Cassville floats P.A.W.S. Initiative; leadership changes at Crowder

A busy year in the education realm saw the Cassville school district begin a new program and float a bond issue for a performing arts center, Wheaton break ground on a tornado shelter, Crowder Cassville change its director, and more.

Cassville proposes bond issue for performing arts center

The Cassville Board of Education has approved a resolution proposing a $9 million no-tax-increase bond issue on the April 4, 2023, ballot. 

The proposition, named Performing Arts and Wildcat Safety (P.A.W.S.) aim to construct, equip and furnish a performing arts center on the high school campus. It will also implement energy saving and maintenance improvements, including roofs, windows, electrical systems, gutters, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units, and lighting; complete safety upgrades district-wide; repurpose existing space for the wrestling program; and to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the district.

Paragon Architecture was previously selected as the District’s architect for the projects. R.E. Smith was previously selected as the District’s construction management company for the project.

As a no-tax-increase initiative, the adjusted debt service levy of the district is estimated to remain unchanged at $0.5071 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property. Passage of this initiative in April will extend the present debt service levy by four years (from 2039 to 2043). 

“The bond proceeds will allow for improved opportunities and space at the high school for students in the fine arts programs,” said Merlyn Johnson, Cassville superintendent. “The performing arts center would enhance many of our programs including the technology department by offering students opportunities to learn about advanced programming, recording and sound systems. This space would also serve as a site for many of our elementary school concerts, award programs and movie nights. 

“Furthermore, the addition of the performing arts center will be something the community can be proud of and use for many community related events. The movement of some of the fine arts classes will free up space for other needs in the high school and will allow the district to repurpose an existing space for wrestling.”

The performing arts center price tag is estimated to be about $9 million, and Johnson said the district hopes for about $1 million in interest to help with the other projects.

“Many of these upgrades would be centered around our older buildings, such as the primary and middle schools,” he said. “The middle school building by the art, choir and shop classes need lots of updates to things like gutters, windows, gas lines and electric. It’s a lot of little fixes people won’t see but add up quick. throw in the security upgrade ta the high school, and you’re getting close to $1 million.”

The plan for the high school entryway would make it mirror those at each of the other buildings. The office would be moved to a classroom adjacent to the front doors, and a vestibule would funnel visitors from the front door directly to the office.

“Securing the entryway at the high school will also be a high priority,” Johnson said. “Currently, when someone comes through the front doors, they have access to the entire high school. We won’t do anything major construction-wise, but we will move the office to the front and put in a vestibule there.”

Overall, Johnson said the district is excited about the possibilities of the bond initiative. 

“School improvement is an ongoing process and something school districts should never stop doing,” he said. “The selected projects placed on the April 4 ballot are all student-centered improvements. Cassville R-IV students deserve the same opportunities that are being offered at many of our neighboring districts.”

Johnson said if anyone has a particular topic they would like addressed, or if anyone has any ideas or questions concerning the bond initiative, he may be reached at mjohnson@cassville.k12.mo.us or 417-847-2221.

From struggle to success

David Williams, Success Program coordinator, knows there’s a stigma regarding alternative high schools, but in Cassville, it could not be further form the truth.

Now with two active programs, the Success Lab and the Success Academy, the Success Program at Cassville aims to provide students that have fallen behind in classes, for one reason or another, the opportunity to catch up and graduate on time.

In 2021, the Success Lab saw students overall pass 88 percent of their classes, with the majority of the students passing all of their classes. The Success Lab also graduated nine seniors that had previously not been on track to graduate.

In 2022, the Success Academy hoped for similar results with its 19 participants.

The Lab is a one-period-per-day program at the high school building where students meet one-on-one with the Success Lab teacher at least once per week to review grades, attendance, behavior and other academic or social goals.

The Academy is an expansion of the Lab, with students attending nontraditional classes in the W.I.L.D. Academy for half-days, where they utilize online learning platforms to catch up on and acquire credit in core classes. 

The other half-day can be spent at classes at the traditional high school, the Scott Regional Technology Center, or participating in the FLEX program that allows students to work, volunteer or obtain certifications while also earning high school elective credit.

Williams, who pioneered similar programs in the Monett school district said Cassville Superintendent Merlyn Johnson asked him, after the first year of Success Lab, to pursue the Academy.

“Kids get identified by teachers, counselors, administrators or parents as candidates for the Success Program, and we have a committee that reviews candidates and try to determine who would benefit from the program the most,” Williams said. “They could be not on track in classwork, behind in credits, have extra anxiety about the traditional setting, or, though we don’t have one, a place for someone with a major life trauma like a parent passing away.”

Williams said alternative schools commonly are stigmatized as for the “troubled youth,” but that’s not what he has in Cassville.

“Discipline issues are not recurring for us,” he said. “There may be some low-key stuff like missing a class, but no one at the Academy now has had any large-scale discipline issues.”

Williams said what he sees in the Lab and Academy are students facing in-school and out-of-school pressures that leave them lost in the shuffle and falling behind.

“Often times, it’s the pace of a class that’s too much, or stressors from outside school factoring in,” Williams said. “Kids can get lost in the shuffle when there’s 25 in a class, and once a kid gets behind, it can start snowballing.”

In its first year, Williams said students in the Lab began to believe once they were rewarded for their efforts.

“Last year, some kids started to experience success and realized graduating was still an option,” he said. “They understand if they do the work and get caught up, they can graduate. Credit recovery is online and at your own pace, so some kids fly through it and others are a bit slower, but they all make it.”

A few factors play into that success, Williams said, including things like a comfortable, quiet environment and more one-on-one attention from staff.

“We have comfortable chairs and different seating so kids can relax and get their work done,” he said. “[Staff] also jump from student to student to assess and complete their needs, whether that’s English work, Algebra, just a check of the grades or even helping organize a student’s backpack.

“Just today, we had a kid who got an A on an assignment when that student had never had an A in English, ever. That student saw if you turn in all the work every day, this is what the results can be. As the adults in the room, we have to remind them to take smaller steps for bigger successes.”

Williams, who also has Success Academy Teacher Lance Parnell on staff, said he and Parnell operate differently than normal teachers.

“We don’t really teach,” he said. “It’s more like management of the students and advocating for them, finding what they need to be successful and going to get it. Sometimes, that is accountability, and we provide that, as well.

“Lance has done a phenomenal job with the Success Academy. He’s out with all of them by himself all day, building relationships and doing things like getting job contacts. The Academy works because of Lance — he was the perfect pick for it.”

Williams has also implemented a reward system, “Wildcat Cash,” which is based on four goals.

“We set goals for attendance, catching up from being behind and current grades, and the fourth is a goal the student gets to set,” Williams said. “For each goal reached, students are rewarded with $1 of Wildcat Cash. That can be redeemed at the incentive store for things like chips, drinks, chocolate or apparel, all of which was donated by the Cassville Community Foundation and the Barry County Soroptimist Club.

“We reward kids for doing what they are suppose to do, because that’s how it should be in real life.”

Those fitting the mold for the Success Program include learner whom exhibit one or more of the following traits: Under-performing academically, possessing learning disabilities, displaying emotional or behavioral issues, being deliberate or inadvertent victims of the behavioral problems of others, displaying a high risk or potential dropping out of school, displaying the need for individualized instruction or have an official diagnosis for social anxiety.

Ground broken for Wheaton shelter

Surrounded by cheering staff, students and community members, the Wheaton school district officially broke ground in November at the site for the new tornado shelter.

In 2016, the Wheaton taxpayers approved a $1 million bond issue for a FEMA shelter to be built on district property. 

After the 2019 tornado that hit the Wheaton area, former Wheaton Superintendent Lance Massey said the district was lucky to not have been hit. 

In February 2022, the district was discussing FEMA dollars, and with a cost estimation from R.E. Smith the district’s construction management company, the entire project was estimated to be around $2.7 million.

The tornado shelter is being funded by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER III), the 2016 Bond Issue and some Fund 4 district funds.

Trish Wilson, Wheaton superintendent, said the district is wanting to keep the cost around that $2.7 million. 

“Some bids came in higher than expected, but the district is working on some cost savings to keep it as close to the $2.7 million as possible,” she said. “The expected timeline has not changed. We hope to be doing our final punch list in July [2023].”

This tornado shelter will also house a new kitchen and will serve as the district’s new cafeteria.

FEMA funds won’t be used, but the facility will be FEMA rated.

Wilson said the structure is approximately 5,768 square feet and will meet International Code Council (ICC) 500 requirements and standards for Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, which will include missile impacts due to 250 mph winds. It will have a capacity of about 620 people.

Cassville Crowder director retires after 23 years

For many local students, the first step to higher education is the Cassville Crowder campus. 

Cassville Crowder started in 1999, and one face has been present since the very beginning — Angela Seymour. 

Seymour started as a teacher at the Southwest school district, where she spent five years before her journey with Crowder. 

“When I first went into college, I was going for a biomechanics engineering,” she said. “I decided I was going to make body parts. I was active in basketball and track and I had started tutoring students for math.

“That is when I fell in love with education. I fell in love with that ‘aha’ moment when a student started to understand something.”

Seymour told her father that she was going to switch her major to education.

“I was at Rolla,” she said. “But, they did have teaching classes so I went to Springfield to live with my mother. My dad wasn’t so thrilled about the change.”

That summer her father passed away and Seymour found out he was on the road for Evangel University.

“I decided to go there,” she said. “I did basketball, track and got my degree in mathematics and teaching.”

After graduation, Seymour started interviewing for work.

“When I interviewed for Southwest, I was just so impressed by the in-depth interview process,” she said. “Aside from the regular interview, I had an hour interview just to coach. It was the most thorough interview I’ve ever had. 

“I thought, if they are getting to know me this well, they have done the same with my co-workers. I thought that was a great way to tell if we could all work together well.”

Over her five years with Southwest, Seymour continued to fall in love with teaching, but she also endured personal struggles along the way.

“I found out I was pregnant, and I was a single mother,” she said. “I was worried because I knew Missouri was a no-fault state, and I didn’t want to lose my job. I also struggled with feeling as though I had failed as a Christian.”

Seymour persevered and managed to hold on to her career and raise a daughter on her own. 

“Eventually the Cassville Crowder campus was opening and they posted a position in the paper,” she said. “My mom really encouraged me to apply for that job. She even went down there and brought a printed copy of the application to me.”

The campus was opening at its former location at 13th Street and Fair Street in Cassville. 

“When I got the position at Crowder, it was like God was confirming to me, ‘I love you, and I will use you. You just have to let me,” Seymour said. “I was blessed to be there and I was there to serve God.”

Seymour said she was the tool that God was using to help local students.

“During that time, I would turn to God,” she said. “When I look back, there is no way to explain the journey except that God had a plan.”

Seymour was hired around Christmas.

“I was hired to run the campus and be the a GED teacher,” she said. “I taught evening classes that first spring semester, then I taught day and night GED classes, while running the campus.”

At that time her title was project manager.

“Since ’99 my position has changed titles, but the position never changed,” Seymour said. “As the campus grew, my duties grew. At the old campus, the student population was starting to expand, and we were expanding classrooms as much as we could.”

Seymour said she is proud of many things throughout her career with Crowder.

“I’m proud of my resilience,” she said. “And I am proud of the nursing program and the fire training at the Cassville campus.

“During the first graduating class from the nursing program, the Neosho speaker said that I just wore them down until I could get a nursing program in Cassville.”

Seymour said by accomplishing that goal, she learned the boldness to say, “I want this,” and to go for it.

“To get the nursing program, I had to prove that the Cassville campus could support the program,” she said. “Then, I had to make sure that we had all the classes needed for prerequisites. We also had to show that we had all the equipment needed for the skills lab, as well as a space for a computer lab. Then, we had to have funding prepared for staffing.

“After all of that, we had to make sure we had enough students taking the prerequisite classes who would funnel into the nursing program.”

Seymour said it took years to get the nursing program started, and she is so proud of it and the students.

“After years in the making, we where planning for all the space needed for the program when we built the new campus,” she said. “The hospital donated equipment and funds for upkeep, and we got the Department of Labor grant that supplied the salaries.

“That first graduating class of nursing students were a big deal. I really wanted that, and it took awhile, but we got it.”

Another major development for the Cassville campus was when they brought in Missouri State classes to the campus.

“Seeing what people can do because we have a campus in Cassville is really cool,” Seymour said. “It is an amazing place, and as a staff we know why we are there — for the students. I’ll miss that.”

The first time students walk into the administration office is one of Seymour’s favorite things.

“Seeing them walk from the car to the office is sometimes the scariest thing they have done,” she said. “We see them from the car to graduation. We are teaching them about life, adulthood, professional conversations and boldness.”

While Seymour will always remember her time spent as the Cassville Crowder campus director, she will enjoy getting to spend time watching her daughter’s volleyball games.

“There are so many things I want to do,” she said. “But, I mostly want to to see my daughter’s volleyball games. 

“I loved coaching, and I miss having those relationships with players — especially the ones who are driven.”

Seymour’s last day was June 30, and Sarah Smith, the new Cassville Crowder director started on June 6.

“Sarah is so smart and she comes with so much experience,” Seymour said. “She has seen so much of the administration side of things. She is comfortable with numbers and understands data. I am so excited for her.”

Smith is a Shell Knob native who graduated from Cassville and went on to Cassville Crowder for her associate’s degree.

“I couldn’t imagine a better fit,” Seymour said. “It was easy to retire knowing she could do the job. She is nice and easy to talk to.”

Cassville Crowder welcomes new director, Sarah Smith

The Cassville Crowder campus wished well to Angela Seymour, former campus director, on June 30 when she retired, and new director Sarah Smith was welcomed on June 6.

Smith grew up in Shell Knob and graduated from Cassville High School in 2011. 

From there, she attended Cassville Crowder, where she earned her associate’s degree. She then transferred to the University of Central Missouri to earn her bachelor’s of science in actuarial sciences. 

Smith went on to earn her master’s in business administration.

“I went into finance and worked for about nine months,” Smith said. “But, it wasn’t for me. I had an opportunity to work in a graduate admissions at the University of Central Missouri for two years. Then, I took a position working in undergraduate admission for three years.”

After that, Smith went to the Baker University in Kansas and took position as the assistant director of operations.

“I think I understand the way that bigger four-year colleges look at smaller community colleges,” she said. “I have always thought that community colleges were underrated. I got to build more of an appreciation for community college through my work, and I brought them that outside perspective from starting out at a community college. I think I can help us grow and change the narrative around it.”

Smith said she really likes to give things a good full cycle before trying to implement changes.

“I want to watch and learn for this first year,” she said. “I am from the area, but I have been away for eight years. It is different, things have changed, so I want to get re-acclimated.

Smith and her husband, Alex, have been married for six years.

“My parents and sister live in Shell Knob and my sister is a teacher at Cassville,” she said. “I grew up fishing, but now I’m a huge cinema fan.”

Coming back to Cassville was full of excitement, but there were also some challenges.

“Some challenges were coming in when Angela has been here doing such a great job for so long,” Smith said. “I came in as the new director when there is also a new president. There were a lot of changes happening all at once.

“A lot of people had stability under Angela and they continue to look for that stability in the director — me.”

Smith said she has been welcomed with open arms at Crowder.

“They have been so great to me, and we are working through everything together,” she said. “I am looking most forward to making a difference. It is such a unique experience in small towns to have the freedom to meet the community where the needs are.”

Smith said she is excited to get the community the things they need.

“I have a very open door policy,” she said. “Anyone is welcome to stop by at any time and I’ll be here. I am looking forward to getting the chance to get to know the people and the area again.”

5 electric buses coming to Cassville

The Cassville school district has been selected as one of 404 applicants, out of more than 2,000, to receive grant money through the EPA’s Clean Bus program.

Cassville has qualified to purchase five electric buses at no cost to the district. The grant money also allows the district to purchase infrastructure needed to keep the buses running.

The district anticipates the new buses will be delivered to Wildcat Nation in late 2023 or early 2024. The Cassville bus fleet is currently 26-strong, and five buses will be destroyed when the new electric buses arrive.

“Receiving five new buses to our current fleet is a big deal for our district,” said Jake Kloss, Cassville transportation director. “The additional buses will allow us to put new buses on routes that typically use older buses.”

After the arrival of the new buses, the district will train with both the local fire department and EMS to educate safety personnel about the new vehicles. Kloss also reported that additional training will be provided to the district transportation team.

The Clean School Bus program’s goal is to transform school bus fleets across the country and make clean, zero-emissions school buses the American standard. EPA has announced they are awarding nearly $1 billion in rebates for school districts that will improve air quality in and around schools and communities, reduce greenhouse gas pollution and better protect children’s health.

Cassville was one of 27 Missouri districts to receive funds and received the second-highest amount at $1,975,000. It’s application was filed with Midwest Transit Inc.

El Dorado received the largest grant at $5,135,000, outfitting that district with 13 buses. Knox County and Clark County will get three buses, nine other districts will get two, and 12 districts will get one. Another district will receive a propane bus.

In total, the $949,595,000 in funds have supplied 2,573 buses, including 2,448 electric, 109 propane and 16 CNG. Funding for the Clean School Bus program grew nearly double from $500,000 last year.

For more information, people can visit: www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.