Monett school board focuses on year preparations at meeting

New emphasis offered in emergencies, including QuickClot
 
Monett school board members reviewed summer work and school start preparations during their Aug. 21 meeting.
Board members approved the annual tax levy at $3.3196 per $100 of assessed property. Real estate valuations in the district rose by nearly $10 million or 6 percent, while personal property increased by more than $3 million or 11 percent. The district anticipated seeing $481,031 or a 3 percent increase from reassessment for the district’s operating fund.
At Superintendent Mark Drake’s suggestion, the board moved 3 cents of the levy into the debt service fund to make more money available to expand the middle school and the high school when the time comes to add an addition, so the upper grades can switch into the newer building.
SRO annual report
Jay Jastal, the district’s senior school resource officer, reported efforts to recertify handling emergencies brought a different emphasis. Instead of relying on lockdowns, the latest focus has shifted to evacuation if possible. Where students go will be entirely incident-driven, he said, requiring quick decisions. Contacts had been made with emergency services to clarify what roles each would play in case of a crisis.
There was also a new emphasis on stopping bleeding. The district received QuickClot compounds in kits distributed to every classroom. Drake noted the QuickClot kits were expensive. He hoped for reimbursement from the state. Jastal further noted updated security cameras have been put in place, providing better quality views.
Reports
Teachers began STAR testing Aug. 21 to record baseline skills for students as the year began, for later comparison.
Assistant Superintendent Isaac Sooter reported principals were engaging in leadership activities with faculty to put the pillars of the new Monett Way program in place. The new online reading tool Lalilo and Freckle, for teaching math, English language arts, social studies, and science, had been added “to provide differentiated, data-driven support for students.”
Sooter planned to launch a monthly Leadership Pulse Survey to support principals and assist in aligning with district goals.
“Our commitment remains clear: every instructional decision, leadership action, and system we put in place will be anchored in preparing Monett students for the futures they choose,” Sooter stated.
Sooter noted that at the time of the meeting, around $6 billion in federal education funds remained frozen, which would leave the district around $300,000 short in expected money for the year. Most of that money would go toward salary benefits and reducing the percentage of students per teacher. Sooter said local money will fill in where needed. He did not see an impact on services in the short term.
Personnel action
Personnel changes included hiring five people as after-school teacher assistants, two paraprofessionals at Monett Elementary, a library assistant, a substitute nurse, and two substitute bus drivers. There were five resignations, including Stephen McMillin as the technology system administrator.
Deb Hamilton resigned as a counselor for the intermediate school, effective Aug. 31.
Final contracts were approved sending students to the Scott Regional Technology Center for the school year. These included 29 from Miller, 29 from Pierce City, 22 from Verona, 37 from Purdy, 31 from Exeter, 12 from Wheaton, 24 from Southwest, and 5 from Billings. The districts pay $2,345 per student in tuition.
The next board meeting will be held Sept. 18.