Nodaway County school board notes

School Board Notes art

Jefferson C-123

CONCEPTION JCT., Mo. — The following are notes from the minutes of the Sept. 16 regular meeting of the Jefferson C-123 Board of Education.

• A calculation of bonding capacity for Jefferson was reviewed. It was made with the assumptions of an April 6, 2027, election and a $240,000 prepayment of the Series 2021 Bonds on March 1, 2028. The general obligation bonding capacity for the Jefferson school district is $2,749,710 with a proposed bond issue size of $1,600,000.
• Elementary school attendance is at 99.26% and the high school at 97.42%.
• The PTO has purchased new basketball hoops for the elementary playground.
• The staff social is set for Dec. 12.
• The next regular board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Nodaway-Holt R-VII

GRAHAM, Mo. — The following are notes from the minutes of the Sept. 16 regular meeting of the Nodaway-Holt R-VII Board of Education.

In his written report to the Nodaway-Holt board, Superintendent Mike Hollingsworth castigated the State Board of Education for submitting a budget proposal to the state legislature that would be nearly $300 million short of fully funding the state’s foundation formula for public schools. The board opted instead last week to request to keep funding flat next year.

“This is a failure of the board’s most basic responsibility: advocating for Missouri’s public schools and the students they serve,” Hollingsworth said in the report. “The board’s job is to tell the governor and the General Assembly what our schools need. Instead, this board has made the unprecedented choice to recommend that public schools remain underfunded, an action that reflects a board increasingly hostile to public education. That choice makes an already difficult financial situation even more precarious for local school districts.

“Reversing Missouri’s current course will require teachers, parents, school leaders and community members to see clearly what is being done to their schools and to hold accountable those whose decisions undermine the children and communities Missouri schools serve.

“The State Board of Education does not get the final say. That responsibility belongs to the governor and the General Assembly, and we will make our case directly to the elected leaders who have the opportunity to stand up for Missouri’s public schools and their communities.”

Other Nodaway-Holt notes

• The board approved an allowance of up to $16,515 for Superintendent Mike Hollingsworth to use to replace the heat pump in the second grade classroom.
• District teachers will take part in training sessions with Rob Voss, founder of Voss AI and a Northwest Missouri State University professor, to learn how to better utilize AI tools. He will also serve as an “AI liaison and resource, assisting staff with questions about AI, helping them explore new products and technologies, and providing guidance as needed,” Hollingsworth said in his board report. “I believe this will be a tremendous opportunity for our teachers and staff.”

South Nodaway R-IV

BARNARD, Mo. — The following are notes from the Sept. 16 regular meeting of the South Nodaway R-IV Board of Education.

• Principal Aaron Murphy commented that the first round of early childhood screenings have begun in preschool and kindergarten.
• The board approved the student/parent handbook. One change to the handbook is there can be no charging of a la carte items or extras for lunch if the lunch bill is over $50. The employee handbook was also approved.
• The board received quotes to purchase a Honda Accord for $28,255 and a Toyota Camry for $30,658. Superintendent Dustin Skoglund will look at each vehicle and come back to the board with a decision.
• The board moved October’s meeting to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, and the November meeting to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17.