Sheldon School Board changes graduation date

Nevada Daily Mail

In a fairly fast-paced school board meeting at Sheldon R-8, the school board set dates for graduation and other end of the year activites.

The senior class sent a letter to the board, requesting the school board consider graduation on Saturday, May 7, at 5 p.m. However, the district track meet will be that Saturday, and the Panthers expect to have student-athlete Logan Lamb competing. Board member Michelle Claflin told the board she was worried Logan would be forced to choose between throwing at districts or graduation, and they should consider graduation on a different date.

Principal Jason Irwin told the board because the district track and field event will be at Skyline High School in Urbana it is not too far away. The students figured she would be back in time for graduation, if it began at 5. Irwin said he did not know the specific time she would be participating in her event, but generally, the shot putt is done in the morning.

"Logan and I talked. We figured she would be back by 3 or 4 at the latest," Irwin said. "Weather is the only hang up." Missouri State High School Activities Association wants to make sure all the events happen on May 7 and have a ruling of needing a minimum of a four-hour weather delay before moving the event to the next day, Irwin said.

After some deliberation, the board thought it would be best for the graduation date to be May 8 at 4 p.m. The school's baccalaureate will take place, May 1 -- at a time to be announced. Board treasurer Joanne Dedrick said it would be a good day for graduation because "It will help make Mother's Day special to see their child graduate."

Lamb qualified for the state track meet in 2015 and is expected to repeat this year.

During the principal time, Assistant Principal Carolyn Compton told the board about a field trip the fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes will be taking to Jefferson City, May 4.

"Patricia Pike had approached the VFW about how none of the students in her district had gone to Jefferson City for a tour, and she wanted some of the schools to come up and tour the capital," Compton said.

After the VFW realized the transportation cost would be around $600, Compton said they could not help Sheldon get to Jefferson City. Compton said an anonymous man and his wife wrote a personal check for $300 so the middle school students could go to the capital "because he wanted our kids to explore the capital," she said.

Other agenda items included, a spelling bee will take place at Bronaugh, March 8. A hearing will be scheduled March 9 to confirm the beginning the 2016-17 school year as mandated by law for any school district wishing to begin 10 or more days before memorial day. The hearing will be held during the school board meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m.