FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Contact: Chris Healy 660-564-3389
The Worth County R-III Board of Education met on October 21, 2021 to hold the monthly meeting. The board met in the superintendent’s office and the meeting included a Zoom presentation from the auditors. Among the items of business were district program reports, the audit presentation, reports from staff and administrators, and the discussion of activity trip bus driver pay.
The board approved the district program reviews for the health office and media services for the 2020-2021 school year. The health office does a good job at keeping staff trained in areas of need, providing daily services to students, as well as other screenings. The library evaluation discussed the services that the district is able to provide to the students and community, as well as the awards and incentives provided for the elementary students to encourage reading. The partnership with the county library is a great resource for our school and community.
In the CTA report, Ms. Holly Praiswater and Mrs. Mary K Overholtzer talked about their new curriculum materials that have made a positive impact on the instruction in the 7-12 math classrooms. The new text aligns well with the Missouri Priority Standards and provides a lot of resources to give students opportunities to model and solve problems. One feature that they like about the software is the instant feedback it provides to students, so the teachers can adjust instruction and provide early intervention.
The district approved the Business curriculum as part of the yearly curriculum revision cycle. District curriculum director, Josh Smith, also reported that the elementary and high school teachers have been working on implementing the Missouri Priority Standards into their current curriculum. Teachers have spent a portion of their professional development time in revising their curriculum and analyzing assessment data to determine instructional goals and needs.
Elementary principal, Mr. Borey, discussed some of the happenings in the K-6 building. With the first quarter coming to an end, the elementary announced their honor rolls for the first quarter. He also outlined some of the assessment data that has been used to guide instruction in reading and mathematics. On September 29, the elementary hosted their annual Title I Parent Meeting. Mrs. Tracy, Mrs. Humphrey, and Mrs. Findley organized the event and they were there to help give information about the services that the district is able to offer through the Title I program.
Mr. Adwell talked about Red Ribbon Week activities throughout the JH and HS. Mrs. Owens organized trivia throughout the week and had a presentation from the Missouri Highway Patrol about the dangers of drug use. The high school teachers are in the process of School Based Implementation Coaching, it’s a process where teachers can peer coach each other on instructional strategies.
In the superintendent’s report, Mr. Healy gave an update on district finances, demographics, and update on grants that the district has received. The district was awarded funding to purchase 75 Chromebook devices and cellular data for two iPads through the Emergency Connectivity Fund. This funding will help the district remain one-to-one with devices for all students. It was also reported that the flooring project will be completed over the weekend with the addition of two hallway logos.
In other action, the board of education approved a raise to the rate paid for activity trip bus drivers. The bus driver shortage is an issue in our district and across the country. Along with reviewing scheduled board policies, the board heard a presentation on the 2020-2021 district audit. After hearing the presentation, the board approved the audit for the school fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021. In the final action of the evening, the board approved a budget update to the 2021-2022 district budget. The update includes some money to be used towards tutoring, textbooks and resources, and grants that have been awarded.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 PM and the next board of education meeting will be November 18, 2021 at 7:30.
More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings
