Hume school board meets

Technology and building upkeep were among the central issues taken up by the Hume R-8 School Board in their regular session.

Superintendent David Quick stated the school system had received 20 new laptops, with 12 being distributed to the elementary students and eight going to the high school.

He reported that the gym doors in the southeast corner and the front doors had been fixed by Door Systems. He informed the board that the two doors going into the locker mall needed to be replaced and that he had received an estimate of $2,200.

Board members Gail Yarick and Josh Rogers requested that the technology coordinator be sent to professional development on at least an annual basis to "help us stay on top of current technology issues."

The board would like every student, K-12, to have his or her own laptop to use in the future and requested that the district seek grants to help accomplish this.

Collapsible safe rooms were discussed.

Quick said the estimate was $68,000. He said he wanted to investigate the cost of an underground storm shelter, in the form of a basement with a concrete top at the south end of the gym that could be built upon in the future.

The board was in agreement to spend that amount of money"in a manner that will benefit the school the most, not forgetting the fact that the safety of our children is the number one priority."

Training, honors and scheduling took up the remainder of the meeting.

Superintendent Report:

In the superintendent's report, Quick said that he and board member Greg Fillpot went to Tan-Tara for board training and that the sessions went well.

He told the board that he had taken five senior girls to a leadership conference in Sedalia that U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler put on. He commented that he was very impressed with all five speeches that were given as they all started with God first and then family.

Quick said that he and board member Brad Steuck would be attending board training at the Lake of the Ozarks at the end of the month.

He said that state money was coming in as well as anticipated and that he should know soon if the pro-ratio factor will remain at 93 percent or increase to 95 percent.

Quick said that the Missouri Learning Standards are aligned with Common Core and that student expectations are up.

The discussion of a tobacco free/smoke free campus was discussed and tabled until June 2015.

The board also discussed a resolution opposing Amendment 3, which will be on the ballot Nov. 4 and then voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing Amendment 3 and publishing the resolution in the local newspaper.

The board also discussed and reviewed policies mandated by the Missouri School Board Association.

The Board agreed to provide transportation to the vo-tech so that Hume students will have more class time at the high school and at the vo-tech. Quick stated that the district would start providing that transportation to the vo-tech Monday, Oct. 20.

Assistant principal Scott Morrison told the board that bus evacuation drills had been completed by both drivers. He said that he had been talking for a few minutes each day to the elementary classes about character education, hoping to contribute to the daily input by teachers.

Morrison said that parent/teacher conferences had a decent showing with more elementary parents than high school parents attending. He reported that the volleyball team was conference champion for the fourth year in a row, and that they have been conference champs five times out of six since 2009. Parent/senior night was scheduled for Oct. 15 at 5:30 with JV and varsity both playing and the carnival was scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Morrison reported that a representative from On My Own would be speaking to students about Disability Awareness on Oct. 20.

He said CPR training was scheduled for all faculty, including bus drivers, for Oct. 24.

The Hume Junior High Tournament is Nov. 3-8.

Morrison said that the attendance for the last 30 days for elementary K-6 grades was at 96 percent and that the high school for grades 7-12 was at 83 percent.