Chris Healy Conducts First Meeting as Worth County Superintendent

Chris Healy ran his first meeting as Worth County Superintendent Thursday. 

The board voted after a brief closed session to appoint Chuck Borey as Special Education Administrator for the upcoming school year.

The board voted to approve the Emergency Connectivity Grant. This is a $7.17 billion program funded by the American Rescue Plan of 2021 to help schools and libraries support remote learning. The fund will provide $400 for devices that can be connected to the Internet along with funding for hotspots and broadband access. The district will apply for funding for 75 Chromebook devices and one year of service for data Internet connection for two iPads.

The board also voted to apply for the Missouri Agricultural Improvement Grant. This provides funds for schools to purchase items to support the career technical programs. The school is seeking funds for purchasing saws, grinders, an overhead door operator, and storage. Total cost would be $2,300, of which the grant would cover $1,150.

Committee assignments were made for the upcoming school year. Assignments were as follows:

–Career Tech Education Advisory Committee: Amber Monticue.

–District Facilities Committee: Adam Downing, Michael Mullock.

–District Policy Committee: Patricia Warner, Michael Mullock.

–Partnership Library Board: Rodney Brown, Patricia Warner.

–Worth County Educational Foundation Board: Rodney Brown.

–District Wellness Committee: Amber Monticue, Ashley Rush;

–District Parent & Community Engagement: Amanda Gilland.

–District Finance Committee: Amanda Gilland, Amber Monticue, Patricia Warner, Chris Healy.

–Board Legislative Committee: Patricia Warner, Chris Healy.

Additional staff and community members will be added to these committees in coming months.

The board voted to declare the following items as surplus property and put them out for bid: 25 Lenovo N22 Chromebooks (Expire June 2022), 20 Lenovo N23 Touch Screen Chromebooks (Expire June 2022), one Acer Chromebook 13 (Expired September 2019), one Epson document camera, one ELMO document camera, five Magnavox VCR/DVD players, 1 Lenovo Thinkpad Laptop, and 4 Epson projectors. If listed as expired, the ability to update the Chromebook has expired, but it is still usable with an Internet connection.

Budget figures for the previous school year were released. The Operating Fund had revenue of $1,915,415 and expenditures of $1,385,280 for a surplus of almost $570,000. The beginning fund balance was $1,354,708, while the ending balance was $1,884,844. The Teacher Fund had $1,696,842 in revenues and $1,923,985 in expenditures for a deficit of $227,143. The Debt Service Fund had a starting balance of $82,737, revenues of $102,123, expenses of $85,386, and an ending balance of $99,475. The Capital Improvement Fund had a beginning balance of $575,384, revenues of $306,342, expenses of $390,272, and an ending balance of $491,455. The Student Activities Fund had a beginning balance of $138,273, revenues of $120,364, expenses of $90,520, and an ending balance of $168,118.

Healy presented the Safe Return to In Person Instruction plan. This is the plan that the school developed in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Facemasks will not be required, but will be allowed and available at school offices. Classes will have assigned seating, and the school will keep records in order to identify close contacts. Buses will also have assigned seating, with windows open when weather permits. Parents will screen students before they board the bus. Lunch shifts will increase, with some classes eating in their classrooms if necessary. Hand sanitizers will be provided, and proper hygiene will be taught. The school has purchased four sanitizing machines and will disinfect high volume areas, including each classroom once a day. 

The board is in the process of developing goals for itself. Tentative goals include increased student achievement, positive student culture, technology, and meeting district and facility needs.

The board approved the service bids for the upcoming school year. Green Valley Pest Control received the bid for the pest control. Porter got the bid for the trash service. Anderson-Erickson got the bid for the milk.

The board approved change orders for the floor project, which is nearly done. They approved additional square footage for the boys locker room, additional curbs in the locker rooms, paint for the upper half of some of the walls, and additional restroom tile removal and flooring for Mr. Adwell’s office. The total changes came out to $7,392.

The board deactivated the credit card for Dr. Matt Martz and authorized cards for Healy, Mr. Borey, and tech specialist Emiley Maudlin. The board approved an agreement with Northeast Nodaway to transport its tech school students to Maryville.

The next meeting date for the Worth County School Board will be August 19th.