The Purdy school board renewed teacher contracts and heard about successes from the district’s new reading program during its March meeting.
In personnel action, the board accepted a retirement letter from Barb Warnick, sixth-grade English language arts teacher. Melanie Grossman was hired as a new business teacher. Alejandro Groomer was tapped to serve as assistant coach for the middle school baseball program.
Named to tenure status were Lisa Essley, English language learner teacher at the elementary; Brandi King, English language arts teacher for seventh and eighth grades; and Emily Kooi, high school business teacher.
Remaining untenured teachers were rehired for the coming school year.
Superintendent Travis Graham reported he was still trying to work out a more equitable solution regarding the bus leases. Plumbing issues at the elementary school and a solution for the rooftop air conditions remain ongoing.
Details on the new reading program that replaced the AmeriCorps program appear promising. Principal Julie Dalton reported the need for reading success interventions dropped in half this year. Teachers Donna Terry and Jennie Hickenbotham will bring students to the board to review their successes at the April 10 meeting. Secondgrade teachers from Crane visited Purdy on Feb. 27 to start implementing a similar program at their school.
Dalton offered the board details on the new Buddy Benches, placed in the playground as a way for students to signal to others that they are feeling lonely and isolated and need a friend or someone to talk to. The bench was donated by Sinclair and Jane Rogers, of Monett.
Principal Brian Anton reported a large number of students participated in this year’s talent show for grades seven and up. He noted 18 students from fifth through seventh grades attended the Missouri State University’s CODERS Olympiad, where they competed against students from more than 10 other southwest Missouri schools. CODERS teacher Abbi Coy spoke at the Education Innovation and Research Conference in Washington, DC, about the importance of coding in rural classrooms and its value in fostering critical thinking.
Board members discussed legislation pending in the Missouri General Assembly. Education leaders see passage of some kind of open enrollment legislation likely in this session. It also appears tying additional pay raises to the Consumer Price Index will be delayed until the 2030-31 school year.
The board scheduled its reorganizational meeting for April 10.
