R-5 schools won't join Big 8 Conference

Nevada High School will not become a member of the Big 8 Conference Nevada High School athletic director Kevin McKinley and Superintendent David Stephens told the Nevada R-5 Board during their monthly meeting last Wednesday night.

Stephens told the board that the Missouri State High School Activities Association board of directors voted not to place Nevada in the Big 8 Conference at a meeting in April after discussing the matter with representatives from the Big 8 Conference and Nevada.

However, Stephens said, that does not mean MSHSAA will not take action in the future regarding other conferences.

Stephens plans to call Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA executive director, about contacting the West Central Conference about possibly accepting Nevada.

McKinley said that of the schools in the West Central Conference Nevada already plays Clinton and Sedalia Smith Cotton.

Kansas Center and St. Pius X have been the most negative about accepting Nevada into the conference, but in a couple of years St. Pius X and O'Hara, both in Kansas City, may not be in the conference.

"In a couple of years that conference may start to crumble," McKinley told the board.

"I don't think West Central is impossible."

Another option that has been discussed would be a reforming of the Southwest Conference, with Nevada, McDonald County, Neosho, Carl Junction, Joplin and possibly another school.

Joplin sends teams to Waynesville, West Plains and Camdenton, McKinley said; and Nevada already plays Joplin in several sports and had played Joplin in football.

In other business, the board voted 6-0 to adopt a resolution approving the sale of about $6 million in general obligation bonds. Nevada R-5 voters approved the bonds on April 3 for the purpose of building a new fine arts building, a new multi-purpose building and making repairs to Wynn Gymnasium and the high school's tennis courts, as well as to upgrade the district's technology infrastructure.

Larry Hart, of LJ Hart and Company, told the R-5 board that by approving the bond resolution they were locking in a 2.58 percent interest rate, instead of the 2.7 percent interest rate they were estimating in January.

"This interest rate will come in about $260,000 below what was projected earlier," he said.

"There is a strong demand for municipal bonds," he said.

These bonds carry a AA+ rating from Standard & Poor's Corporation because the district participates in the State of Missouri Direct Deposit Program that is coordinated through the Missouri Health and Educational Facilities Authority.

In a related matter ,the board voted 6-0 to establish a construction account at Great Southern Bank.

During an executive session the board accepted the resignation of Teresa Start, Nevada Regional Technical Center director, effective at the end of this school year.

They also accepted the resignations effective at the end of this school year of: Dawn Burhert, middle school music; Brad Landoll, high school special education; Katherine Honeywell, high school math; Caitlin Swopes, Truman Elementary; Amy Fischer, Benton Elementary.

The board voted 6-0 to approve hiring Carissa Fink as family and career teacher at the high school; Kendra Hughes, Truman third grade; Franci Pettibon, Truman third grade; Jeremy Krug, middle school band; Gretchen Pohlman, high school band; Austin Gooden, Truman fifth grade; Josh Smith, seventh grade football; Deann Hardin, dance team and wrestling chanter sponsor; Megan Fisher, JV volleyball; Ranea Schulze, freshman volleyball; Chase Owens, technology director; Tom Perry, transportation, town route; Jolene Swordewillis, transportation, town route; Jerry Herren, transportation, pre-school route.

The also approved the transfer of Jerrod Brown to high school American History, dual credit; Don Epps to freshman civics; Josh Smith to high school special education; Jessica Watts , second grade class-size reduction; Jeff Owe, transportation from town to country route; Gary Bishop, transportation from town to country route.