The Poplar Bluff R-I School Board swore in its newest member, Dr. Michael Price, at its September meeting on Thursday.
Price, a retired area dentist and former school board member, was selected to serve the remainder of the term vacated by Alana Robertson, who resigned in July. The term expires in April 2023.
Brian Taylor, president of the Mules Booster Club, gave the organization’s annual report, which highlighted the new electronic scoreboard currently under construction at the high school stadium.
The project, which cost $234,000 plus installation fees, still needs to install support beams for the scoreboard’s larger size as well as tubing for the fiber optic cables.
Taylor estimated the new scoreboard should be operational by the Mules’ next home game, which is scheduled for Sept. 30 against Fox High School from Arnold, Missouri.
In other high school stadium developments, the board approved the second scheduled payment of $99,222 to C.E. Norton Construction for the new visitors’ side concession and restrooms project.
Initial land work and plumbing on the stadium improvement is completed, and the contractor is planning to pour the concrete slab soon.
The board approved a plan to use a grant from the Butler County Resource Council to provide Peace Builders Counseling curriculum for K-3 classes in the district.
This evidence-based curriculum is designed to help improve student behavior not only in school but also throughout the community.
Misty Dodson, attendance officer for the district, presented the report on migratory and homeless students. Dodson reported that federal and state regulations define a homeless family as “anyone who lacks an adequate fixed-location home.”
When asked by board President John Scott why the district’s homeless numbers had increased, Dodson said this was due to families moving in with other family members or into non-permanent locations such as campers or trailers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his report, Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill informed the board that the district’s transportation headquarters building on Maud Street needs roof repair, but the estimated repair costs will be at least half of what it would cost to replace the entire building.
The board discussed different options, including a new building at the current site or looking for a new location. Dill asked them to consider what opportunities they might support and return to the issue for a formal discussion at next month’s meeting.
Transportation Director Jon McKinney told the board that they have three new bus aides in training as well as five new drivers working this fall, but that they can still use five additional drivers to meet student demand for transportation.
McKinney also said his department would be piloting the new GPS student tracking system on a few routes later this year. This system, approved last year by the school board, will allow parents and school staff to know which children are on which bus and where they are located.
Finally, Dr. Amy Jackson, as part of her monthly financial report, informed the board that the new downtown administration building project was ready to send out a request for bids for the next phase of construction with the exception of structural engineering.
The new building on Main Street in downtown Poplar Bluff is estimated to be completed in 2023.