The Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved a student transportation bid on April 9. The board voted five to one to accept the bid from First Student of Overland Park, Kansas, pending an agreed-upon contract. Board Member Andy Burress voted no. Board Member Jeffrey Spencer was absent.
First Student submitted one of two bids. The other bid came from Lonestar Bus Company of Lexington.
First Student’s bid for the next school year included $256.01 for the cost per regular route per day, $192.01 for the Grand River Technical Route per day, $312.99 for early childhood routes, $305.62 for special education, $128.01 for mid-day routes, and $478.07 for KVC Academy at Cameron. The bid also included $26.25 per hour for monitors and $67.10 per hour for activity trips.
Lonestar’s bid for the next school year, for buses a maximum of 10 years old, included $268 per bus per day for regular transportation, special needs, and early childhood transportation, and $77 per aide per day for special needs and early childhood transportation. For early childhood transportation, the bid also showed $92 per bus per day and $48 per aide per day at noon. The bid included $43 for after-school activity per bus per move and in-district shuttle per bus per move, $268 for summer school per bus per day, and $435 for KVC at Cameron. It also included an hourly rate for field trips of $23 with mileage of 92 cents.
Lonestar also included an alternate bid for buses a maximum of 12 years old. For the next school year, the prices differed for regular, special needs, and early childhood transportation at $253 per bus per day.
Superintendent Daniel Gott reported the increase in price from the current cost for First Student would be five percent for regular routes, special education, KVC, early childhood, and mid-day. Grand River Technical School routes would increase in price by 57%, and trips would increase by 215%.
It was reported that the increase for Grand River Technical School routes for First Student was because the driver would stay at the school and take students to off-site projects and programs. The overall increase was because First Student wanted to keep hourly rates high enough to retain drivers. The bus company is going to have a starting pay of $19 an hour, up from $15 an hour when Apple Bus became First Student. It was previously reported that First Student acquired Apple Bus in 2022.
For Lonestar, the increase from the current cost would have been 10% for regular routes, 19% for Grand River Technical School, and nine percent for trips, with the addition of 92 cents per mile. Lonestar’s cost would have been less than the current cost by eight percent for special education and early childhood, four percent for KVC, and 24% for mid-day.
Gott commented that he had concerns with both bids. He explained the board could reject the bids and go out for bids again. However, he said the board would likely get similar bids. The board could also approve a bid and have negotiations.
He recommended the board accept First Student’s bid, pending an agreed-upon contract. That is what the board approved.
Gott mentioned he expected an increase, but the district would not be able to pay without negotiation.
He said the biggest cost would be regular routes. The district started the school year with nine regular routes, and there have been eight routes running most of the school year.
Gott noted there had been a rocky start last year, but it had gotten better with First Student. He explained he knew it had gotten better because he was not hearing about bus problems and trips having to be canceled. He said he has not had to worry about buses this school year.
Gott mentioned the district had worked with Lonestar in the past, but it might have gone by a different name at that time.
He reported if the district switched companies, it would change out the buses at the bus barn. The new company would talk to current employees about rehiring.
He explained the Grand River Technical School accepts Trenton R-9 students with “open arms,” but the school district has to provide transportation for its students. Organizations do not usually pay for trips.
The board approved the district Career Ladder Plan for the next school year. Gott reported the plan was basically the same as the one for the current school year, and the district is going to follow the state guidelines.
The Career Ladder Grant Program standard is $1,500 and 50 hours for Stage 1, $3,000 and 75 hours for Stage 2, and $5,000 and 100 hours for Stage 3.
Trenton R-9 will allow employees to start accumulating Career Ladder hours for the next school year starting May 18. That is the day after the last day of school for the current school year.
The board certified the April 2 election results, and Secretary Michelle Hixson administered the oath of office to incoming board members Melissa King and Bill Miller. The current board was dissolved, and the board was reorganized.
Officers elected are President Brandon Gibler, Vice President Ronda Lickteig, Treasurer Melissa King, and Secretary Michelle Hixson. The Missouri School Boards Association delegate is Gibler, and the delegate alternate is Lickteig.
All returning non-certified staff members were recommended for the next school year. Returning non-MSHSAA extra duty contracts for sponsors were approved for the next school year.
Summer school staff was approved for this summer’s program.
Superintendent Daniel Gott thanked Grundy County residents who supported the school district with its bond issue. The district’s $3.5 million bond issue was approved in the April 2 election with a vote of 562 in favor and 226 opposed. The bond issue’s purpose was for construction, improve, repairing, renovating, furnishing, and equipping school facilities.
Gott said the passing of the bond issue will allow the district to update many of its outer doors. The district will also be able to update its phone system, which he said will allow employees to communicate with other employees at other campuses easily.
Gott reported safety drills have been completed for the second semester. Those included fire, tornado, and Safe Defend. He said he was happy with how the drills went and talked about how they could be improved.
Gott noted he will work on getting alerts for Safe Defend to say a room number and the area of the school, like at Rissler Elementary School.
Trenton High School Principal Chris Hodge gave the At-Risk Evaluation Report. The report said the Academic Lab has served 61 high school students and seven middle school students this school year. Ten of those high school students are pursuing or have completed college credits. Twenty-nine credits have been recovered to date.
Twenty-four students attended the Success Center this year. Nineteen were from the high school, and five were from the middle school. The Success Center will have nine students who meet the requirements to graduate through credit recovery for this school year, which is down two from the previous year. Students from the Success Center have recovered 72 credits so far this school year. Students earned six work-study credits.
Gott commented he will have conversations about possibly moving the Success Center from its current building to the high school. Discussions would involve what to do with the current Success Center building. He said open classrooms at the high school would make it possible to move the Success Center.
Gott reported summer school enrollment has opened. Summer school is scheduled from May 22 to June 26.
He encouraged all families to enroll and said he would love to have a full summer school. Students can enroll online through PowerSchool, and forms were also sent home.
Gott commented that fun activities are planned for summer school.
Director of Academics Doctor Johannah Baugher reported curriculum has been finalized for multiple areas. The spring deadline for the curriculum was April 5, and she continues to look at the curriculum.
The 2024-2029 District Curriculum Plan has been finalized and will start next school year. Baugher said the intent is to take one piece of the plan for one of the five years and be on a five-year rotation. The emphasis will be on math next school year.
The Comprehensive District Literacy Plan has been finalized. Baugher noted it has been written to stay compliant with requirements.
The 2024-2025 District Professional Development Plan has also been finalized. She reported Alexis Proffitt is one of the last new members appointments to the Professional Development Committee. Proffitt will be the representative from the Technology Committee.
Rissler Principal Susan Gott reported the school held its first Student Appreciation Week the week of March 25. Students participated in activities that would not usually be held.
Rissler Assistant Principal Wade Proffitt reported he registered the school in December for Books Are Fun. He explained students seek donations to receive books. He said students will receive 1,500 books, and there will be a library set for different grades.
Proffitt described the program as fun and said he is glad Rissler could be a part of it.
THS Principal Hodge said he was excited to see attendance for March at 93.3%. He noted attendance usually drops after winter sports.
The information provided shows February attendance at THS at 90.91%. Hodge reported work is being done on PowerSchool and attendance, and attendance may increase for previous months.
After an executive session, it was announced the board approved resignations, effective at the end of the current school year. For Rissler Elementary School, those included Fourth Grade Teacher Kim Foster, Third Grade Teacher Kaylee Myers, Kindergarten Teacher Avery Webb, and First Grade Teacher Megan Lynch. Other resignations were for Eighth and Ninth Grade Counselor Whitley Richman, Trenton High School Social Studies Teacher Derek Bloom, THS Spanish Teacher Amy Currie, and Trenton Middle School Seventh Grade English Teacher Chloe Bloom.
The board approved THS Custodian Tonya Patridge’s retirement, effective as of June 30.
New hires were approved for the next school year. They included Kameron Cool as Rissler Assistant Principal with a salary set at $63,050. Cool is currently a Computer teacher at TMS. Other new hires are Kayli Crawford for Rissler First Grade, Alexis Duty for Rissler Third Grade, and Rebecca Smith for TMS Science.
The board approved new hires for coaching and Missouri State High School Activities Association extra duty for the next school year. They included Chuck Rossol for TMS Wrestling Head Coach and Varsity Girls Wrestling Coach, Emily Wood for TMS Assistant Volleyball Coach, David Sager for TMS Head Football Coach, Emily Lasley for Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach, and Jackie Price for High School Scholar Bowl.
Substitutes were approved. They included Sean Long, Bruce Paulus, and Blake Csicsai.
