Grant funds new radio equipment for R-1 schools' resource officers

NEW MADRID, Mo - A grant will fund radio equipment designed to keep school resources officers in touch with local and regional law enforcement.

During the January New Madrid County R-1 School Board of Education meeting, the board approved a $10,000 grant from the Missouri Center for Education Safety. The funds were used to purchase new digital radios similar to those used by county and state law enforcement.

"The state was overwhelmed by the number who applied," said Dr. Cynthia Sharp Amick, superintendent, about the grant program. "We were lucky to be one of those selected."

The new radios are on order, she added.

The Board accepted the 2016-17 school calendar, proposed by the administration and the CTA Calendar Committee. Amick described the next calendar as similar to the one used for the 2015-16 school year.

According to the calendar, R-1 teachers will begin the next school year on Aug. 9, with the first day for students set for Thursday, Aug. 11. The calendar includes 168 attendance days for students with a Christmas break from Dec. 16 through Jan. 3, 2017, and a spring break the week of March 27, 2017.

The final day of classes is tentatively set for May 12, 2017, however, Amick noted the weeks of May 15 and May 26 are set aside if make-up days for time lost due to inclement weather are needed.

A request from Lincoln University and Sherry Maxwell to utilize the Central High School for a youth program in June was approved. "STEPPING From the Bootheel to the Big Top" is planned for local youth and those from the surrounding counties.

Amick explained STEPPING stands for Students Teachers Engaging Participating Preparing Implementing National Greatness and is a drug prevention and leadership program. It will include workshops and speakers in a classroom setting during the morning and in the afternoon singing and dancing competitions, which will be open to the public.

In other action by the board:

DESE correspondence: The board was notified of a letter from Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven officially announcing the State Board of Education has classified the New Madrid County R-1 School District as accredited under the Missouri School Improvement Program 5.

The classification was determined by the District's annual performance report which looks at a variety of factors including academic achievement, career and college readiness, attendance rates, etc. Amick said the District has improved its ratings three years in a row.

"While we are continuing to work on increasing again this year, we want to commend our teachers, administration and students for a job well done as well as the parents for what they do," said Amick. "It takes all of us to get us where we are."

Attendance and Enrollment: As of the January meeting, enrollment was 1,403, which was up by three students from the same time last year. Amick said attendance at all the district's schools met the district's goal of at least 90 percent of the students attending 90 percent of the time.

Personnel: The Board accepted the resignation of Travis Day as Central High School assistant football coach; Cheryl Edwards as a teachers' aide; and John Dryden as Central High School head football coach. Emma Huckeberry was transferred from third grade assistant at Lilbourn Elementary to special education at Lilbourn. Bridgett Masterson was appointed the English-Language Learning coordinator for the school district and Cindi Jones was named the district's Foster Care liaison.

District Job Descriptions: Updates on district job descriptions were approved. Amick said the updates put the district in compliance with state and federal guidelines as suggested by Tom Mickes from the Regional Law Seminar.

Memorial Plaque: The board approved the name of Randy Porter to be placed on the memorial plaque.