The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education on April 13th approved meal prices for next school year.
Breakfast will cost $1.80 daily for kindergarten through sixth grade, $1.90 for seventh through 12th grade, $2.45 for an adult, and 30 cents for reduced. Lunch will cost $2.55 daily for kindergarten through sixth grade, $2.70 for seventh through 12th grade, $3.45 for an adult, and 40 cents for reduced. An extra milk will be 35 cents.’
The board approved summer school dates of June 6th through 24th. Julie Tucker will be the summer school coordinator.
Virtual coursework providers were approved. They are Saint Joseph Virtual, Launch, and Grundy County Virtual Coop.
A field trip was approved to Blank Park Zoo in Iowa.
The board approved the hiring of Denise Ewing as a speech-language pathologist for district services for next school year.
All classified staff contracts were renewed.
Resignations were accepted from Jeff Wick for music and Dan Neil for science.
Principal Kim Palmer reported planning continues for the Continuous School Improvement Plan. Superintendent Lucas McKinnis and Palmer worked with Jim Judd in March to put together the information needed to help determine goals.
A committee met after school in March to go over survey results and provide opportunities for teacher and community input.
McKinnis noted the CSIP is getting closer to a finished product, which is to be presented to the board within the next two months. He appreciates the effort of committee members and Judd.
Palmer said the Missouri Assessment Program and End of Course testing will take up much of the next month. Kick-off celebrations are planned for students before testing begins.
April 25th will be a professional development day for staff. It will focus on intruder training, vaping education, and teacher growth plans.
McKinnis reported he attended the Missouri Association of School Administrators conference at the end of last month. He went to sessions on leadership and the Paras to Professionals program through Missouri State. He said there was a discussion with the commissioner of education where he asked her about the recent Blue Ribbon Commission and its objective of raising teacher pay. McKinnis also attended a presentation on legal issues for boards of education.
McKinnis said he is working on Newtown-Harris’s alternative methods of instruction application for the state, and it is due at the end of the month. He is working with Rob Koon to utilize the third round of the Emergency Connectivity Fund to purchase some updated Chromebooks and new laptops for staff. He is also working on the National Archery in Schools Program to get some archery equipment utilizing a grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
McKinnis said he would start meeting with the salary and insurance committee this month to discuss raises for next year.
The state has begun Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief data collection for ESSER I and II. It will be submitted to the United States Department of Education.
