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Hi, and welcome to the 2021-2022 school year. There have been some exciting changes at Worth County R-III over the summer and this video will talk a little bit about those changes. In this video we have a few back to school items of information. The staff has received their beginning of the year letters, which signals students will be walking in our school doors in a short couple weeks. Students will receive their information during the back to school events or on the first day of school. One piece of information that will be included in these packets will be the “Free and Reduced Lunch Application”. Completion of these forms benefits the school in many ways and is extremely important that everyone turn back in whether they qualify for free and reduced or not. While this year, the Seamless Summer Option of free lunches for all students is still in place, we would really appreciate families completing the free and reduced lunch application. As an incentive to fill out the time consuming form, every form will be entered in a drawing to win one of the multiple Chromebooks or iPads we are giving away. This year, we have seven new staff members at Worth County and are still looking for a full-time bus driver and substitute teachers, drivers, cooks, and custodians. We’d like to welcome the following people to our staff for this school year. Mrs. Amber Hawk will be our new special education director, Ms. Katelyn Halsey is our new Ag Education teacher and FFA advisor, Mr. Cree Beverlin is our high school social studies teacher, Head HS boys track and field coach, and assistant high school football coach. Ms. Holly Praiswater will be teaching HS math. Mr. Ryan Hutchcraft is our new kindergarten through 12th grade PE teacher and he’s also going to be boys golf and assistant JH football coach. Ms. Jamie Degase will be in charge of Parents as Teachers and be an elementary para this year. Codey Sawyer is a new addition to our food service staff. Ms. Jonell Cook will be returning to us in the FACs department. If you see any of these new or current members of the community, please welcome them and show them support. There have been several facility improvements throughout the summer and our custodial and maintenance staff, along with the contractors have done a great job in getting the changes made and ready for the students on August 24. One of the major changes was the removal of the tile in the HS, locker rooms, lunchroom, and elementary restrooms. We were able to use some of the federal funding to upgrade our flooring with a flake, epoxy finish. We also decided to carpet some of the HS classrooms. Take a look at some first look pictures of our new floors throughout the building. We got rid of some of the red and green colors that were present throughout the building on the floors and the walls. We weren’t able to save the Tiger at the center of the hallway from the class of 1962. It was a mosaic of about 30 tiles that were securely attached to the concrete. We do still have a Tiger in the middle of the hallway and we will continue the tradition of not stepping on the Tiger. We look forward to you getting in the building and seeing the improvements. The restrooms have also seen a major upgrade over the course of the last year. We have been able to add touchless equipment, install new stalls, and upgrade the flooring and wall systems in all of the restrooms throughout the building. Another exciting improvement are the locker rooms for the 7-12 grade PE kids and athletes. The new flooring and lockers are a much needed update to both locker rooms and should reduce cleaning and maintenance time for our staff. A couple other additions that were made possible because of donations are the new gym mats, donated in memory of Donnie Waldeier and the softball scoreboard that was donated by Patty and Lynn Trump. There is still a lot of work that needs to be completed in these next 2 weeks to prepare for the start of the school year, but the hard work by all involved has ensured that the improvements were completed on schedule and we are ready for the 21-22 school year. There have also been several educational changes that teachers continually make over the summer. A couple of the highlighted changes are the purchase of new 7 through 12th grade math materials and online content. Our teachers also participated in professional development for new math diagnostic and assessment software to help bridge gaps and find ways to cover new content in the classroom. COVID-19 is still present in our community and around the world. At this time, masks will be optional. We will continue to have a focus on other mitigation strategies to help reduce the spread of any virus. Handwashing and hand sanitizing is important and will be a big focus. We also encourage everybody to cover coughs and place a focus on limiting face touches. The Tri-County Health Department will continue to be the agency that notifies individuals of the need to quarantine for close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Individuals that are told to quarantine will be in quarantine for 10 days and can test out of quarantine 7 days after their last contact with a person who has tested positive if they remain symptom free. Any individual who has been completely vaccinated will not have to quarantine after a close contact, unless they are experiencing symptoms. Vaccination is one way, along with other mitigation strategies to remain in the classroom and on the playing field as much as possible. Quarantines will impact our educational process and extracurricular activities. We need our students and staff in the building in order to be highly effective. With this in mind, we are asking students, staff, and community members to stay home if you exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. A student or staff member should wait 24 hours after all symptoms have been resolved to return to school. Those that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 should follow the guidance of their healthcare provider. Listed here are some important dates for the next few weeks. Registration for 8 through 12th grade will be August 18. The elementary open house, 7-12 grade sports parent meeting, and 7th grade orientation will be August 19. The first day of school will be a half day on August 24th. Important Dates August 9: HS Fall Sports Practices Begin August 12: 9:00AM-3:00PM Registration for New Students begins daily August 18: 10:00AM-5:00PM Grades 8-12 Registration for Returning Students August 19: 5:00-6:00 PM Elementary Open House 5:30 PM 7-12 Grade ALL Sports Parent Meeting (cafeteria) 6:00 PM Grade 7 Parent/Student Orientation (cafeteria) August 20: 7:00 PM Football Jamboree @ WC (Worth County, King City, Stanberry, Albany) August 24: First Day of School / First Day of Vo-Tech Classes (Early Dismissal 1:00 PM) August 24: 5:30 PM Softball Jamboree @ North Harrison August 31: Picture Day (Elementary, High School) September 2: 5:00 PM First Home SB Game vs. Maryville September 3: 7:00 PM First Home FB Game vs St. Joseph Christian September 13 - 17: Homecoming Week September 17: 7:00 PM Homecoming Football Game vs. Albany There are several ways to find out more about Worth County R-III. We encourage you to go to our website at wc.k12.mo.us and to sign up for “Tiger Texts”. Facebook is another source of information at Worth County Tiger Talk’s page. You can also follow @WorthCoTigers on Twitter. The school’s system for notification about school closings will send automated emails and phone calls. Make sure the school has your updated contact information on the beginning of year forms. Other good sources of information are our local newspapers. They do a good job of covering events and happenings of our district. We also encourage parents and the community to reach out to staff and administration to learn more about what is going on in our school. We have a highly qualified staff that has a passion for educating our kids. There are many different types of lessons that are taught in our classrooms every day that prepare our kids for successful futures. We look forward to seeing 280 students walk in our doors on August 24 ready to learn and represent our school district and communities. This time of year is always filled with the excitement of something new and different, plus the familiarity of seeing friends and teachers every day. Let’s make it a good year and #WintheDay everyday. Go Tigers! Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJaZLSypdOo

WORTH COUNTY BOE NOVEMBER 2023 REGULAR BOARD MEETING NOTES Westbrook and Co presented the district audit for 2022-2023.  The audit found the district in compliance and good financial standing.  Presented and approved program reviews for Career and Technical Education.  Worth County R-III provides opportunities in agriculture, business, family and consumer science, as well as vo-tech course offerings. Renewed insurance with MUSIC.  Rates increased about 33% because of 2023 losses across the state and 2024 loss projections.   Board was updated on CSIP Goal 1 progress focused on increasing exposure and success with real-world problems.  16% increase in 4th grade reading skills in 22-23 and 4% increase in scores on strategic thinking questions on end of year assessments. 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Baylee Ridge, shared about her current class project to create a newspaper. HS Principal, Mr. Smith, shared 1st quarter honor rolls, reported on attendance challenge, and talked about 8th grade models of cells. Elem Principal, Mr. Borey, shared honor rolls and talked about parent-teacher conference participation. Pre-K has 7 students applied to enroll in pre-k that will begin in January 2024.   Board unanimously voted to place a no tax increase debt service question on the April 2024 ballot to help fund capital project needs:  to construct a secure vestibule connecting the Agriculture building to the HS hallway; to install LED lighting at the softball field, Elementary School, and building exteriors; to improve heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; to improve visitor seating at the football field; to repair/replace roofs and gutters; to renovate building entrances; to acquire buses; to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the District. Approved increase in sub bus driver pay to $70 per day. Accepted the retirement of Mrs. Selina O’Connor - K-12 art and Bill Staton - bus driver.   NEXT REGULAR MEETING: December 20 at 6:00 PM  More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

Set federal meal program prices for the 2024-2025 school year.  Elementary breakfast - $1.90, HS breakfast - $2.10, Elementary lunch - $2.65, HS lunch - $2.95.  School district lunch costs increased $0.34 per meal and breakfast increased $0.20 per meal for 24-25. Received an update on summer facility projects including: softball lights install in July, softball fence install in July, football bleachers in July, elementary LED light replacement undergoing, gym floor refinish in fall 2024, and building welding area upgrade summer 2024.  Other bond projects will take place in summer 2025. Approved professional development plan for 2024-2025 including work on school-wide positive behavior support, data-based decision making in classrooms, critical thinking, and developing assessment capable learners, as well as required training throughout the year. 100% of the district’s school buses passed Highway Patrol inspection.  On average, 88% of the buses statewide pass inspection. Accepted Clean School Bus Rebate for $1,750,000.  Will provide 5 electric buses and charging infrastructure at no cost to the district.  More information available at the district office if there are any questions. Approved a budget for the 2024-2025 school year that included an average 12% increase to non-certified staff compensation, 5.18% increase to certified staff compensation, and operating budget has a $350,000 deficit.  Current district operative fund reserve is around 70% and that amount is budgeted to decrease to 64%. Accepted resignation of HS Counselor Jessica Maschino and Agriculture Teacher Reese Zollman. Offered Alec Summers a teacher contract for the 24-25 school year to teach social studies. Hired Cody Green as Head HS Softball Coach NEXT REGULAR MEETING: July 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

Worth County R-III School has finished the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year.  The first four months of school have been busy for the 268 K-12 students, 60 staff members, parents, and community.  The year started with 23 new kindergarten students and ended with students taking semester tests and Christmas parties with learning, achievements, challenges, and excitement over the 81 school days. The students have been busy throughout the first semester.  Thirty high school students are enrolled in 48 dual credit courses throughout the year.  Dual credit courses allow students to enroll in college-level courses while still in high school.  This provides cost savings, advanced coursework, and helps with the transition to post-secondary education.  There are also nine juniors and seniors that are enrolled at Northwest Technical School in programs focused on: automotive, building trades, collision repair, culinary arts, health science, childcare, and welding. December was the release of the state’s Annual Performance Report (APR) for the 2022-2023 school year.  The district increased the APR score compared to the score from the prior school year.  There have been 2 iterations of this scoring mechanism under Missouri School Improvement Plan 6 (MSIP 6), as the scale is much different from APR scores of previous years (MSIP 5 and prior).  MAP and EOC end of year assessment scores are part of the calculation for the APR.  The school district improved math, English, and science end of year assessment scores, scoring in the top 27% on English assessments, top 36% of math assessments, and top 16% of science assessments when compared to the rest of the districts in the state.  The district received 100% of the points possible for the Continuous Improvement monitoring.  Worth County R-III will continue to focus on using data to improve instruction, while keeping the biggest focus on daily instruction, assessment, and interventions that are happening in the classroom. Another piece of data that is used throughout the district are formal assessments that are given to guide instruction.  K-12 teachers participate in data teams that focus on student achievement related to priority standards.  Interventions and instruction are adjusted based on data-driven collaborative meetings by teams of teachers and administrators.  The district’s professional development is also continuing its focus on Developing Assessment Capable Learners. Along with the achievements students are having in the classroom, the students have been busy in extracurricular activities during the first semester.  A few of the many activities include: the football team finishing as state runner-ups in December at Mizzou, the music department has been active in parades and honor bands/choirs, FFA began a trap shooting team this fall, FBLA and FCCLA are gearing up for district contests, fall sports seasons are concluded and HS basketball is in full swing. More information on these activities and other school content can be found on our website at wc.k12.mo.us or on Worth County Tiger Talk’s Facebook page, as well as the district’s winter newsletter. It is the mission of the Worth County R-III Schools to equip students with the character traits and academic skills to be productive, caring, problem-solving adults in our society.  As the district strives for that mission, it is implementing the Continuous School Improvement Plan that outlines district goals.  This plan can be found on the district website under the Central Office tab.  The school is always encouraging parents and community members to be involved in the educational process.  Contact Chris Healy at chealy@wc.k12.mo.us or 660-564-3389 if you would like to know of opportunities to get involved.  Go Tigers!

WORTH COUNTY BOE DECEMBER 2023 REGULAR BOARD MEETING NOTES Board approved minutes from previous meeting and monthly payroll and bills Approved transportation program evaluation.  Recommendations include upgrading buses and school vehicles when possible and continued search for bus drivers Approved required lead testing plan.  Testing is currently in process and will be completed prior to August 1, 2024 deadline. Superintendent Healy reported on the district’s Annual Performance (APR) that was released this week.  District showed slight increase in APR and scored in the top 15-35% of all districts on Math, English, and Science end of year assessments.  District received all continuous improvement monitoring points. 1st grade teachers Mrs. Lischer and Mrs. Stull shared about the first semester.  New math program Eureka Math2 that is more developmentally appropriate and shared about reading and writing activities. Elementary principal discussed pre-k screenings to prepare for January 2024 opening, elementary concert was a success, and Title I math purchased take home math learning games with a First Interstate Bank donation. High school principal discussed data teams, Character Strong program for social-emotional learning, and Mosaic Telehealth grant for services to help reduce barriers families face Superintendent’s report included a budget update and notification of a $2000 grant from First Interstate Bank to supplement the school’s Title I programs. Board approved a budget amendment for the 23-24 school year.  Updates include pre-k revenue and expenditures, as well as updates for vocational grant expenditures and revenue. Accepted the resignation of Larry Richardson as custodian. NEXT REGULAR MEETING: January 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

WORTH COUNTY BOE DECEMBER 2023 REGULAR BOARD MEETING NOTES Board approved minutes from previous meeting and monthly payroll and bills Approved transportation program evaluation.  Recommendations include upgrading buses and school vehicles when possible and continued search for bus drivers Approved required lead testing plan.  Testing is currently in process and will be completed prior to August 1, 2024 deadline. Superintendent Healy reported on the district’s Annual Performance (APR) that was released this week.  District showed slight increase in APR and scored in the top 15-35% of all districts on Math, English, and Science end of year assessments.  District received all continuous improvement monitoring points. 1st grade teachers Mrs. Lischer and Mrs. Stull shared about the first semester.  New math program Eureka Math2 that is more developmentally appropriate and shared about reading and writing activities. Elementary principal discussed pre-k screenings to prepare for January 2024 opening, elementary concert was a success, and Title I math purchased take home math learning games with a First Interstate Bank donation. High school principal discussed data teams, Character Strong program for social-emotional learning, and Mosaic Telehealth grant for services to help reduce barriers families face Superintendent’s report included a budget update and notification of a $2000 grant from First Interstate Bank to supplement the school’s Title I programs. Board approved a budget amendment for the 23-24 school year.  Updates include pre-k revenue and expenditures, as well as updates for vocational grant expenditures and revenue. Accepted the resignation of Larry Richardson as custodian. NEXT REGULAR MEETING: January 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

WORTH COUNTY BOE SEPTEMBER 2023 REGULAR BOARD MEETING NOTES Held public hearing on the Nodaway County Enhanced Enterprise Zone Addendum. Approved Addendum to Nodaway County Enhanced Enterprise Zone Approved contract with the Area Cooperative of Education Services to provide educational support Approved program reviews for federal programs (Special Education, Parents as Teachers,, and Title programs) Heard citizen comments in regards to a possible school sponsored Pre-K class Discussed board refresher training and given an update on CSIP Goal 2 related to developing and retaining effective teachers Elementary principal reported enrollment increased by 1 student and successful Title I Parent Meeting 7-12 enrollment is down 11 students with a larger class of 2023 and smaller 7th grade Approved policy updates Accepted two grants for pre-kindergarten: Missouri Quality Pre-K grant and Patterson Family Foundation grant.  These grants will provide approximately $250,000 toward a Pre-K classroom and expenses. Approved providing pre-kindergarten services starting in January 2024.  Information and stakeholder meetings will be available soon.  Enrollment information and teaching position openings will be posted soon. Long range planning committee will meet this October 4 to continue to re-evaluate facility needs and goals. NEXT REGULAR MEETING: October 18 at 6:00 PM More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

Welcome back to the 2023-2024 school year. Check out a short video talking about the 23-24 school year. https://youtu.be/HNit9Bi8pyU

Worth County R-III School is nearing the end of the first quarter for the 2022-2023 school year. The year has begun with enrollment numbers up eight students in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade, bringing the K-12 enrollment to 278 students. This is a positive trend for the district and prompted hiring an additional kindergarten teacher for the 22-23 school year. Currently, the district has 33 teachers and 64 employees on staff. Six of these teachers and two staff members are new to the district this year. The district is participating in the Governor’s minimum salary grant program and Career Ladder Program that are designed to attract and retain high quality teachers. As part of the September professional development day, teachers were able to analyze assessment data from the 2022 spring assessments. Finalized scores haven’t been released yet, but the teachers were able to look at the results and make data-based decisions to improve curriculum and instruction. One area of focus for the 21-22 school year was math curriculum and instruction. The district implemented new math curriculum resources and the preliminary state testing results showed an improvement in math scores for our students, while state averages have decreased since 2019. Official score reports will be released by the state later in the year. There are several groups, teams, and organizations that are in full swing. Eva Engel and Bridgette Hightshoe qualified for state golf, the FFA grasslands team qualified for state, band finished third out of 18 schools at Clarinda, color guard won a competition at Highland, and softball and football teams are gearing up for postseason play. More information on these activities and other school content can be found on our website at wc.k12.mo.us or on Worth County Tiger Talk’s Facebook page. It is the mission of the Worth County R-III Schools to equip students with the character traits and academic skills to be productive, caring, problem-solving adults in our society. As the district strives for that mission, it is implementing the Continuous School Improvement Plan that outlines district goals. This plan can be found on the district website under the Central Office tab. The school is always encouraging parents and community members to be involved in the educational process. Contact Chris Healy at chealy@wc.k12.mo.us or 660-564-3389 if you would like to know of opportunities to get involved. Go Tigers!

The Worth County Board of Education held the monthly meeting on September 1, 2022. Westbrook and Co. presented the district’s audit for the 2021-2022 school year at the meeting. The audit found the district in compliance and in good financial standing, with a fund balance of just under 50%. Currently, the district needs a fund balance of over 12% to avoid short-term borrowing. During the meeting, the board approved the program reviews for Federal Programs, Parents as Teachers, and Special Education Services. The board also approved grant applications from the district for Roadway Safety, Lunchroom Equipment, and EPA Bus Grants. Administration reported on the Continuous School Improvement Plan implementation that all districts in the state of Missouri must implement. Worth County R-III’s focus for goal 1 is critical thinking and problem solving. All classes focus on researched based strategies to improve performance on higher level thinking problems and activities. The principals reported on the enrollment of their buildings and other happenings. The enrollment of the district, K-12 grades, increased by 9 students, when compared to this time last year. They also discussed professional development activities that teachers participate in on a weekly basis. The Title I teachers will host a Morning of Champions on September 29. Breakfast will be served and Mrs. Humphrey and Ms. Meek will be there to introduce the program and provide activities for students and parents. The district opted to offer a Career Ladder program for the 2022-2023 school year. This program was implemented by the state to help retain high quality teachers. It will provide an opportunity for teachers to provide tutoring and other student support services, with reimbursement from the state for up to 60 percent of approved costs. Last year, the district spent $30,000 on tutoring to help with learning loss and intervention practices. This year, the hope is to provide increased opportunities for students in these areas with less shared cost from the district. In other action, the board approved working with an Applied Behavior Analysis company through Thrivergent and hired Brandon Allee as a full-time bus route driver. The next board meeting will be Wednesday, October 19 at 7:30 PM. More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings

The Worth County School Board met on August 18, 2022 for the district’s monthly meeting. The board held the required tax rate hearing, followed by the regular monthly meeting. During the meeting, the board set the tax rate at $3.52 per $100 of assessed valuation and the debt service levy at $0.25 per $100 of assessed valuation. The board also approved the prepayment of $70,000 in current bonds, which will save the district $3,200 in future interest expense. Elementary principal, Mr. Chuck Borey, reported on the enrollment increase of the elementary. The increased enrollment of the kindergarten class brings the district’s enrollment to eight students more than 2021-2022. High school principal, Mr. Jon Adwell, discussed the professional learning that the district staff has been participating in throughout the summer and as the beginning of the year meetings begin. The professional development has included work on mathematics curriculum and resources, reading instruction training, and several other content driven trainings throughout the summer. Activities director, Mr. Josh Smith, shared with the board participation numbers for fall sports that began practice on August 8. He said, “Currently, the district has high enough participation in JH activities to remain a seventh and eighth grade only junior high member of MSHSAA.” In the superintendent’s report, Mr. Chris Healy, discussed some of the facility projects that happened during the summer. The lockers in the high school were repainted and repaired, adding a needed upgrade and functionality to the 7-12 grade building. The roof on the agriculture 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 some renovation throughout July and August with the combined efforts of many groups. Donations from the Aivry Griffin Memorial Foundation, as well as help from the Worth County Ball Board, school district funds, and extensive community support have provided resources and labor to make the improvements to the softball field. The district long range planning committee will meet to re-evaluate the goals and needs of the district in regards to facility maintenance, improvements, and continued safety upgrades. In personnel news, it was reported that the state has released guidelines for the Career Ladder program that has been implemented again at the state level. This program provides incentives to retain highly qualified and experienced teachers, as well as resources to provide extra support for students. In personnel action, the board approved the substitute teacher list for the 2022-2023 school year. The year begins with the first day of school on August 23, after three days of professional development for the staff. The next board meeting will be September 15. More information on the meeting and board of education agendas can be found at: https://www.wc.k12.mo.us/boemeetings