Monett school board looks at new scoreboard for football

Graduation slated for second Friday in May permanently
 
The Monett school board voted to explore buying a new scoreboard for Burl Fowler Stadium and set the permanent graduation day for the second Friday in May at its January meeting.
Athletic director Ty Goetz presented four bids for upgrading the scoreboard at the stadium. He began looking at update options for the 2014 board two years ago. Other schools have full video board now, offering an option for a much larger message portion. Goetz enlisted members of the global business and entrepreneurship strand of GO CAPS to send out requests for proposals and screen the submissions. The students approached 11 vendors.
The old scoreboard came from Dakronics, which bid $443,493. Nevco, however, had a lower bid of $385,900.60 for its Stadium Pro model. Goetz suggested relocating it from the south side of the stadium, but he said the Missouri Department of Transportation would not allow a crane to block Cleveland Avenue for such a project. As it is, the school district may need a variance for height.
Goetz thought the district could sell advertising on the board to help cover its costs over three years. With a full video screen, the district could livestream graduation, showing students as they received their diplomas.
Superintendent Dr. Mark proposed the district could use a lease purchase to pay off the purchase then let Goetz raise the rest of the money. The board approved the purchase, with a May 1 deadline for the price, contingent upon financial support review of the project at the March 17 board meeting.
The board set graduation for the second Friday in May, regardless of how the calendar falls. That would create the earlier possible graduation this year on May 8. Drake said the board usually set graduation annually. The possibility of changing it due to unusual circumstances was not ruled out.
Board members also re-approved its annual conflict of interest policy.
New board policies from the Missouri School Boards Association were distributed along with a seven-minute video to review. Board president Ken Gaspar said most changes were grammatical. Action would be slated for the February meeting.
Personnel moves
In personnel action, the board voted to extend Drake’s contract as superintendent, keeping him on a three-year deal through the 2027-28 school year.
Other administrators given a one-year extension were Lauralie Powell, technology director; Daphne Hensley, director of English language development; Isaac Sooter, assistant superintendent; Steve Garner, director of operations; and Jenifer Graves, executive director of student services.
Given two-year extensions were Carrie Smith and Heather Romine, the directors of elementary and secondary education. Both positions were new this year.
Retirement letters were received from Denise Defendall, fourth grade teacher, and Blair Powell, physical education teacher at Monett Elementary.
Resignations were accepted from Adelaide Roethemeier and Courtney Burnside, both special education teachers, and Amber Mourning, a kindergarten teacher.
Four people were hired for classified position, including Trisha Huerta as a paraprofessional for the Early Childhood Center. The board approved three resignations, including formal technology director Melody Paige, who had continued as the part-time coordinator for the E-rate program that supports technology upgrades with federal funds.
The board hired Tyler Ash as middle school head baseball coach, effective in February, and Lacy Waters as a teacher at MES.
Reports
Operations director Steve Garner reported the ventilation project in the welding shop at the Scott Technology Center finished. Instructors were pleased with the upgrade. The maintenance team hung new signage at the Welcome Center, technology office, and the administration center. Crews added 30 amp power circuits to the information technology closets for MES through high school. These provide battery power backups for the computer servers that will help avoid disruptions during power outages. Eight new battery backup lights were also added to the high school hallways.
Assistant Superintendent Sooter said the latest data on student achievement shows “more than academic growth; it demonstrates consistency, strong instructional discipline, and a clear commitment to students across Monett schools.” He noted feedback from staff shows “stable staff morale and growing clarity around instructional priorities.” Sooter emphasized the Profile of a Cub traits he said were being embedded in classrooms. He said principals reported increased student ownership, stronger connections between behavior and learning, and clearer expectations for engagement.
Using the STAR performance measure, Sooter noted reading proficiency, which predictably drops during the summer, rebounded through the first half of the year to hit marks higher than last May by December, up almost 2 points. Math performance followed the same pattern, overall rising by more than 4 points from last May.
Megan Gidney, the interim principal at the Early Childhood Center, reported students were focusing on kindness as a character trait in January, then would shift to empathy. STAR data showed 75 percent of students performing at the proficient or advanced level in early literacy.
At Monett Elementary, Principal Karly Drake reported the introduction of a Pineapple Chart for the third quarter. Teachers established a 10-to-15-minute block of time when other educators can visit their classroom and witness a particularly effective teaching strategy in action. Visitors then fill out a Google form reflecting on what they’ve seen. A third quarter staff challenge, as a team-building exercise, is focusing on “catching other staff living out our MES beliefs,” in an effort to develop better friendships and advance the building culture in a positive way.
At the intermediate school, Principal Jennifer Wallace reported how the semester began re-establishing expectations after a break and detailed student engagement activities. STAR reading scores were up 8 points for fourth graders and 15 points for fifth graders from October to December. Math scores were up 11 points for fourth graders and 23 points for fifth graders for the same period. She noted an increase in behavior needs, especially during unstructured times. Behavior teams were using behavior intervention plans. Some students, she observed, “require intensive, individualized behavior support.”
At the middle school, Principal Jay Apostol reported teachers focusing on preparing students for their next grade level to provide success. District employees held an inaugural volleyball tournament on Jan. 5 to promote camaraderie.
Principal Jessica McNichols reported the high school had a wide range of activities planned. Counselor Sam Towles moved into high gear helping students apply for scholarships. The After-School Academic Support program was averaging 15 students per week seeking help. McNichols offered three alignment efforts with Sooter’s Monett Way, emphasizing a collaborative environment, rigorous class projects to promote  learning culture, and emphasizing career explorations for after graduation.
Students at Scott Tech, reported director Eric Roller, moved into their competition season. Roller hoped to replicate last year’s season that sent three students to national contests. Staff began combing applications for next year’s students.
Care To Learn update
Kat Gervais, student success coach, briefed the board on the ongoing work of the Care To Learn chapter, focused on meeting children’s emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs. The district has an enrollment of 2,331 students. Of those, 64 percent qualify for free and reduced meals, and 1,381 students could be considered in or near poverty. The Care To Learn chapter, active in Monett since March 2016 after morphing from an earlier church-based effort, uses an online referral form to identify needs, and uses a clothing closet and food pantry to address major issues, plus provides a classroom snack stash for those needing additional help.
Gervais reported the chapter has met the needs of students 21,670 times and spent $246,503.90 over 10 years. Of the 24 past donor organizations and businesses, the Fuldner Family Foundation had made a $70,000 donation, helping to support the effort with funds to make strategic investments in supplies and strategies.
Kristy Berger, the gifted program teacher, brought four students who explained their schedule and the benefits they receive from the program.
The board will next meet on Feb. 19.