BOE January 18, 2024 Meeting Recap

The board meeting was called to order by President Gaspar followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Board Members present: Ken Gaspar, A.J. Bahl, Brian Hunter, Yesy Perez, Jared Wormington, Annie Smith, and Ashley Bailey.

Under the guidance of Michelle Marcano and Trisha Eggleston, the Monett High School Cub Cafe students presented their well-crafted business plan to the Board, which included a demonstration of their skills. The presentation featured a video in which students explained their menu, described the various stations, and showcased their teamwork. The Cub Cafe students highlighted their abilities by making and serving coffee to the Board members.

Gifted students in Ms. Kristy Berger's class highlighted the dynamic and innovative activities completed in the Gifted program. The presentation was led by Rebecca Cottrell, Blessing Htoo, and Olivia Wormington under the direction of Ms. Berger. The key highlights of the presentation included demonstrations of complex strategy activities and assignments, which are integral to developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The Gifted students shared about their projects completed in 'Genius Hour.' Students tackled various challenges handpicked by Ms. Berger, including strategy games and innovative building tasks like the 'Cliffhanger Challenge, ' where the objective was to create a structure extending off a table's edge.

As part of their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) projects, these students applied their skills to construct unique models, such as a mouse trap car using rubber bands instead of traditional mouse traps and building a mechanical hand at the end of a yardstick. In addition to these projects, the presentation featured videos from parents of students in the Gifted program. These videos highlighted the benefits of participating in the Gifted program, contributing to a comprehensive educational experience.

Lonna Norman was honored with a heartfelt tribute for her dedicated service to the Monett R-1 School District, led by Dr. Mark Drake and Ken Gaspar. The celebration recognized her significant contributions and commitment over the years.

Lonna has been an integral member of the Monett School District for the last 26 years. She received accolades and expressions of gratitude for her exceptional work as the Board Secretary.

The recognition included celebratory acknowledgment, where Lonna was presented with a token of appreciation for her years of service by Dr. Mark Drake. Ken Gaspar and the Board members thanked Lonna for her significant contributions to the District.

Katie Geiss, the Board of Education student representative, reported on the recent improvements at the Monett High School, particularly focusing on the enhanced supervision near the restrooms and the Smart Pass program implementation. Given the short period since the Christmas break, further feedback will be provided as the semester continues.

Students at the High School are actively preparing for the winter basketball formal, Rose 2024. This year's Rose theme is "Winter Night Under the Northern Lights."

These updates from the student representative are a testament to the Board's commitment to continuously improving the school environment and ensuring a responsive and dynamic educational setting.

1. Approve minutes
   
2. Pay bills
3. Classified Staff Changes (Attached)
4. Approval of Surplus bid

Admin Campus Reports were reviewed by the Board.

Update on Facilities/Grounds by Steve Garner, Director of Operations, included:

• The new Administrative Office renovation is on schedule, with the walls up and ceiling tiles to be installed this week. Epoxy restroom work is currently in progress. Despite the weather-related delays on the sidewalk construction, the project is still set for completion on March 1st.
• MMS Update: Panels have been added to the MMS dumpsters and a few pending minor issues are being addressed, all under the existing warranty.
• The equipment needed for the crossing light, which is to be installed on Cleveland by Casey's, has been delivered.
  

Update on Curriculum by Dr. Melissa Huff, Assistant Superintendent included

• Dr. Melissa Huff presented an update to the Board on STAR data and the progress of each grade level:
• Some of our first grade students scored high enough on the Early Literacy assessment in August and have transitioned to STAR Reading for this testing period. We had 147 students in first grade take the Early Literacy Assessment and 11 students take the Reading Assessment. Although we increased proficient and advanced by 11% and experienced great growth in first grade, we want to pay attention to these students to ensure more than 44% of the students are proficient and advanced in reading before going to second grade.
• We continue to see great progress in math. This is our third year of implementation with a consistent K-8 curriculum and the data indicates we are continuing to experience great success.
• The 6-8 Common Lit Curriculum has undergone modifications, which includes coding assessments and addressing any gaps in assessment requirements.

Imagination Library Update

• The Monett Early Childhood Center has implemented a strategy to promote the Imagination Library and engage as many families as possible. Nearly 2,000 children aged 0-5 in Barry and Lawrence Counties are registered to receive a book from the Imagination Library.

The Board unanimously approved the Monthly Program Evaluations (per CSIP) - Continuous School Improvement Plan:

• Success Ready Monitoring (Goal 7) - Presenter, Dr. Melissa Huff
• High School Graduation and Employment Report (Goal 11) - Presenter: Dr. Isaac Sooter
• Gifted Program (Goal 6 / Goal 11): Jenifer Graves & Dr. Mark Drake

Baseball Turf Project Update/Discussion

• The Board unanimously approved the Notice to Proceed with Mid-America Sports Construction to now include the softball field improvements in the North Park Turf Project.

The Board unanimously approved:

• Acceptance of MHS/SRTC device refresh bids
• Approval of awarded MHS/SRTC device refresh bid
• Approval of Graduation Date: May 8, 2026
• Re-approval of Conflict of Interest Policy BBFA
• Review of 2023D MSBA Policy Updates
• Insight Exchange Meeting
• Appointment of Ana Espinoza as the new Board Secretary

• February 22nd - Regular monthly board meeting
• March - School Board Recognition Month
• March 18 - Regular monthly meeting

The Board unanimously approved:

Hiring of:

• Delisa Johnson for the 2024/25 school year, MES Assistant Principal
• Gary 'Ben' Mauk, Monett High School Head Strength and Conditioning Instructor and Head Football Coach for the 2024/25 school year

Retirement Letter Accepted from:

• Anessa Garner-Ash, SRTC Career Services Coordinator, effective June 25, 2024

Resignation Letters Accepted:

• Mollie Lynn, MMS 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher, effective May 22, 2024
• Teagan Johnson, Monett Elementary Third Grade Teacher, effective May 22, 2024

One-year contract extensions were approved for:

• Dr. Mark Drake, Superintendent
• Dr. Melissa Huff, Assistant Superintendent
• Steve Garner, Director of Operations
• Jenifer Graves, Special Services Director

Two-year contracts were approved for:

• Lauralie Powell, Director of Technology
• Daphne Hensley, Director of ELD