Van-Far School District R-1 School District Board of Education members on Sept. 18 got a glimpse of a proposed renovated secondary school entry way.

The district is working with Veregy, approved by the board in June to be the project manager for a bond issue, which would be held in April. Superintendent Natalie Gibson showed visuals on a TV screen of the entry way, with the images depicting the new entry identifying the school and nickname, and she described where interior departments would be located in the new setup, such as the conference room and library.

No decisions have been made on the proposed entry way.  

“They made every adjustment that we asked for on these blueprints,” Gibson told the board.

During Gibson’s report to the board, she said Missouri is ranked 50th nationally in the percentage of state funding for K-12 education, and the state ranks fifth in the amount of local funds that feed public education. 

“So, 58% of what we live off in most public schools come from local funds,” she said.

She said since the inception of the current foundation formula, the State Adequacy Target, it has increased by 17%, while inflation has risen by 65% over the same period. She said in her superintendent report that the Missouri Association of School Administrators legislative priorities for this session are for lawmakers to focus on prioritizing funding for public education, bringing back efforts and support to recruit and retain educators, and to make quality public education their main goal. 

In regular business, the board approved the Professional Development Committee plan and budget for 2025-26. The PDC, who is made up of educators in both buildings, conducts a needs assessment from teachers and examines data from the district to see what the needs are. The board approved the investment for the Supervised Agricultural Experience grant through the Central Bank of Vandalia.

Brice Falls, who teaches at the secondary school, conducted a presentation on the television screen concerning a winter weights program for the junior high students and how the program can benefit athletes in various sports and in various ways.

In staff reports, Elementary School Principal Brian Hummel, discussed, among other topics, a new partnership starting with Farber Library representatives to do an activity once a month with preschool students to expose them to books and reading. Hummel also announced the annual Alumni Association’s all-school reunion would be held Sept. 28. Secondary Principal Amy Newland, among her remarks, said the Homecoming parade was well-attended and that the dance was planned for Sept. 20. Students asked for an additional activity, she said, so the dance was added.

Technology coordinator Zach Allen told board members that the new Windows machines with Windows 11 will be installed soon as Windows 10 will no longer be supported, the superintendent’s report stated, and he also discussed how district systems proved to be effective the week of Sept. 18 during an attempted cyber attack on an old Windows 7 machine. 

Jennifer Huff, district special education director, told the board, among other remarks, that the department earned 100% on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education file review and no corrective action areas were needed. 

District maintenance director Ryan Morris provided an update on the completion of projects including the press box and new roof on the weightroom.