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NEVC Board of Education discusses new transitional school calendar
The Northeast Vernon County (NEVC) Board of Education held its regular meeting Thursday evening. Solar panel updates, required credits for graduation and open enrollment legislation were among several topics the board discussed and considered at the meeting.
Starting off the meeting, the board was asked to consider approving and adopting a resolution to oppose open enrollment.
“I know this has been a topic the last couple years,” stated NEVC Superintendent Chris Holcomb. “The nuts and bolts of it is there is legislation being passed where if it passes, open enrollment will allow students to attend a different district if they wanted to and the tax dollars would follow them. We get paid so much, per student, per day that if five kids chose to go to El Dorado, the tax money would follow them.”
Holcomb went on to state that the Missouri Association of Rural Educators has called on rural schools (or any school district that is opposing it) to adopt a resolution. He then highlighted some talking points he had put together which included the following:
• Under open enrollment, the loss of students from the district will leave less funds and other resources to educate the remaining students.
• Some school districts are likely to lose students
• Insufficient numbers would force schools to close or consolidate
• Public schools would be pitted against one another to attract students
• Districts will be compelled to spend significant money, time, and effort marketing to students residing in other school districts
Holcomb added that board members should be cognizant that if passed, legislature would only attempt to further expand open enrollment. “As of right now, if the bill does pass, four percent of the population can leave the first two years,” he warned. “You know, for us, that's significant.” Board member Connie Gerster asked Holcomb if he thought, on the other hand, that NEVC could potentially pick up some students from Nevada. “I don't know, just because of the housing here in the district,” he responded. “I don't know where people would move to. It doesn't seem like there's a lot of nice housing for people to move to. With the cost of gas, I don't know that people from Nevada are going to drive their kids here. I could be wrong.”
Holcomb closed the discussion on the proposed resolution by noting that he is worried about the legislation getting traction and small schools losing funding, as a whole. “That's going to be something that's going to be out of our control once it passes,” he added. “That's the big thing that concerns me — that the pool of money will shrink that they have for small schools.” Before voting on the resolution, Holcomb explained by approving the resolution, they would essentially be making a declaration that the board is not in support of open enrollment as a district. With a motion, a second, and a unanimous roll call vote, the board approved the resolution.
The next item in new business concerned the solar panels and the company that had installed them at the high school several years ago. “We're still responsible for those financially,” stated Holcomb. “I know that Mr. Naas had shared with you that there was some differing thoughts on them coming back to put them back up at their expense; them not communicated well with us; and so on. Unfortunately, the bottom line is we owe them around $60,000 – give or take.” He added that he he has been in communication with the company over the past three weeks. “Whenever I got the first invoice, I immediately started to reach out to the company,” he noted. “I couldn't get them to respond. Emails, calls.. I even went onto LinkedIn. They never got back and they kept sending us bills.”
Holcomb stated that a gentleman with the company finally called him back and they had been in communication with one another, stating that he requested the company just come pick up the panels. “I knew what the answer was going to be, and that was 'no,'” he added. “We negotiated back and forth and I have them down to $4,000.” With a motion, a second, and a unanimous roll call vote, the board approved of paying the $4,000 and to surplus the panels.
The next item on the agenda that the board discussed was the 2023-2024 School Calendar. “I know we have discussed briefly in the past what would attract new employees, and one of the most common things are forming their calendars earlier," stated Holcomb. He passed out an example as to what Hume’s school calendar looks like and stated that Superintendent Scott Morrison said that their calendar really works for them.
Holcomb advised the board that Bronaugh’s School District was going to go with a transitional calendar by taking off every other Monday, starting next year, to attract new employees. This would also make it easier on the previous employees that they have, he noted. He stated that the students would be in school from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and they would have to be in their classrooms by 8:05 a.m.
One board member asked Holcomb what time his child would be picked up in the morning and dropped off in the afternoon by the bus, because they currently don't get dropped off until 4:30 p.m. Holcomb assured him that his child's pickup and drop-off times wouldn’t alter that much.
Another board member asked if this would alter the graduation dates, senior trip, and other end-of-year school activities. Holcomb advised that it would not by much — maybe by a day or so. As for the senior trip, he stated it could be scheduled earlier or even wait until after the seniors graduate. He further reassured the board by noting that the new calendar wouldn’t affect the sports calendars very much.
Holcomb added that with the proposed calendar, they would start on Aug. 24 with the last day being May 3.
Holcomb noted that he has pulled every staff member in and asked them if they would like this new proposed school calendar. He got 40 "yes" responses and eigh "no" responses. The proposed calendar will be similar to Nevada Regional Technical Center's (NRTC), with an exception of being one day off from theirs. Holcomb advised the board that the students and staff would have their holiday breaks and days off like they are supposed to. He stated that there would be seven hour class periods and add seven minutes to each class. The board approved the new 2023-2024 School Calendar.
The board then went into discussion of credit requirements in order for students to graduate. Holcomb stated, “I have done a lot of research on this, and brought in Mrs. Cain. We have discussed quite distinctively on this subject." A new required credit hours system in order for students to be able to graduate is being proposed, he stated. He noted that he knew that the board approved several years ago that a student was required to have 30 hours in order to graduate. However, he pointed out the following facts:
• The school will be going down to a seven hour class period starting next year
• This would allow any student to go to NRTC and not miss out on extra required hours at the school
• It will be a “waterfall system," and would work accordingly: Class of 2023 would need 30 hours; Class of 2024 would need 29 hours; Class of 2025 woud need 28 hours; Class of 2026 would need 27 hours; Class of 2027 would need 26 hours, and remain at 26 hours for the future graduating classes.
Holcomb noted how there are many more students who are attending and taking advantage of NRTC. He pointed out that Bronaugh has many more students attendng compared to them. In fact, he said that the Director of NRTC (Eric Schneider) has asked why NEVC doesn’t have more students taking courses there. One of the baoard members asked, “Is attending NRTC going to start being a requirement to graduate?” Holcomb assured him that it wasn't.
Holcomb added that by adopting the new credit requirements for graduation, the students will no longer be required to take the Computer Applications Class. This course is not required by the state for students to take. After discussing the issue at length, the board approved the proposed credit requirements.
The next topic that the board discussed was the full-time Food and Bus Director for the 2023-2024 school year. He began by noting that the school isn't in compliance by DESE’s standards. He added that, at times, there is a lot of food being thrown away and they need to improve on their portion controls.
One board member pointed out that the food at the school is the only food some of the students get to eat — they don’t get hardly anything at home. Holcomb continued by stating that by them hiring an individual for each position, then it would save them from having to hire a service contractor like so many of the other schools have done. The board approved to hire a full-time Food and Bus Director.
McInroy presented High School Principal Josh Smith’s report. She reported that there are 110 enrolled in the junior high and high school and they have eight students interested in enrolling at NRTC next school year. The board approved of her report.
Holcomb presented Elementary Principal Kendall Ogburn’s report. He advised that they have 98 enrolled in the elementary; the fifth and sixth grade basketball teams will be playing in the Bronaugh Tournament next week (Feb. 27 – March 4); and students will be participating in Read Across America next Thursday, March 2. The board approved of the report.
The board approved to adjourn the meeting, with next month’s meeting scheduled for March 23.