Blair Oaks district to pay for juniors' ACT

Blair Oaks High School
Blair Oaks High School

Blair Oaks Superintendent Jim Jones said Wednesday one of the bigger items discussed at the R-2 Board of Education meeting Tuesday was district funding for high school juniors to take the ACT.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education decided to no longer provide funding for juniors to take one of the main college readiness assessments.

In a written summary of the board meeting, Jones said Tracey Burns, district director of curriculum and instruction, met with administrators and they determined the best option for their juniors going forward would be for the district to pay for an administration of the ACT in the spring for all juniors wanting to take the test, or one of two other comparable ones for students pursuing post-graduation paths other than college like military service or employment.

The district is going to set aside $5,000 a year for this purpose, and administrators recommended the district revisit the matter on an annual basis.

The board also heard the results of the district's annual audit for fiscal year 2017 from Lynn Graves of Graves and Associates. The board will approve the report at the November meeting.

The board approved a bid for an upgrade of the sound system in the gymnasium at the high school. Jones reported Goldfish Electronic Integration won the bid for $5,137.75.

The district is also working on vertical curriculum alignment. "We want to make sure we're addressing all the learning standards" in the most effective and efficient way possible for all grades kindergarten through 12 and all content areas, Jones said.