Planning for future R-7 facilities will have to include major expenses for maintenance

Bob Foos

As members of the Webb City R-7 School Board prepare for a deep discussion about facilities needed in the future, a reminder of the need to account for major maintenance items at existing facilities has come up.

Superintendent Brenten Byrd reported Tuesday that two large HVAC units at the middle school recently stopped working. After all, he noted that the middle school building is now 25 years old.

Two new units are to be installed soon at a cost of $130,000.

The board’s special meeting for facilities planning will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Student Services Center.

MOSO CAPS update

Three of the 29 Webb City High School students involved in MOSO CAPS told members about their experiences with the Missouri Southern State University program.

Brody Brown, Alynna Humphrey and Jasmine Mosley agreed that the dual-enrollment program has been important in helping them decide which career path to follow.

As Suzanne Hull, the director of MOSO CAPS, told the board, “It’s all about experiences to help decide.” Often, she added that students change their mind about which direction to go.

Now in its third year, Hull said the program is partnering with more firms for internships and broadening the number of career choices. Health sciences remains the most preferred choice.

In other action, the board:

• Approved two recommended updates to school policy but delayed adopting a policy on the use of artificial intelligence. Byrd said he wants the staff and board to localize that policy.

• Discussed the need to provide access to the industrial arts portion of the high school for students unable to manage stairs. That is the only portion of the school that isn’t on ground level.

• Received an update from Amanda Robbins about the grants received from applications that she’s written and ones that she hopes will be awarded. The largest so far was the $400,000 grant received in 2023 for school safety. Since she started in 2016 awarded grants have totaled $1,798,687.

“Through the years, you have saved and earned us a lot of money,” board member Dave Collard told her.

• Approved the transfer of Amanda Taylor from teaching third grade at Mark Twain Elementary to the position of process coordinator for special education.

• Approved the resignation of Adriana Pruete at the end of the school year, after four years as an eighth-grade math teacher. Her family is moving to North Carolina.

• Held a closed meeting before the regular meeting for a student discipline hearing.

• Extended the contracts for Byrd, assistant superintendents Josh Flora and Allison Pope and director of special education Kayla Cullers.