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Congratulations to the 310 members of the 2024 Grain Valley High School senior class who will graduate Monday, May 20th at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. Below is the list of graduates:
Aidan Maxwell Adams Cameron Christian- Henry Aguirre Walker Thomas Albertson Charles Brian Aldred Harper Grace Allie Dane Gerous Anderson Tatum FaLai'Liva Anderson Zachary Tyler Antes Luke Anthony Arndorfer Anthony Jaxon Arreguin Curtis Douglas Ault Aven Iosefa Aumua Sevreign Senia Aumua Brody Jaxon Baker Ayden Michael Baldridge Brianna Lynn-Marie Barker Kierstin DeEtta Faith Barker Jake Kenneth Barncord Savanna Rose Barndt Shane Garrett Barnett James Michael Beard Kayley Nicole Bell Roy Jeanpiere Bellido Limardo Ashley Slade Bennett Kassie Ann Berthelson Tauheed T Bhatti Delacey Ella Bierbaum Aliah Marie Bishop Justyce Faye Suzann Bixler Stylz Ki'ante Blackmon Mia Marie Blair Benjamin Donald Blanchette Emily Rebecca Bloom Maranatha Hannah Blum Adrian Chad Bobzien Bryce Andrew Boland Ava Christine Bollinger Seth Allen Bradfield Kylee Renee Bragaw Edgerrin Michael Brown Makenzie Leann Brown Brayden Michael Brunk Alexander Kenneth Bucko Julia Ngoc Ly Bui Coleman Michael Bulloc Collin Wayne Burd Keya Marie Butler Salvatore Jaden Caldarella Katie Sue Camp Vincent Allen Carbah Juan Jose Carrillo Struve Benjamin Tomas Casado Devlen James Case Lucas Samuel Castle Campbell Ray Childers Landon Salvatore Clark Nicholas Warren Clark Jordis Nicole Clay Nicholas Elliot Clements Celsi Faeon Paige Coffey Abigail Brooke Collins Kristopher Harrison Cook Paisley Ann Cornwall Mackenzie Tracey Craver Chloe Laurelyn Crawford Kale Eugene Crist Gabriella Caroline Crocker Christopher Alexander Crowder Ryan Michael Damm Megan Joy Davies Natalie Michelle Davis Brianna De La Paz Naranjo Pierce Alexander Deardorff Evan Antonio Dennard Jenna Marie DeWeese Justin Ryan DeWeese Kaelyn Paige Dickerson Olivia Faith Dickson Manning Christian Dobson Karsyn Grace Doctor Samantha Jayne Doerman Charles Joseph Garcia Doubledee Kennedi Jensen Douglas Carter Lawrence Downing Benjamin Albert Drinkwater Cheyenne Elizabeth Driscoll Jocelyn Monaye Dunn Sara Yixi Eaker Elias Christian Earley Ivy Isabella Anastasia Elliott Leland David Elliott Jaden Victor Emery Jayveon Dawnte' Ervin Hope Marie Essig Autumn Rose Ferrante Weston David Flake Christopher Philippe Fossinger Brayden James Fox Brooklynn Nicole Gaage Ethan Anthony Galvan Sergio Eudardo Galvez-Gutierrez Dayton Paul Garrison Kevin Edward Garrison Colette Aniela Gehrt Lilli Marie Gervy Landon Alan Gilbert Sophia Ann Giuliano Alexi Lauren Gonzales Michael Anthony Gonzales Anna Marie Gonzalez Kaya Elizabeth Gorrow Andrew James Gottman Raif Lee Graham Allison Maree Gray Anthony Michael Greco Ella Lane Guyear Anisa Surette Haddock Christian Alexander Hall Kaylee Elizabeth Hall Max Bradley Halteman Jacari Latrell Hamilton Rachel Ann Hanenkratt Kollin Reece Hansuld Jordyn Lee Harris Kamry Marie Harris Kefir Zedekyah Harris Kaci Marie Harter Emerson Reese Hartung Meadow Juliana Harvey Ella Margurite Hayes Pierce Matthew Heard Roman Seth Heard Cole David Helmich Jackson Robert Hermon Allen Anthony Hernandez Nolan Alexander Hessenius Makenzie Ryah Hibdon Jack Stewart Hileman Patience Lynn Hininger Ava Kathryn Hixon Logan Taylor Hodson Xander Leon Wyatt Hopkins Ty Warren Hoppe Wyatt Cole Houston Adrian James Hubbard Brayden Christopher Hull Charlee Jo Hunter Brayden Michael Hyde Shaymus Kale Ireland Jaxon David Ireland-Killday Ariana Mihaylovna Isayko Tristian Shamar Jackson Alaiya Lurae James Clara Joye Jaques Landon Sterling Bryce Jaynes Kylie Josephine Jeffries Haylie Elaine Jennings Luke Dale Jinkens Isaiah Maurice Johnson Ashlynne Marie Johnston Ethan Robert Jones Matthew Stephen Jones Bailie Charlize Julien Ian Dale Kamstra Chloe Lynn Kaps Jackson James Kartchner Jacee Marie Kaylor Emma Rose Keats Nathaniel Kenneth Keeton Michael Nathaniel Kenig Jr Jake Austin King Aden Robert Kinser Meghan Elizabeth Knust Allison Leigh Koepkey Hunter William Kohne Katie Joe Kondas Aaron Michael Koontz Addisyn Rose Krell Meadow Marie Kudart Finley Danielle Laforge Brody Troy Lafrentz Isabelle Rosalie Lamb Brandon Joseph Lee Lanear Nicholas Ryan Lawson Kentrell Duane Lee Matthew James Leonard Teagan Alivia Leonard Serenity Lynn Lewis Clayton Neal Limbach William Joseph Lindley Blaine Michael Lockard Isidro Lopez Martinez Rafael Lopez Martinez Caleb Zyaire Lunn Dominic James Lunn Paige Karlin Lyford Sophia Nicole Maduros Brock Louis Mangano Logan Robert Marcum Chancellar Zacharia-Lake Marler Riley Patrick Marshall Addison Lee Martin Ian John Matlock Aralyn Melissa Mayes Marissa Kay McAfee Shelby Raechelle McClain Maddi Lynne McClammer Joseph Dillon McCollum Jr. Braylon Alan McKinley-Harden Taylor Jordan McPheron William Nicol Menke Ezra David Michalski Elizabeth Ashlee Milam Elizabeth LaRose Molina Wesley Scott Moon Dorian Alexander Morlan Alexis Rose Munzuris Camden James Nelson Josiah Wayne Oehlke Elias Owen Oerly Emma Jane Ogle Noah James Olah Ethan James Olinger Lane Roderick Olivarez Gavin Michael Parks Jace Ervin Parks Aiden Cole Pendleton Ava Elizabeth Perry Joshua Angel Poblete Harleigh Terecia Pouncil Heath Roman Powell Blake Ashton Ranabargar Kennedy Grace Ratcliff Alexander Michael Robert Reed Peyton Scott Reid Blake Lowdon Richards Desyous Laray Riley-Dawkins Thalia Lee Roberts Blake Lewis Robinson Justin Matthew Rohr Abigail Katherine Romo Dakota Myles Ross-Glines Ashton Nicole Russell Carson Robert Sallee Emma Grace Schacher Brock Andrew Schaefer Charli Renee Scharfenkamp Jack Michael Schoen McKenah Marie Sears Nolan Ethan Seyfert William Oliver Shapiro James Ryder Shewmaker Sydnee Renee Shimel Mia Lauren Simmons Alek Arthur Simpson Reid Mitchell Simpson Kayden Michelle Sinn Blane Aden Slater Brooklynn Louise Slater Brek Gregston Sloan Carter Matthew Smith Emma Renee Smith Rylan Cole Smith Dylan Andrew Solarski Morgan Lea Solomon Isabella Marie Spooner Jackson Thomas Spooner DeMarco Antonio Stewart Rhett Samuel Stirling Nathan Michael Stokes Brittney Faith Stone Gabriel Noah Storment Tyler Benjamin Stowe Kennedy Renne Stroman Brynn Annetta Stufflebean Chase Jackson Summerlin Jonathan David Swafford Jr. Joseph Gregory Sweeney Bella Rachelle Taffner Gabriel Edward Joseph Taylor Emma Jane Thiessen Annabelle Lynn Totta Seena Lucille Tyler Katherine Elizabeth Unrein Jacob Cole Van Artsdalen Jasmine Kalani Van Dyne Curtis Allen Vander Linden Jr Cory Dean Vestal Brody Wyatt Wagner Easton Kay Walter Addison Jean Ward Elise Catherine Waters Lacey Ranae Waters Adriana Nadine Wellfort Isabella Rose Wells Izabella Rose West Jeremiah Lewis Whitley Carter Perry Williams Sean David Williams Shelby Ann Williams Ty Michael Williams Malachi James Winston Peyton Jacob Woodrome Liam Elijah Woods Wilson Jace Christopher Worthington Logan Paul Wright Aniston Paige Wulff Alison Lynn Wyatt Tyler James Wyzard Jersy Rae Ann Zogg
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Missouri governor signs $468M education bill that boosts teacher pay, expands chartersby Annelise Hanshaw, Missouri Independent Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation Tuesday that boosts the minimum salary for teachers, changes the formula for funding public schools and expands a tax-credit scholarship for private schools. It also allows charter schools in Boone County and requires a public vote for districts seeking to go to a four-day school week. When fully implemented, the legislation is estimated to cost roughly $468 million a year. Parson signed the bill a day before the constitutional deadline to take action. His weekly schedule did not announce his intention to sign the legislation. In a brief press release, he focused on the raise for teachers, which would boost minimum salary from $25,000 to $40,000 a year. “I have and always will support Missouri teachers. Since the beginning of our administration, we’ve looked at ways to increase teacher pay and reward our educators for the hard work they do, and this legislation helps us continue that progress,” he said. “We ask a lot of our educators when it comes to teaching and caring for our children.” Dean Johnson, CEO of K-12 education policy group Quality Schools Coalition, focused on investments in pre-k and teacher pay in a statement sent to the press following Parson’s signature.
“For too many years, Missouri education policy has been stagnant, lacking both a commitment to reform and a lack of resources,” he said. “The law signed by Gov. Parson today smartly brings new investments in Missouri’s educational future and will directly lead to better paid teachers and better prepared students.” Johnson is one of few advocates for public education that has spoken in favor of the legislation. A collaborative of 41 school districts called the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence wrote a letter to the governor, first reported by the Webb City Sentinel, raising concerns about raising minimum teacher pay. The districts worried that the mandate to increase pay did not come with guaranteed funding to make it happen. “Increasing the minimum salary yearly per the consumer price index or inflation does not allow for a guarantee for state funding to follow indefinitely,” the school districts wrote. “Our member school districts are in complete agreement with this provision, except for the lack of any guarantees in the bill for required future funding.” The Missouri School Boards’ Association crafted letters for school board members to send to the governor. For school districts paying teachers under $40,000, the letter addresses fears that the raise is an unfunded mandate. “While there are provisions in this bill that increase statutory minimum teacher pay, the bill does not ensure state funding will be appropriated this year or any subsequent year to support such an increase,” the sample letter says. “Our district is funded in large part by local taxes, and I fear that if the teacher pay increase is funded at the expense of the foundation formula or school transportation or not funded at all, we as the board may be left to make up the difference with budget cuts or local tax increases.” Seven Boone County school superintendents, representing all the local districts but Centralia, wrote to Parson on Friday asking for a veto. The legislation authorizes charter schools in Boone County. Otherwise, charter schools are only allowed by state statute in Kansas City and St. Louis and in areas with unaccredited school districts. All of Boone County’s districts are currently accredited. “Our districts include a tremendous range in student size and local revenue,” the superintendents wrote “The opening of a charter school and the depletion of state and local funds from our urban and rural districts will have a devastating effect on some of our continued ability to operate.” They argue carving out Boone County might not pass legal muster. Much of the opposition from public schools and associated organizations centers on the K-12 tax-credit scholarship expansion. The law, when enacted, will open the program statewide and increase the low-income qualifications from 200% of the free-and-reduced-lunch eligibility to 300%. The income cap, for a family of four, would be $166,500, under this school year’s reduced lunch eligibility. The legislation began as a 12-page proposal to expand the tax-credit scholarship program, called MOScholars. Lobbyists representing public education entities testified in opposition to the legislation throughout the session. Senate Democrats led a filibuster of the legislation, leading to a compromise and a 167-page education package. The House did not amend the bill, since any changes would send the legislation back to the Senate for renegotiation. Lawmakers found a way to make requested changes by adding them to a separate House bill, clarifying things such as that homeschools are exempt from the state law that prohibits guns on school grounds. This fix calmed the Missouri homeschool advocacy organization Families for Home Education, which posted on Facebook that it now had a neutral stance on the bill. It had previously opposed the legislation, with many homeschooling families asking to be written out of the tax-credit scholarship program to avoid the potential of government oversight. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. Missouri Independent: Missouri Senate committee approves bill to expand college core curriculum5/1/2024 Missouri Senate committee approves bill to expand college core curriculumby Annelise Hanshaw, Missouri Independent Legislation that could expand the number of college credits universally transferable between Missouri’s public two-year and four-year institutions took another step towards becoming law on Tuesday as time runs short before lawmakers adjourn for the year. A Senate committee, in its last scheduled meeting of the legislative session, debated and passed a bill Tuesday morning that seeks to create a 60-credit-hour core curriculum in concert with Missouri’s higher education institutions. Currently, there is a 42-credit-hour block that transfers between all Missouri’s public colleges, created in 2018. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Cameron Parker of Campbell, passed the House unanimously earlier this month. “This will eliminate some problems for students transferring from a two-year to a four-year. It reduces the cost,” Parker told the committee. “What we’re looking at is a seamless transition from a two-year to a four-year.” SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST.
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Parker’s bill calls for the coordinating board for higher education to craft the 60-hour block for “at least five degree programs with substantial enrollment.” Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testified in “soft opposition” because the bill could exclude students outside of popular degree programs. “This only applies to a certain type of student,” he said. “That is a student that knows from the beginning that they want to major in one of the five degrees that are chosen.” It is going to be a large undertaking to get each public college to agree on a 60-credit-hour program, he said. “If we are going to put in that kind of work, we would prefer that there was a broader result,” Wagner said. State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat who serves on the committee, said Wagner’s comment was “well-taken.” “I would like to see it more broadly applied,” she said. She voted in favor of the bill, along with the other nine members in attendance. Representatives from community colleges said the legislation would solve problems their students face. Brian Miller, president and CEO of the Missouri Community College Association, testified that there is a “high frequency” of students retaking classes after transferring to a four-year university. State Fair Community College President Brent Bates said his students have a similar frustration. “Each year students transfer from State Fair Community College,” he said, “sometimes they are surprised when they transfer to a public university in the state and the classes don’t transfer as they anticipated.” To make it to the governor’s desk, the legislation must pass the Senate before the legislative session ends on May 17. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Schools Board of Education met on Thursday, April 18th for their April business meeting. The meeting included three recognitions, discussion on the new safety priorities plan, three reports, three items of unfinished business, and two items of new business. The first recognition was for the high school color guard team. The team won its second consecutive MCCGA state championship this year, competing against over 20 teams at the competition held in Springfield, Missouri. Next, the board recognized Kourtney Michael as the 2023-2024 Grain Valley Schools Teacher of the Year. Michael teaches English Language Arts at Grain Valley High School, as well as being a National Honor Society sponsor. Michael was recognized for the way in which she builds relationships with her students, getting to know each one and the ways in which they best learn. For the final recognition, the board recognized Matt Wilson as the 2023-2024 Support Staff Employee of the Year. Wilson is a paraprofessional for the essential skills and resource classrooms at Matthews Elementary School. “Mr. Wilson works hard each day, helping students to reach their full potential by finding solutions to many challenges that they face,” Superintendent Dr. Brad Welle said. Moving on from recognitions, the board discussed the draft of the new safety priorities plan. In the interest of privacy, the board voted to enter into a temporary executive session to discuss specific details of the plan. After spending nearly an hour in executive session, the board returned and moved onto the curriculum report. The curriculum review committee reported that most of the curriculum, with a few tweaks, is ready for approval from the board. Just two content areas need some additional time to continue working. The board will have time to look over the curriculum before it is brought back at a later date for approval. Following this, Dr. Welle gave the board his monthly report. Welle began with thanking the community for their support, expressing his appreciation for the passing of the new tax levy. New this school year, Welle highlighted, is a “Senior Walk” for high school graduates. Seniors will have the opportunity to walk the halls of their former elementary school, dressed in caps and gowns for a full circle moment of their academic careers. The board also discussed possible solutions for school lunch debt such as text messages to parents and holding students back from some non-mandatory privileges. Next, the board moved into unfinished business, starting with discussion on progress made with the annual priorities. According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Amanda Allen, the district has made good progress with most of its literacy priorities. The only piece that is lacking is the updated comprehensive literacy plan. The district had a rough draft prepared in October with the understanding that the state would put out guidelines but they have not yet been released. Allen says she sees that being rolled into next year. Assistant Superintdent Dr. Nick Gooch said the priority relating to facility updates will evolve in the next six to twelve months as the district keeps getting new data from its upcoming demography study as well as information from the district’s architecture firm. For the priority regarding constructing a district safety plan, Gooch said that the district is in a good spot, mentioning how the board was able to look over a draft earlier in the meeting. Next steps involve receiving input from community and family members on what is most important to them. The final priority has been completed, and that was the passing of the new tax levy. Next, the board discussed the first look of the 2024-2025 budget. Director of Finance Aaron Hooper presented the draft to the board. Hooper said that the budget is still a work in progress as he is still waiting on numbers from a few departments but will have a final version of the budget ready to go in June. Following this, the board moved into new business. The board began with discussing contract language for administrators for 2024-2025. Welle said that there is not a lot of new information being put into contracts but more rewording certain sections and making sure certain policies are in writing. Next, the board discussed a letter from the board to be included in the next issue of the district’s magazine. The letter from the board president will thank the community for their support on the tax levy vote. It will also highlight some important things that the board has focused on in the past year. Topics such as community engagement, addition of a new school resource officer, the broadcast of meetings, and implementation of engagement committees will all be discussed. The board then moved onto two items of new business that were added via an agenda amendment. The first item related to the purchase of new serving equipment for the cafeteria in the high school. Any revenue generated by the food service department must go back into the purchase of items or upgrades within the food service department. Though there is a large amount of school lunch debt, the rules prohibit using any of this money to offset that debt. Because of this, the purchase of this serving equipment would be funded directly from the excess revenue from the food service department that must be spent on upgrades within that department. The next item was the response from Newkirk Novak on the possibility of these upgrades. Since Newkirk Novak is already in the high school working on the other pieces of construction and remodel, the district reached out to them on their thoughts on the possibility of adding the upgrades to the construction. Newkirk Novak responded with confidence that it would in no way delay the completion date of the project as a whole, Gooch said. Both of the items were passed. Gooch said that the new equipment will be installed and ready before the first day of school in the fall. The next Board of Education meeting will take place at 5:30pm on May 16th in the Jan Reding Community Room at Grain Valley High School. The Grain Valley School Board met April 11th for a workshop meeting, accepting April 2nd election results, installing one new member and electing board officers, and approving the 2024-25 salary schedule following successful passage of a levy to increase salaries in an effort to remain competitive with area districts.
Newly elected board member Aaron Scully took the oath of office, and the following officers were elected: Jeff Porter, President; Jared English, Vice-President; Dr. Julie Taylor, Secretary. Voters approved a levy issue April 2nd to support increases in teacher and staff pay. In a comparison of 2024-25 Grain Valley salaries to peer districts 2023-24 salary levels, the increases generally maintain Grain Valley salaries in the middle of area districts. A starting teacher with a bachelor’s degree will make $41,900 in Grain Valley starting in the 2024-25 school year, an increase of $1,900. This places Grain Valley 5th in a comparison of local districts (when compared to other districts’ 2023-24 salaries). North Kansas City tops the list, with a 2023-24 starting salary of $44,000. Neighboring district Lee’s Summit ranks third, with a 2023-24 starting salary of $42,370. A $1.50 increase in the bus driver starting pay (from $17.33 to $18.83) places Grain Valley in the middle of area districts, taking it from the lowest paid in 2023-24. Smithville and Kearney top the list, paying starting bus drivers $20/hour. Grandview is at the bottom, with a 2023-24 starting salary of $17.78/hour. The district also made strides in improving paraprofessional pay compared to peer districts, raising tier 1 paraprofessional starting pay from $11.87 (the lowest compared to area districts) to $15.47 in 2024-25. This places Grain Valley near the middle when compared to area districts 2023-24 starting salaries. The next meeting of the school board will be held Thursday, April 18th at 6:00pm at the district Leadership Center. Missouri Independent: Missouri Senate amends House bill to ease passage of K-12 tax credit expansion4/18/2024 Missouri Senate amends House bill to ease passage of K-12 tax credit expansionby Annelise Hanshaw, Missouri Independent The Missouri Senate voted Wednesday night to ensure homeschool families are allowed to own firearms. On a 27-4 vote, lawmakers approved legislation that originally was focused on cleaning up issues with Missouri’s virtual school program. But over the course of a five-hour recess in the Senate Wednesday, Republicans turned that legislation into a catch-all measure aimed at ensuring the House approves an even larger education bill approved by the Senate last month. The bill approved Wednesday night was crafted to ease House concerns about a 153-page bill that passed the Senate to expand Missouri’s private school tax credit program and allowed charter schools in Boone County, along with other provisions aimed at bolstering public schools. That bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, told The Independent he would prefer the House pass the Senate’s education bill without changes and send it to the governor’s desk. Any changes in the House would bring it back to the Senate for debate, putting its changes at risk. After the Senate passed Koenig’s legislation last month, criticism began popping up on social media and in the Capitol about a myriad of issues — primarily that homeschooling families may face additional government oversight. Despite assurances from gun-rights groups, one concern focused on the idea that homeschoolers’ inclusion in the private school scholarship program would result in home educators being subject to laws banning guns in schools. The Missouri Firearms Coalition made a statement that it felt that gun-ownership was not threatened in the bill. And an attorney for Home School Legal Defense Association Scott Woodruff was adamant that he was not concerned about the provision. “The idea (the bill)…. would make the criminal penalties of (state firearm code) apply to home schoolers with guns in their home is supported, at best, only by a long, thin string of assumptions and implications,” he wrote. But House members were flooded with emails and social media messages expressing concerns, putting the bills’ chances of passing without being altered at risk. Koenig said Wednesday that the ability to own a gun was not threatened by his bill. “I don’t know that it was a problem, but this definitely makes it a lot stronger,” he said. “Anytime we can clarify something in statute, then we make sure that interpretation is stronger.” The bill applies the existing homeschool statute to particular sections of state law — avoiding applying the definition of a “home school” to the state code that prohibits firearms on school grounds. The legislation approved Wednesday night expanded beyond virtual schools to include changes such as connecting funding for K-12 tax-credit scholarships to state aid for public schools’ transportation. This is current state law, but Koenig’s bill separated the two. The bill also exempts Warsaw School District from taking a vote to reauthorize the district’s current four-day school week. If Koenig’s bill passes, school districts that have switched to a four-day week in charter counties or cities with at least 30,000 residents will have to hold a vote to continue with an abbreviated week. Similar provisions are included in amendments to Koenig’s bill filed by House members. Fifty-three amendments have already been filed on Koenig’s bill in the House. House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, told reporters on Monday that he would prefer to pass the Senate’s version of Koenig’s bill but there was not a guarantee to do so. 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Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter. Do you love gardening and want to share your passion with others? Become an Extension Master Gardener and join a vibrant community dedicated to learning and teaching the best practices in horticulture.
The MU Extension Master Gardener program offers:
Limited spots available! Apply by August 2nd. Cost: $200 (scholarships available) More information: http://www.mggkc.org/about-us/become-a-master-gardener/ or contact Tamra Reall (ReallT@Missouri.edu) As the April 2nd municipal election draws close, Valley News reached out to the candidates running for the Grain Valley School Board to answer a series of questions to learn more about their background and priorities.
Four candidates have filed for two open seats on the Grain Valley Board of Education. Current board members Jared English and Eddie Saffell have filed for re-election. Aaron Scully and Paul Trusler have also filed. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and other than minor spelling or grammatical corrections, the candidates' responses are provided as written. Jared English Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). I’ve been a resident of Grain Valley for roughly 20 years. My wife and I have two elementary-age children in the district. My work background is risk management. I was on Grain Valley Park Board for roughly 9 years. I also served as the treasurer for the Pathways of Honor, which is a Veterans group in Grain Valley. I’ve been on the School Board in Grain Valley for 12 years. Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? I think that we have a great district, focused on the education of our children. As an experienced board member with strong ties to the community, I think I’m well-suited to partner with leaders in our district to ensure we continue to keep education our focus. The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? In a word: Culture. Employees, regardless of industry, typically stay with an employer because the culture of the organization aligns with their values. I think the administration in Grain Valley has done an excellent job creating a culture that our staff value. We may never pay more than some of our neighbors, even with the levy. I think the key to successfully retaining employees (teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, facilities workers, etc.) is to maintain a culture of respect that employees value. How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? The district has several methods of gauging success of our students. MAP tests are a good indicator of how the district performs compared to other Missouri schools. As I reviewed the data provided to the board, one area that jumped out at me was the “Class of 2027 Math” results. While there are several reasons for why the scores look low, this is area I’m concerned with and watching closely. Other tests provide additional insight as to how our overall school population is performing academically. I think its also important to identify those who are falling behind. Our board motto is, “every student, every day.” We mean that. We have a small percentage of students who struggle every day. We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support those kids and give them the education they deserve. What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? Education should remain our number one priority over the next 3-5 years. The board approves a comprehensive plan every year. That plan also includes other key initiatives, such as facilities, security and communications with our patrons. I think all of these issues are important. The board receives regular updates from the administration on progress in these key areas. Another big issue is the continued growth of our community. Grain Valley continues to expand. This puts a great deal of stress on our district. Continuing to monitor growth and ensure we’re allocating resources to accommodate growth across the district is key to a good education. Eddie Saffell Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). I spent 40 years in the fire service, 10 as a volunteer in Harrisonville and the last 30 with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJC), retiring as a deputy chief. During that time, I have served as the president of the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce and a Grain Valley / Blue Springs advisory board member to Truman Heartland Community Foundation. I have also served on numerous community project committees such as the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast (Blue Springs) and the Truman Heartland Scholarship Committee. I am completing my 12th year as a member of the Grain Valley Board of Education. Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? My commitment to the school board comes from two points: my belief that education is critical to our community's success. A strong school system brings families, which in turn brings business which strengthens our community and allows for better resources and programs for our families and business owners. I received my graduate degree later in life, so my belief that education is key doesn't stop at high school, but continues throughout life. To instill that mindset in our children, we have to give them the best education we can from the beginning and I believe I have, and will continue to help Grain Valley Schools to build that success. Second is my dedication to public service. I have been in some form of public service my entire adult life and I have been interested in local government special districts (school, fire, library) the entire time. I currently work for the City of Grain Valley so, even in retirement, I remained in community service in a different form. The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? Finances are always the easiest to blame and sometimes the hardest to fix. The levy will allow us to make a large impact on the teacher salary and benefit issue, but we also have to think out of the box and find ways to entice teachers to come to Grain Valley and then stay. Ensuring a positive culture of respect and trust has little financial impact in comparison to other components, but can keep a teacher, or any other staff member, in our system. Wanting to go to work and enjoying where you work are critical to our success. If we give our staff members the support and resources they need daily, such as monitoring and maintaining class sizes, it can make their work less stressful. Open and honest 360 degree communication can improve morale. This starts at the top and moves through all levels of the organization. How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? In general, our students perform well at all levels. When we look at high school graduations, scholarships, college applications and so on, Grain Valley continues to perform at a very high level. In all elementary and middle school grades, Grain Valley continues to perform above others, especially across the state. My main concerns will always be in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) components because these are the keys to today's business world. We have identified, through standardized testing, some areas we could improve on and are always working on programming and instruction to address those areas. What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? As always finances will be a topic of concern. As Grain Valley grows and our student population increases, we will need additional, or expanded, facilities and staff to continue to offer programs to continue to provide our students and families the best educational experience we can. School safety and security is a priority. The world we live in dictates we continually adjust our security for buildings and events to ensure everyone's safety. This has many levels and requires open-minded and forward thinking to accomplish. Staff recruitment and retention is key. As mentioned, finding ways to not only compensate our staff, but also give them a work environment they can be happy to be a part of and proud of. Aaron Scully Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). I am an RN and work full time at the Kansas City VA. I am also a member of the Missouri Air National Guard as a critical care air transport team nurse. I have not held any elected positions. My wife and I volunteer within our church in a variety of areas: medical team, security team, and membership class. We also have 5 children, and currently have foster children in our home. We have been foster parents for almost 4 years. Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? I want to serve on the school board, because I have a vested interest in the education of my children. I desire to see the overall success of children, to see them succeed in whatever path they choose, and to see them become productive members of this community and our society. The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? I got an opportunity to hear a presentation at a board meeting from a couple of teachers, and during their presentation, another point was mentioned which was their days off (sick days, personal days). They would like to see a PTO (paid time off) time of leave system in place, and I could see the benefit of moving to that type of system, if it were to be a desired benefit of the educators and staff. How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? I believe the district is tracking the academic success levels to a degree, and I recall seeing some of the results at a board meeting several months ago. I would reiterate that the goal of the district should be to see each child succeed in whatever chosen path, and become productive members of our community. An upcoming concern that I have will be the use of AI (artificial intelligence), and how it will impact education. What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? Top issues for the next 3-5 years: continued improvement of safety for staff and students; budget deficits and finding a way to eliminate them; that the district continues to maintain the priority of school is, an education; and that teachers will want to stay in the district. Paul Trusler Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). I'm a devoted husband to I believe the most beautiful, loving and intelligent women I know. I'm a father of 7 kids (4 boys, 3 girls.) Grandfather to one boy. All of which are either currently in or have graduated from GVSD. I've been a member of the ironworker local union 10 for over 25 yrs. I'm a member of First Baptist Church of Grain Valley where I've served in many aspects of the church and have served as property chair for over 5 yrs. Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? To be more active in my community. To better serve in the school system in which my children and grandchild attend. To be a voice for teachers and students. The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? Pay may be one of the leading factors for teachers leaving, but they are also one of the highest stressed professions. One way to help this would be for the schools to be consistent in the rules and punishment they have. Another way is to recognize teachers constant struggles. Teachers are the backbone of the school system. We should empower them to do their job to the best of their abilities. I've found most teachers are self-driven individuals. We need more people like them. How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? For the most part I believe the district to be doing well academically. I would like to explore better ways of instructing kids who learn with their hands (kinesthetic learners) or who are visual learners. What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? The board should focus on safety and success of the children and teachers. Area adults interested in a new career or job advancement now have the opportunity to obtain a variety of services related to workforce development and training at a recently opened satellite office at the University of Central Missouri’s Lee’s Summit campus. Representatives from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) as well as the Full Employment Council (FEC) will operate out of UCM’s Missouri Innovation Campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Services available to both adults and students through these organizations include daily workshops on how to successfully create a resume, job interviewing skill sessions and quarterly hiring fairs, all at the Lee’s Summit location. In addition, the satellite office offers monthly testing through WorkKeys, an assessment designed to help people determine their best choices for career success. “MDHEWD is very excited about the opportunity to be part of the Missouri Innovation Campus,” said Julie Carter, director of the Office of Workforce Development. “This satellite office provides an opportunity to serve all students on campus and offer the community access to invaluable free job center services.” FEC representatives will also work with individuals to help them learn if they are eligible for scholarship funding for the University of Central Missouri’s industry-recognized certificate programs. Previously, those interested in scholarships had to travel to the organization’s Kansas City location for assistance. The new satellite office is designed to provide a one-stop, more convenient location for residents of Eastern Jackson County, Cass County and other areas outside the metropolitan area. All services are offered free of charge. For more information about the new satellite office, please email workforce@ucmo.edu Photo credit: UCM
by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Schools Board of Education met on Thursday, March 14th for its monthly business meeting. To start the meeting, the board recognized boys and girls wrestling state qualifiers. Ten qualifiers were recognized as well as coach Donald Horner. Girls swim and dive state qualifiers were then recognized. 11 qualifiers and head coach Julie Reilly were honored by the board. Following recognitions, the board moved into reports starting with the teacher salary and benefits report from Kourtney Michael and Michelle Kennedy of the Salary and Benefits Committee. Kennedy told the board that the committee is proposing reclassifying leave and increasing payout for leave. Currently, staff members are given nine sick days and three personal days each year. By reclassifying leave, the committee would like to drop the designation of “sick days” or “personal days,” leaving staff members with 12 days of paid leave each year. Kennedy emphasized that the committee is not asking the board for more days off, rather just dropping the classifications of the existing days. As for the increased payout for leave, the current payout is $60 per day. Michael said that the committee is proposing an increase in that payout to $180. The goal of this is to make those saved leave days a financial benefit to teachers rather than it being more of a benefit to use all of them, thus creating a strain on the substitute needs in buildings. Following this, Superintendent Dr. Brad Welle gave his monthly report to the board. Welle opened by highlighting the fact that the April 2 election including the district’s tax levy measure is quickly approaching. Welle said that the feedback they have received from the public so far has been positive in nature. Welle also reported the high school is looking forward to taking possession of the new weight room in April. When the high school moves into the new weight room, the current temporary weight room will be updated into the new varsity locker room. Welle also raised school lunch debt for discussion. The board as well as Dr. Gooch will be brainstorming ideas to help lower the debt in this area. Finally, Welle highlighted the safety audit. Certain findings were highlighted and at a future meeting the board will attempt to have a representative present to go over the findings in depth and answer questions from the board. Next, the board moved into unfinished business with an action item on the board scholarships for this year. After reading through 48 applications, 16 winners were chosen and the board approved 16 awards of $1,000 scholarships. The winners will be announced in a ceremony in the spring. Then the board moved into new business. The first item in this section was the intent resolution of $3 million. Dr. Welle explained that with the passage of this item, the board is essentially giving consent to administration to continue paying for the projects around the district with the understanding that they will issue $10 million in bonds in April. The next item in new business was the setting of the preliminary non-binding tax rate. Welle explained that this is something that is required of the board by Jackson County and it will not necessarily be the binding tax rate that will be set in the fall. The board set this initial rate at the 2023 tax rate with the understanding that it will likely change by the time they are required to set it in the fall. The third item under new business was an action item to commission a demographic study by Business Information Services LLC. This item was approved. The final item under new business was a discussion over the 2024-2025 budget projection. The board was presented with an outline of expenses the district knew they were going to incur such as the need for a new custodian at the high school, increases to teacher salaries, and the addition of various safety upgrades. Some of these items the district is unsure of the dollar amount at this time, but the goal is for the board to receive a solid idea of the budget proposal as soon as April before the final vote at the end of June. Following new business, the board moved into the board policies section. In this section, the board heard the third read on a series of policies recommended by the Missouri School Boards’ Association. The main updates in these policies are to reflect the changes in laws regarding medical marijuana. The general theme for these policies is that whether one is a staff member, student, or visitor, they are not to be in possession or under the influence of drugs. This series of policies was approved. Following this, the board moved into executive session. The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Thursday, April 18, at 6 pm in the Leadership Center. |
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