Monett school board affirms Coca-Cola affiliation, employee insurance, administrators renewed, students recognized

The Monett school board approved bids for soda contracts, employee insurance and employee changes at its Feb. 19 meeting. 

After several months of discussion, the board reviewed two bids between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Operations director Steve Garner said three from the district sat in on the proposals. Deals were based on an initial payout, price per case, the kickback, and variation in the products. Coke, he noted, has Dr. Pepper products, a local favorite. The district would maintain the fountains until they break, at which point they would be retired. Pepsi would not allow fountain drinks. 

Garner recommended approving the contract with Coca-Cola, continuing service of the current contract. The board agreed. 

Bids were approved for doors at Monett Elementary and the high school, offering choices between light and special light doors that had a special warranty, costing more but would last longer. Board members approved buying four special light doors, all coming from the 2026-27 budget. 

Staples won the $24,696 bid to provide paper for the district for the year, out of four bids received. Garner, noting the district took two previous deliveries from the firm, stated the district’s new maintenance shop had a temperature-controlled room, enough space to hold a truckload. 

Board members reviewed health insurance proposals from the Ozarks Schools Benefits Association (OSBA). They renewed the benefits renewal that the district would fund at $569 per month, with employees eligible to earn an additional $40 to $80 per month through the monthly Wellable program. 

Superintendent Mark Drake, who served on the OSBA board, said districts in the southwest region had the cheapest care costs in the system. Monett had a rate increase of 8.5 percent, while the overall rise was 9.5 percent. The average payment was $574. Nevada pays as much as $834. Monett had no increases for two years. Drake noted that health insurance payments go toward an employee’s total retirement package amount. Not all employees take insurance offered by the district, he said, and some also got insurance for their spouses. Total cost for covering 313 people, with 133 on the Wellable program, would be $204,720. 

Personnel action

Board members renewed contracts for all its administrators. This included Megan Gidney at the Early Childhood Center, who was named as interim after Kayla Roderman seems to have been placed on leave. No comment on Roderman’s status has been offered by the district. 

Administrators having their contracts renewed include principals Karly Drake at Monett Elementary, Jennifer Wallace at the intermediate school, Jonathan Apostol at the middle school, Jessica McNichols at the high school. Assistant principals renewed included Delisa Johnson at Monett Elementary, James Fitzgearlds at the high school, and Ty Goetz at the high school, also continuing his duties as athletic director. Other high school level administrators renewed included Michael Calhoun as dean of students and Eric Roller as director at the Scott Regional Technology Center. Dawn Cassity was renewed as assistant director of special education. 

The board accepted nine resignations:

• Sheresa Rodgers, business teacher;

• Ashley Terry, health occupations instructor;

• Kathy Fertig and Kassis DeLaSalle, both Early Childhood prekindergarten teachers;

• Brandice Shores, prekindergarten teacher and librarian for the Early Childhood Center;

• Cameryn Cassity, Monett Elementary special education teacher;

• Yuriana Hernandez, third grade teacher;

• Alyssa Dorris, Monett Elementary speech language pathologist;

• Veda Moore, middle school counselor.

Michael Bell, high school math teacher, turned in his letter of retirement. 

The following teachers were hired:

• Gavin Bremer, high school English;

• Anthony Newkirk, high school math;

• Ana Vargas, third grade;

• Trinity Kriegar and Kendsay Rooden, both prekindergarten teachers at the Early Childhood Center;

• Laura Mays, counselor for the Early Childhood Center. 

For the coming year, second grade teacher Michelle Rantz will become a counselor at Monett Elementary. Jairo Rueda will become a physical education teacher at Monett Elementary, moving from her English language learners just at the same campus. Amanda Hedgpeth will leave her English language development post to become a seventh grade communications arts teacher. Denise Aguinaga will move from a special education paraprofessional to a prekindergarten teacher at the Early Childhood Center. 

Keith Parris, who has been working as a paraprofessional aide after leaving his post as chief juvenile officer, will pick up duties as middle school assistant softball coach, beginning with the spring season this year. 

Five paraprofessionals resigned and one transferred from a special education functional to a resource paraprofessional at Monett Elementary. 

Reports

Operations director Steve Garner commended staff for their prompt response to the recent snow. Their work, he said, enabled Monett to return to classes a day ahead of most other districts. 

The maintenance crew built a new trash dumpster enclosure at the high school that will enable Stanphill Sanitation to place two six-yard dumpsters instead of a four-yard and a two-yard dumpsters. Garner said the existing dumpsters were “too small for the amount of trash at the high school with all the activities.” 

A new flagpole had been installed outside the administrative office, freshly painted, new lighting added, and a new flag placed on it. 

Garner commended Jay Jastal for his long service as ranking school resource officer. Garner reported Officer Dwayne Rice started as the new SRO on Feb. 2. Rice previously served as an SRO at the intermediate school before he returned to military service. Garner expected another SRO at the rank of sergeant would be added, after sitting in on an interview for that position. He added the Monett Police Department received a grant that will underwrite an additional school resource officer for the next four years, not costing the school district any additional money. 

Curriculum update

In curriculum reports, Assistant Superintendent Isaac Sooter talked about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plans to give every public school district in the state a letter grade, beginning next year. 

“It’s a very controversial strategy to assign for a complex organization,” Sooter said. “Other states have done it. They plan to give a letter grade for every building and the district. It does not impact what we’re doing or will continue to do. It will create more competition. In southwest Missouri, we’re very collaborative with others. This makes it so there will only be so many As and Bs, and makes districts more guarded about what’s working and what’s not. They’re grading on a curve. Schools are bracing for what comes out of that.” 

Sooter reviewed the latest progress on success-ready students. He noted that attendance is more than 5 percent better than last year, with even January numbers running over the state target of 90 percent. “Kids want to be in school,” he observed. 

Advanced classes continued pushing toward the target, Sooter continued. More were taking advanced placement classes, a point where the district has fallen short in recent years. He considered the progress a reflection of being “on track to where we want to be.” 

Student recognitions at the meeting included several from high school. Peyton Brandt was named all-state in volleyball for Class 3. Lizzie Smith was named all-state in tennis for Class 1. Emma Velten received all-state softball honors in Class 3. Jameson Barnes, Neal Fritts, Rowan George, and Evan Snarey received all-state honors in swimming for Class 1. Avonler Barter won first chair trombone honors in the all-state band. 

Rebecca Merriman, who oversees the GO CAPS program, brought 11 students to discuss their personal enrichment from participating in 40 client projects this year. The students spoke about how the program has helped them set goals, explore careers, and develop professional skills.