Information was given at the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting February 13th on a roof project. District roofs were damaged by a storm.
Superintendent Daniel Gott reported Veregy is about to go out to bid on an insurance claim the project. He explained most of the roof on the Trenton High School building and the existing music building will be completely replaced. Other parts of the school roof will be recovered. Five HVACs are to be replaced.
Part of the roof at Rissler Elementary School will be recovered. That includes the prekindergarten area to the third and fourth grade edition.
Gott said the work is expected to be done this summer. If work can start earlier, work would be done at night if school is still in session. The work is expected to be done by next school year.
Regarding the proposed bond issue, Gott reported engineers checked C. F. Russell Stadium and said overall the stadium is structurally sound. However, he noted there are problems that should be dealt with before they become big problems. He said the engineers are confident that there will be minor repairs.
Multiple-tiered bids are to be given, so the school district can decide how much to spend. Gott commented how much the district decides to spend on C. F. Russell Stadium would depend on roof and other work for the district.
The Trenton Middle School roof is to be looked at soon, and he said work was planned on that this summer.
A question will appear on the April 2nd ballot to ask if the district should issue general obligation bonds for $3.5 million. The work would include replacing and improving HVAC systems and building automation controls, roof replacement and repairs at TMS, installation of a new districtwide telecommunication system, and other capital improvements.
Gott reported Get the Lead Out finished the second round of lead testing. He said water was flushed out and retested at locations that had too much lead the first time. He did not want any lead in the water.
A report is to be released in about three weeks. Gott said the report would tell the results of the second round of lead testing and how to remediate. He noted it looked like the district would receive plenty of funding to cover remediation costs.
Gott presented the Vocational Report. He said Trenton R-9’s agriculture department is one of the top in the state, and the district’s vocational program is strong. He noted that students put in many hours with competitions and supervised educational experiences.
Gott acknowledged that Trenton High School Biology Teacher Charlie Bacon was selected by the Missouri Learning Forward Executive Board as an Outstanding Educator Award honoree. Gott said he was proud of Bacon and that many students who had Bacon as a teacher state it was a positive experience.
Director of Academics Doctor Johannah Baugher reported curriculum work continues in all district buildings. Work days have been scheduled into early next month. Family and Consumer Science curriculum was finalized recently as well as eighth grade science and English Language Arts, Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Essentials A, and Financial Algebra.
Baugher reported this month’s mentorship workshop is scheduled for Year 2 February 23rd. The focus remains on Standard 4: Critical Thinking. She said the focus will stay the same because of school cancellations due to inclement weather.
Individual coaching cycles continue with Years 1, 2, and 3 participants. They will continue through April. Baugher noted a Year 4 might be added next year, so participants have an opportunity to continue to check in and get support.
She will attend a workshop titled Best Targeted Interventions for Greater Literacy Success February 28th and 29th. The workshop will be through the Bureau of Education and Research.
Baugher reported Rissler staff has been invited to attend a small group literacy instruction workshop May 20th. She said the professional learning opportunity is the final component to launching the preschool through fourth grade literacy framework for next school year.
Trenton Middle School Principal Mike Hostetter reported middle school students went to the Bode Ice Arena of Saint Joseph for an iReady rewards trip.
TMS also celebrated Counselor Week. He said TMS has great counselors.
Students were recognized who were selected to have their artwork displayed in the Board of Education room for the next year. TMS students Carter Bunnell, Ross Maloney, and Kennedy Cross attended the meeting in person.
Other students with art chosen by their art teachers to be displayed in the board room include Leah Altes, Pyper Raines, and Madelyn Stevens from Rissler and Dariana Sanchez, Claudia Olivo, and Kaytee Wright from THS.
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education February 13th approved a 2024-2025 school calendar. The first day of school will be August 20th, and the last day is scheduled to be an early out May 16th, 2025.
Superintendent Daniel Gott reported the calendar includes 166 student contact days. It includes 1,108 and three-quarter hours.
Fifteen minutes will be added to the Rissler Elementary School schedule, and three minutes will be added to the Trenton High School and Trenton Middle School schedules.
The buildings will be credited with six and three-quarter hours per day. Gott said that will put the district at enough hours that it would not have to build in snow days.
He noted he is still working with administration teams as to what adding time to the schedules will look like. The district is expected to have that information ready in time for handbook approval.
Four early outs are scheduled, and school will be dismissed three hours early those days.
There will be eight all-staff work days. One will be a partial work day April 17th, 2025.
Gott explained they will not be traditional professional development days. The days will be used for meetings with vertical teams, grade level teams, and committees as well as for planning and curriculum work.
Parent-teacher conferences will be October 17th, and staff will not have to come in until 11 o’clock to start the work day. Conferences will be from 1 to 7 o’clock that day. The parent-teacher conferences exclude paraprofessionals, nurses, and cooks.
Gott reported two school calendars were sent to staff to vote, and the calendar approved by the board February 13th had the most votes. A committee worked more this year on the calendar than usual because he said the district wanted to make changes to what it has had for the calendar.
The board approved seeking transportation bids. Gott reported Trenton R-9’s contract with the First Student Bus Company will expire June 30th.
He wanted to have a decision made at the March board meeting on how to proceed.
He commented that he knows there are still problems with First Student this school year, but there have not been as many as last year or the year before. He thought the bus company had more employees and was working to make sure drivers stay.
Gott mentioned Trenton R-9 could have its own transportation, but he said that would be a major overhaul. He noted that could potentially save money, but it would be a lot of work.
The board approved Missouri School Boards Association updates. Gott reported most of the updates involved the legalization of marijuana in Missouri. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and most of the updates say marijuana is not legal on the school campus.
Budget amendments were approved. Gott reported most of the changes involved moving around funds. He said Title funds were moved because the Title budget was done. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education did not approve Special Education money, so that was taken out of the budget. Money for a van was also taken out because Gott said the district cannot find a van like what it wants.
Gott commented that he hopes the bond issue is passed for the district. Some of the funds might be put back into the budget if the bond issue is passed. A question will appear on the April 2nd ballot asking if the district should issue general obligations bonds for $3.5 million.
Gott added that state money continues to be received as expected.
After a closed session, it was announced the board approved administrators for the 2024-2025 school year. They are Wade Proffitt as Rissler assistant principal, Mike Hostetter as TMS principal, Dan Dunkin as TMS assistant principal, Chris Hodge as THS principal, John Cowling as THS assistant principal, Tara Hoffman as director of special services and preschool, and Doctor Johannah Baugher as director of academics. Their salaries will be determined later.
Rissler Principal Susan Gott’s resignation was approved, effective at the end of the current school year.
Other resignations approved were for THS Girls Tennis Coach Kameron Cool and TMS Girls Basketball Coach Greg Dalrymple. Those are also effective at the end of this school year.
Transfers approved are Darcie Taylor from sixth grade science to eighth grade science and Rachael Rongey from fifth grade science to sixth grade science. The transfers will be effective for next school year.
Kailey Caldwell was hired as an early childhood special education paraprofessional, effective February 14th. Salem Croy was hired as the THS assistant varsity track coach.
The board approved Amber Raines as a substitute.
