Houston Schools will have a new video scoreboard – with a new location at the venue – to complement its new track.
During its monthly meeting in May, school board members supported pursuing a $100,000 Daktronics scoreboard for football and track. The board will replace the current one that was purchased in 2012.
Dr. Justin Copley, superintendent, presented a cheaper version without the video option for $65,000 for the board to consider.
“We’re going to have high level varsity sports there,” Houston Athletic Director Brent Hall told the board. “We need to have a scoreboard to match that.”
Copley said Hall and Houston football coach Eric Sloan prefer that the board be installed at midfield instead of its current location at the north end of the field. The board approved. Copley said the district will ask GeoSurfaces, who is constructing the new eight-lane rubber track approved by voters in April, for a quote to install the scoreboard. It was going to move due to the expanded track regardless.
Copley said the district hopes to offset costs through sponsorships – similar to the video scoreboard inside Tiger Fieldhouse. Along with football graphics, Copley said the video board will be able to post track results in real time at meets.
Budget work sessions planned with 500K reduction
In advance of a June 9 budget work session, Copley shared a revenue review that predicts an estimated $500,000 reduction to next year’s $15 million budget.
“This has been the most difficult budget to work through,” Copley said of his fourth time preparing the work, “and I don’t think we’re done yet.”
Copley said statewide cuts have a huge impact on districts like Houston R-1, which builds nearly half of its budget from those dollars.
“These conversations are happening around the state,” Copley said. “We never want anyone to panic, but we have to really pause in our operational spending.”
Vendor contracts approved for 2026-27
Board members approved the following contracts for services for the upcoming school year:
- Propane: Ferrellgas.
- Paper: Contract Paper at $33.63 per case.
- Exterminating: Ozark Pest Control.
- Milk/juice: Hiland.
- Bread: Springfield Grocer Company.
- Photography: Joe Ward for five years.
During patron comments, Ward told the board this will be his final contract with the district. He has served as the district’s photographer the past 18 years.
New LED lighting at PRTC
New LED lighting was approved at the Piney River Technical Center to replace 96 fluorescent fixtures. Copley estimated about 65% of the lights were not working.
Copley said internal staff and community members would assist with the installation. The cost will be about $8,000.
Food service, athletic program evaluations
The board received program evaluations from Donna Crisp, food service director, and Hall.
Crisp said student participation was good the past year with school meals, especially breakfast. She said her team saves money by scratch cooking as often as possible instead of purchasing ready-made food items.
Hall said he is pleased with coaching retention and program stability with the district’s sports programs. He highlighted middle school uniform purchases and 5-year rotations — similar to the high school — as a new positive.
Hall said the district needs to improve participation in sports. He also said attention needs to be given to storage space for track and field equipment.
Survey feedback highlights strengths, areas for improvement
Copley shared results from the CSIP survey that was made available to students, staff and the community.
He said surveys named these areas as strengths: safe learning environment; strong relationships and caring staff; positive school climate; communication and collaboration; and extracurricular student opportunities.
For areas to improve, Copley said surveys requested growth in: staff compensation and retention; student engagement in real world learning; emotional safety and bullying; stakeholder voice and engagement; and student motivation.
Other board meeting moves
- Copley said the “dirt will begin moving soon” on the track project. He said he is working with coaches and GeoSurfaces to finalize a location for field events. “It’s not a concern,” he said, “just something we’re trying to work through a couple different options.”
- Jody Jarrett, elementary school principal, said thanks to the generosity of community members, every student from pre-K through the fifth grade received at least one book from the spring book fair.
- Job descriptions were approved for IT Director and Psychological Examiner/Diagnostician. They were reviewed with no action for Custodian, Shuttle Bus Driver and Exceptional Child Cooperative Teacher.
- The district successfully applied for the Missouri 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant to launch new before and after school programming. The grant will be announced at the end of June. The amount is $399,080 and is renewable for four years.
- Building handbooks were distributed to board members for review. They will be revisited at the June monthly meeting.
- Annual partnerships were approved between Raymondville and Success as well as the Discovery School and Extra-Curricular/Co-Curricular programs.