rating at state and was chosen to participate in the FFA Choir for this year’s state FFA convention. Merrideth Spiers received a Silver for a horn solo and Bronze for a vocal solo. The vocal quartet of Keelin Engel, Lauren Moore, Merrideth Spiers, and Jeremy Wimer got a Silver rating. The band received all Gold ratings at the State Large Ensemble Contest.

Healy also reported that the Athletic Development Program would start at 6:30 am on June 3rd and would be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during summer. Camps will be held for all high school sports this year.

The board voted to waive the tuition fee for Cody and Tonya Mullock for the 2019-2020 school year.

The revised budget was approved. Higher than expected state revenues will help the current year’s budget. The Operating Fund is forecast to show a $50,000 surplus. However, the other three funds – the Teacher Fund, the Debt Service Fund, and the Capital Improvements Fund – will all show a deficit for this year. The deficit for the Teacher Fund is forecast to be $11,042. The deficit for the Debt Service Fund is forecast to be $2,638. The deficit for the Capital Improvements Fund is forecast to be $220,007.

The board voted to hire Roth Environmental Consultants to perform an asbestos inspection for the school. This is an inspection that is required every three years. The total cost will be $1,850. Previously, custodian Joe Burbach had done it for the school, but he has retired.

The board voted to accept a proposal from Midwest Mobile Services to replace 11 bus radios, 2 desk sets, and one for the bus barn. The total cost will be $11,324.97. Half will be paid out of the current budget and half will be paid out of next year’s budget. The current system is aging, and the school is having trouble communicating with buses in the distant corners of the school district.

The board awarded the fuel contract to MFA Oil at a cost of $2.52 per gallon at an estimated cost of $18,396.00 from the 2019 budget and $12,220.00 from the 2020 budget.

The board rejected a proposal from Apptegy to revamp the school website and allow staff to post items to multiple social media outlets, subject to administrative approval. The current website is not mobile-friendly and it is time-intensive to post updates. The cost would have been $6,000 up-front and $5,400 a year to maintain the site. Board members cited the high cost, the lack of an exit plan, and the possibility of cheaper alternatives that would accomplish the same objective.

The board voted to purchase an Internet content filter from MOREnet for a cost of $2,497.02 annually for three years. The school received another bid from Midwest Data Center for $5,400 annually for three years. The current filter is no longer available through MOREnet.

The board voted to hire A2Z Industries to do an insulation project throughout the school. The total cost would be $6,984.00; the money will be paid for in part from savings from the Facilities and Site Improvement Budget. The rest will come from the Capital Improvements Fund. Currently, there are gaps between the roof and building envelope; some are as wide as 2-4 inches. This means that during winter, cold air comes in, driving up heating costs. The project would also help seal the building from hot air and vermin. The cost does not include the labor for the preparation work or the cleanup work; it will be done by the summer work crew.

The board approved the shed design for the new softball shed. The board has already approved spending the money for the shed. It will be 20 feet by 20 feet and be located where the current shed is. There will be designated areas for the school and the ball board, as well as a commons area for equipment that either could use.


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