VIENNA — Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith at the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting shared some updates about unexpected expenses the district had over the previous month due to …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your member account, or purchase a new membership.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for becoming a member.
Please log in to continue |
|
VIENNA — Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith at the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting shared some updates about unexpected expenses the district had over the previous month due to facility issues.
The unexpected expenses for the month included $650 for an air quality test from Wellington Environmental. The air conditioning unit for the band classroom had leakage issues that caused the carpet tiles to get wet. After removing the tiles, the room still had a concerning smell, so the administration ordered a test that did not find anything concerning.
Band classes moved to the stage during the issues with the leak. The school replaced the damaged carpet and the classroom smells better after a deep cleaning. Classes had returned to the band room.
Another unexpected expense came from American Water Treatment. The $1,011.20 bill was to help balance the pH levels in the cafeteria boiler system after finding that the water contained excess iron. The boiler system also received a new H2 inline magnetic strainer at a $10,757.38 cost. The district plans to pay for the boiler upgrades with money from the $2 million bond passed in April. The boiler is now ready for the winter.
Electricity cost the district $7,711.57 for the month. The propane reading was at 21 percent with a purchase likely coming once the district decides to turn on the boilers.
Formula Classroom Trust Fund money totaled $117,742.17 for the month. Proposition C funds totaled $51,275.88. The district received $22,558 in Transportation money.
Messersmith had a renovation and construction schedule review with Archer-Elgin and Alexander Construction at the end of October. The board previously accepted bids from Alexander Construction to complete projects funded by the bond, including sealcoating campus parking lots, repairing sidewalks, replacing exterior doors and windows, renovating restrooms, replacing ceiling and lighting in the elementary school and more.
Parents and guardians received students’ 2023-24 MAP test scores at parent-teacher conferences at the end of October. The board will hear a presentation on district data at the December meeting.
Teachers traveled to St. Elizabeth on Nov. 4 to attend the first Show-Me Central professional development day with schools from around the new conference. Classes were not in session that day. During the day, teachers heard a featured speaker and an education lawyer discuss trending topics in education. Teachers also had a chance to collaborate with other teachers who teach the same grades and subjects to share ideas and strategies.
Enrollment at the elementary school was 186 students with 91.61 percent attendance. The middle school had 80 students enrolled with 93.93 percent attendance. High school had 139 students enrolled with 91.25 percent attendance. Across the district, there were 413 students enrolled with a 92.27 percent attendance rate.
Messersmith noted that attendance was lower than usual, but her low attendance on the day the district received unfounded threats was the main factor in the decline. She expected the attendance rates to improve this month.
Three people plan to attend an upcoming training session for activity trip bus drivers with tests to follow. Messersmith hoped to have three new drivers for the board to approve at the December meeting.
Upcoming events include the Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 11, the first responder Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 22 and Thanksgiving break from Nov. 27 to Nov. 29.