Improvements being made to high school locker rooms
By Jessica Breger cassvilleads@outlook.com
Monett School board took some time to review the 2024 annual performance report and updates for ongoing improvement projects during the winter break.
At the Dec. 19, 2024, meeting, Dr. Melissa Huff, Assistant Superintendent presented updates from the December Missouri State Board of Education meeting, about the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training that the school district has been participating in for the past three years.
The training is designed to aid teachers with strategies to help students with common issues, such as vocabulary development and decoding words, with teaching methods focused on sounds, word structure and meaning.
Huff said 25 teachers and three additional staff have completed the training across the Monett Early Childhood Center, Elementary and Intermediate Schools.
Huff also said 16 staff in kindergarten through fifth grades recently attended Response to Intervention (RTI) at Work Institute in Rogers, Ark., designed to teach the tools necessary to provide safe learning environments.
In addition to training received by teachers and staff, Huff also reported on the annual performance report assessing student performance and progress in the district.
Based on the Missouri School Improvement Plan (MSIP6), Monett Schools have shown a 63 percent improvement over the 2023 report, meeting all improvement goals for 2024.
“Monett needs to be really proud of our students and teachers,” said Superintendent Mark Drake.
Drake noted getting to this point had come with struggles, and he credited the attitude of perseverance by both staff and students in the district.
The board also reviewed completed and ongoing improvements to school properties.
Members spoke on renovations to the high school locker rooms, which included adding lighting and repainting the restrooms. Work is also set to begin on the epoxy floor soon.
The board also approved bids to replace doors at the elementary school, noting the doors in question are currently the worst in the area. It was also noted that more doors at the school will need replaced soon.
Additional items approved during the meeting included the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar and 2025-2026 device refresh bids.
The Monett School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Board Administrative Meeting Room located at the District Office.
