VIENNA — Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith provided an update about the district’s facilities and finances to the Board of Education at its Nov. 26 meeting.

Alexander Construction began renovations to the restroom that the pre-K through second-grade classes use. Messersmith said the estimated conclusion for the project was the middle of February. The project is part of facility upgrades paid for by the $2 million bond passed by voters in April.

Another facility update was the addition of 17 bollards around entrances to the buildings to enhance safety. Mid-Missouri Fence Co. installed the bollards and repaired a couple of posts on the elementary school playground for $13,400.

Unexpected expenses for the district included $3,395 for boiler repairs by Integrated Facility Services. The middle school boiler had a gas leak and an issue with the water pump. Bus 19 needed a replacement part for $2,160.

Electricity for the month totaled $4,448.05. The propane reading was 13 percent, and the district purchased propane after the meeting.

The district received $118,078 in Formula Classroom Trust money, $72,849.33 in Proposition C funds and $14,512 in Transportation revenue.

Elementary school enrollment was 188 students with 93.57 percent attendance. The middle school had 88 students enrolled with 93.95 percent attendance. The high school had 136 students enrolled with 92.4 percent attendance.

The overall enrollment was 412 students with a 93.3 percent attendance rate.

Winter break begins on Dec. 20. Classes will resume on Jan. 6. Faculty will have a professional development day on Jan. 3.

Vienna High School Principal Tim Metcalf also shared some of the recent and upcoming activities that his students have done.

Parents represented 67 middle school and high school students at the in-person fall parent-teacher conferences.

VHS hosted the first-ever Show-Me Central Conference Choir clinic at the end of October.

“The students put in a lot of hard work, and I heard many compliments from parents and teachers after the concert,” Metcalf said.

This year’s Veterans Day assembly was entirely student-led. Metcalf said there was room to grow, but the assembly went well for having students lead for the first time. Before the assembly, the district served breakfast to about 40 veterans.

The Vienna Cross Country Turkey Trot on Nov. 16 raised $275 to purchase a cabinet for the new Eagle Warehouse on campus. The warehouse, an evolution of the school’s Caring Closet program, hosts a school market that allows students to get free food and clothing. The warehouse also sells items, such as spirit accessories for athletics, to get students comfortable going to the room.

Students Against Destructive Decisions arranged for motivational speaker Brad Hurtig to deliver a presentation to students about finding a way to accomplish their goals when faced with adversity. While in high school, Hurtig lost both his hands in an accident, but he still earned First-Team All-Ohio honors when he persevered to rejoin the football team.

Juniors attended a college fair at Dixon High School and took the ASVAB in November.

Teachers and students participated in a “thankful Thursday.” Teachers wrote affirmations for every student on a bulletin board. Then, students had a chance to read the notes and place affirmations on teachers’ classroom windows.

Vienna Eagles Cross Country ended the season with its third consecutive Autumn Classic win. The Boys’ team won its third consecutive district championship. The Girls’ team finished in fifth place. The All-District runners were seniors Cooper Auten and Marissa Hollis, sophomores Hunter Schwartze and Kaylee Bresnahan and freshman Bryce Ewers.

The Boys’ team finished in eighth place at the Missouri State High School Athletics Association championship meet. Hunter Schwartze earned an All-State medal for finishing in 13th place.

Special Education Director Joe Edwards also presented to the board.

Edwards and some other administrators attended a school safety conference in Sullivan hosted by the FBI. He said he learned a lot about recent hoax threats and how they affect schools all over. Other topics included legal liabilities for schools, red flags for children’s online activity and drug assessments.

Vocational Rehabilitation in November worked with senior students receiving special services to discuss their post-high school plans. The program helps with financial assistance, developing job skills and finding employment.

In the district, 59 students receive individualized educational plans, which is about 12 percent of students. The percentage increased by 5 percent from the 2023-24 school year and 27 percent from the 2022-23 school year. Edwards said that talking with other administrators at conferences made it seem that the increase in students receiving special services was the norm throughout the area, but no one knew the cause of the trend.