The Worth County School Board approved the substitute teacher list for the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers named were Dana Auffert, Jeshua Blaine, Janice Borey, Rachel Brown, Sue Cantanzareti, Colleen Combs, Barb Dannar, Josephine Deen, Kera Galanakis, Cody Green, Mason Hawk, Mollie Hardy, Amy Jackson, Janet Kinsella, Judith Matteson, Ashley Moser, Kristin New, Trisha Ross, Jan Ruckman, Jessica Sanders, Debbie Sherer, and Becky Thompson. Named as a custodial maintenance sub was Mark Fletcher.
The board held their annual tax rate hearing and voted to leave the tax rate unchanged at $3.52 per $100 of assessed valuation and the debt service levy at 25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The board approved the prepayment of $70,000 in current bonds, which will save the district $3,200 in future interest expense. The prepayment was necessary in order to maintain the 25 cent debt service levy.
The school had two negative account balances from the previous school year. High School Annual had a negative account balance of $720.51 and the National Honor Society had a negative account balance of $113.81. The school will transfer non-designated funds from the Fund 60 fund balance to eliminate the negative account balances.
The board voted to set the tuition rate for nonresident students of the district at $5,314.87. This is the rate that must be paid by nonresident students unless waived by the board.
Enrollment at the elementary is 151 students, up 11 from last year. Overall enrollment at the school is up 8 from last year. Kindergarten has 28, 1st grade 17, 2nd grade 21, 3rd grade 21, 4th grade 18, 5th grade 28, and 6th grade 18.
Elementary Principal Chuck Borey reported that certified staff and paraprofessionals attended the Emotional Poverty Workshop at King City. Teachers are getting ready to start the new year and teachers have been working on their classrooms for the last two weeks. The school had their open house on Wednesday evening. Picture day is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30th.
Curriculum Director and Athletic Director Josh Smith reported that all teachers have been provided with current Missouri Learning Standards. Special Ed and Title teachers have attended training.
Athlete development programs have been held for all athletes grades 7 to 12. Band also held camps. Several improvements have been made at the softball field.
Softball has 16 varsity players out this year. Junior high has 10 players out. Football has 27 players out, 22 from Worth County and 5 from Northeast Nodaway. Junior high has 16 players, 12 from Worth County and 4 from Northeast Nodaway. Girls Golf has 8 players. High school cheer has 8 members and junior high has 8 as well. Currently, the school says that the district has high enough participation in junior high activities to remain a seventh and eighth grade only school.
Keelin Engel, Tate Welch, Jill Hardy, Nate Adwell, Anna Spainhower, EmiLee Brown, Wyatt Abplanalp, Braidy Hunt, and Megan Cassavaugh will receive their American FFA Degrees in October at the National FFA Convention. FBLA peaches have been delivered, while the FFA had their Back to School Bash on August 20th.
Principal Jon Adwell reported on the professional development that staff have been engaging in, including work on mathematics curriculum and resources, reading, instruction training, and other trainings during the summer. Church groups have been coming in and feeding the teachers.
The board voted to renew the banking agreement with Great Western Bank made in 2019, now First Interstate Bank. First Interstate is honoring the agreement. The agreement was for three years, with options to renew in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The board voted to exercise its option to renew. Board member Amber Monticue abstained from the vote.
Superintendent Chris Healy reported that assessed valuation for this year was $33,184,876, an increase of 11%. This will result in increased local tax revenues in the district. Since most of the increase was from personal property, the school does not have to roll back its levy. Transportation revenues will be significantly higher for this year, thanks to legislative action. The school will apply for electric buses through a grant program from the EPA. Most future bus grant programs will be electric buses.
The DESE will come to the school and evaluate the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.
The school plans to make recommendations on the Career Ladder Program, which was resurrected by the legislature this year. The school can apply for three levels of funding. After two years of service by teachers, the school can apply for up to $1,500 in extra pay for teachers for putting in extra hours to help tutor students. For three years, the school can apply for up to $3,000. For five years, the school can apply for up to $5,000. The program requires a 40% match at the local level. The school could save costs by tying in existing tutoring programs. Superintendent Chris Healy will make recommendations at a future meeting. This pay would be in addition to the $38,000 base salary that was approved by the legislature and the school. Currently, Healy said that the governor has no intention to cut anything from the programs he was pushing this session.
Various facility projects were completed during the summer. The lockers in the high school were repainted and repaired. The roof on the ag building is currently undergoing repair and maintenance. The teacher workroom and handicapped restroom was renovated over the summer through the use of grant funds. The softball field has undergone renovations throughout July and August. It was paid for with donations from the Aivry Griffin Memorial Foundation, the Grant City Ball Board, school district funds, and community donations and labor. The dugouts were expanded, new concrete was poured, and new bleachers were ordered. They were scheduled to be delivered Friday. Weeds were removed from behind the outfield.
The district long range planning committee will meet to reevaluate the goals and needs of the district in regards to facility maintenance, improvements, and continued safety upgrades.
The board took no action on putting the bond issue on the ballot for the November election. The last filing date for the school if it wishes to run it a third time is August 30th. The next time it could run a bond issue and only need a four sevenths majority would be April 4th, 2023; the deadline for that election would be January 24th, 2023.
The board set its next meeting date for September 15th.
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