Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting for having their art chosen to be displayed at the school district office. Skyler Schlichting, Abigail Way, Alijah Suarez, and Ariana Cox were selected. Superintendent Daniel Gott reported their work will be on display for the year.
Teachers of the Second Quarter were also recognized. They were Heather Epperson for Rissler, Joy Bridges for Trenton Middle School, and Tash Dowell for Trenton High School.
The board heard multiple evaluations and reports.
Director of Special Education Tara Hoffman presented the Early Childhood Evaluation. She reported there are 106 students served through the preschool program. That includes 68 enrolled in four year old classes and 38 in three year old classes.
The preschool collaborates with Parents as Teachers one Friday each month to host themed playgroups. Thirty to 40 people attend on average.
The preschool and Parents as Teachers also collaborate to host quarterly family nights. They partnered with the THS FFA in the fall to host an annual petting zoo. About 90 people attended the FFA Barnyard Boogie.
Hoffman also presented the Parents as Teachers Program Evaluation. She reported 54 children are enrolled. There are 40 families served and 11 high-needs families. The program is offered for free to families in the Trenton R-9 School District with children five years old and younger.
TMS Principal Mike Hostetter gave the Health Services Evaluation Report. He said there were 66 preschool nurse’s office visits for the 2021-2022 school year, 4,736 for kindergarten through fourth grade, 2,207 for TMS, and 1,321 for THS. The visits include preventative services.
Required state immunization reports are completed and sent to the Bureau of Immunizations each October for kindergarten through 12th grade and each January for preschool. Hostetter reported the school district starts the process of getting needed immunization records and compliance from parents before the end of the school year. The district continues working on getting the records through the summer before the next school year starts.
“Growing Up” and personal hygiene classes are given in fifth and sixth grades.
Staff members are trained at the beginning of the year on allergic reactions, Epi-Pen use, bloodborne pathogens, seizures, and diabetes.
Blood pressure checks are done on an as-needed basis for employees.
Wellness screenings were done in collaboration with the Missouri Educators Trust in April 2022. Hostetter commented that was great for employees.
TMS and THS continue to implement the King Devick Baseline Test for concussion management in sports.
Hostetter reported there are AEDs at Rissler, TMS, and THS. Forty-one district employees are certified to use AEDs.
He noted there are no AEDs at the softball or football fields. However, an ambulance is at football games.
During the Safety Report, Superintendent Daniel Gott said an inspection was done this month of the district’s fire alarm system. All fire extinguishers were also inspected.
He reported the current fire alarm panel at Rissler is obsolete. He explained the panel does work, and it could work for another five to 10 years. However, if one part of the panel would go bad, the district could no longer get parts.
Materials to replace the panel will cost $19,255.93. Labor will cost $20,479.47.
Gott said all of the units are through Johnson Controls. He added that if the district wanted to go with another vendor, the cost would be more. The company will not order materials until the district pays for them.
The work is expected to be completed between the last day of school and the beginning of summer school. The company plans to work during the weekend to complete the project.
Director of Academics Doctor Jill Watkins discussed the Board of Education self evaluation. The Missouri School Boards Association will send an online survey to board members by email January 11th. Board members will have one week to complete the survey before MSBA will compile the results.
Watkins reported only MSBA will have access to individual results. MSBA will prepare a presentation, and no one else will have access to the data, except for Gott and the board.
The board scheduled a work session for the evening of February 13th to meet with MSBA regarding the survey results and set goals for the board. Watkins noted the MSBA mediator will help the board see how Trenton R-9 compares to other districts.
Gott discussed bullying prevention in the schools. He said the district takes bullying seriously, and he believes educating students about bullying is the best proactive step to take. That starts at Rissler and continues at TMS and THS through the Character Strong Curriculum.
Gott explained the district tries to be effective with bullying that takes place through social media and technology and to determine if the bullying is disrupting the school day and what the district’s role is. He said many harassment problems happened over cell phones, and that is why the district pushed to have no phones in classrooms.
Gott commented it is difficult to see or hear about bullying, but it needs to be dealt with. He encouraged people to report bullying.
Gott reminded that Mid-States Services will install the new phone system for the district the afternoon of January 13th. That will cause some phone disruption at Trenton R-9 buildings.
If someone cannot get through, that person is asked to call the district office at 660-359-3994. If someone needs a message sent to a student, that person can send an email to Rissler at s [email protected] or [email protected], at TMS to [email protected] or [email protected], or at THS to [email protected] or [email protected].
Gott noted it was originally through Mid-States would install the phone system January 16th, but the company will not be there that day. January 13th is the earliest Mid-States could install the phone system. He commented it was not ideal, but it had to be done.
Rissler Principal Susan Gott commented on changes to the Rissler office area in regards to increasing support for building behavior needs. The conference room is now the in-school suspension room. The testing room is now a recovery room. The previous ISS room is now the testing room.
TMS Principal Mike Hostetter reported TMS has two schools coming this month to observe its classrooms and teaching practices.
TMS took a first semester rewards trip to the Bode Ice Arena in Saint Joseph. The trip was for students who completed the criteria in I-Ready, attendance, and behavior. Hostetter noted there were other rewards for students who did not complete all of the criteria for the Bode Ice Arena trip. He said TMS wants to motivate students.
Gott gave a reminder about the April 4th election. Candidate filing ended December 27th.
There are six candidates running for the three, three-year terms for the board. They include incumbents Brandon Gibler, Jason Hostetler, and Andy Burress. They also include Joshua Shuler, Ronda Lickteig, and Robin Chambers.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education January 10th approved the 2023-2024 calendar. The first day of school for students will be August 21st. The first week of school is a full week. An early out is planned for the last day of school, which is May 17th, 2024.
New staff orientation will be August 15th, and all-staff workdays will be August 16th through 18th. Possible weather make-up days will be May 20th and 21st.
Superintendent Daniel Gott reported each building had a calendar subcommittee that had calendar options. The options were narrowed down to two, and then employees voted. The calendar approved January 10th was the winning calendar, and it received 67.6% of the votes.
Gott said the 2023-2024 calendar is similar to this school year’s in regards to Winter Break. The end of the first semester will be December 15th, and it will be an early out. There will not be any school December 18th through January 3rd for students. January 2nd will be a teacher work day.
Next school year’s calendar includes early outs for Trenton track relays April 11th and 16th, 2024. There will be teacher work days those days.
The board extended the summer school contract with Catapult through 2027. The cost is based on the average daily attendance. Gott reported the contract will lock in the price of 20% of the total until 2027, which he noted was the same cost as it has been.
Catapult provides the summer school curriculum. Gott said the company does a good job and is organized.
Missouri School Boards Association policy updates were approved. Gott reported the updates reflected recent changes in law and included changes to some fiscal policies and procedures. The updates also addressed new legal requirements for curriculum development and suicide awareness and prevention.
The policy updates involved the voting method, the release of information, the annual budget, purchasing, federal programs and projects, references, curriculum development, and career and technical education. Other updates regarded nontraditional instructional options, interviews with or removal of students, student health services and requirements, suicide awareness and prevention, reporting and investigating child abuse and neglect, and the public information program.
The board approved a GEC Community Foundation grant application for Fourth Grade Teacher Cassandra Marshall. The application requests $477 to buy one Level 4 Building Vocabulary kit from Tim Rasinski.
After an executive session January 10th, it was announced the Trenton R-9 Board of Education extended Superintendent Daniel Gott’s contract by one year. Gott’s new contract will go through the 2024-2025 school year.
Resignations were accepted from Head Middle School Softball Coach Emily Wood, Assistant Middle School Softball Coach Madison Stahl, Assistant Marching Band Director Madeline Cotton, Assistant High School Softball Coach Whitley Richman, Middle School Football Cheer Coach Sheridan Mounce, and Head Girls Tennis Coach Tammy Ockenfels. A resignation was also accepted from Middle School Paraprofessional and High School Basketball Cheer Coach Emily Owen, effective January 19th.
The board approved substitutes. They are Rebecca Urich, Nancy Halferty, and Phillip Ray.
