As we begin the downhill run to the 2018-2019 school year, there are a couple of items that I want to provide more information on.
•APR: Last week, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the state of Missouri came out with the APR for the 2017-2018 school year. The APR (Annual Performance Report) is a measure of a school’s overall performance including testing, attendance, graduation, and college/career readiness. Houston scored an 81.3 percent for last year. This is an increase of about 3 percent and while that is good news, we still continue to seek improvement. As stated in a previous article, we are continuing work on curriculum and other areas to challenge our students to excel. This information came out far later than normal for schools in the state of Missouri. This makes it more difficult to use this information for changes to the current year. However, as I stated in a previous article, we are continuing work toward improvement regardless of the end of year state tests.
•Bond issue: As was noted in recent news, the Houston R-1 School Board voted to put a no-tax increase bond issue on the April 2019 ballot. This would mean that there would be no increase in taxes due to approval of the bond issue. The bond would be paid for by extending the current 80 cent levy into future years. The bond issue is geared toward Phase I of the plan the school has been working on for several months.
While the bond language denotes a new gym and other rooms, it also says that should there be sufficient funds, HVAC upgrades would be made out of that. At this point, the entire bond issue on the ballot would only cover the cost of the gym. This would include a 1,500 seat gymnasium (with 500 more seats added in the future), bathrooms, hallways connecting all classes in the current gymnasium building and starting the connection between the existing gymnasium and the high school/middle school building. HVAC plans are being put together to replace 4-5 units each year out of existing district funds. We do not want anyone to be confused by this language or come back later and say that we were supposed to complete HVAC upgrades. We are continuing work at lowering the cost of the gym and if that were to happen, excess funds would be used to speed up the process of HVAC unit replacement.
There has also been discussion of track renovation as part of a bond issue. While the board is aware of the need of this renovation, a new track should not have to wait on a later bond issue. Current estimates for construction of a new six-lane track fall around $400,000-450,000. We believe this could be completed by using district Fund 4 money in a couple of years. Currently, with the assistance of a Missouri Department of Conservation grant, the school is replacing the existing wood mass boiler that heats the high school and the gymnasium complex. The cost of the new boiler to the school will be approximately $400,000, which will be paid out of money the district has put back in to Fund 4 for capital improvements. I believe this can be done for the track in a couple of years as well.
Tentatively, we are planning additional public information meetings regarding the bond issue for Feb. 26 and March 26. Those will be held at 6 p.m. in the Melba Performing Arts Center. I encourage you to plan on attending one of those meetings for more information about the proposed project and the long-term plans of the district. And as always, please feel free to call my office if you have any questions regarding this project or future plans of the district.
As we enter the end of winter (hopefully!) we have students doing great things. Congratulations to the middle school Quiz Bowl team in their championship at the recent Houston Quiz Bowl, our four high school girls earning Volleyball Academic All-State honors, our middle school students for their success at the MESCM Middle School Math Relays, and so many others for representing the Houston School District.
Dr. Allen Moss was hired in 2016 as the superintendent of the Houston R-1 School District. You can contact him at 417-967-3024.