Stories by Anna Campbell

Blair Oaks School Board candidates give views on hiring, potential legislative changes Blair Oaks Board of Education candidates weighed in on district hiring and potential legislative changes that could affect the district in the latest round of questions with the News Tribune. Five can... March 24, 2023

JC School Board candidates weigh in at forum <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymQd_2Ssy-Q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... March 23, 2023

House panel considers changes to Missouri's school funding formula The House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education reviewed a proposal that could significantly change the funding stream for Missouri schools Wednesday.HB 529, sponsored by Rep. John Black, R-... March 23, 2023

Cathedral of St. Joseph welcomes new bells The original vision for ringing bells at the Cathedral of St. Joseph will finally be realized as it prepares to add five new bronze bells to the building this week.The cathedral opened in 1968 and was... March 22, 2023

School bus driver pleads not guilty A bus driver accused of endangering students on the bus by allegedly hitting mailboxes while driving students home has pleaded not guilty.Robert E. Hern, 59, of Boonville, was charged with one count o... March 22, 2023

Preschool expansion breaks ground at Cole R-5 Elementary EUGENE, Mo. -- Using tiny plastic shovels, Cole R-5 preschoolers were among the first to break ground Monday on the construction and expansion of the preschool at Cole R-5 Elementary.The expanded Eagl... March 21, 2023

Local student takes steps toward dream of being a baker Danielle Kolb has a dream of being a baker."I love baking. It's my favorite thing to do with my family," Kolb said.She loves to make Oreo balls and cake, and even has plans to make her m... March 20, 2023

JC School Board candidates highlight retention, recruitment as district challenge Jefferson City School Board candidates largely saw recruitment and retention of teachers as a top challenge facing the district but saw a variety of different opportunities during the next few years.T... March 19, 2023

Missouri Association of Student Councils swarms Jefferson City High School Jefferson City High School is hosting more than 1,000 people this weekend despite not being in session.Rather than its normal JCHS freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, the halls are filled with ... March 18, 2023

Blair Oaks students explore futures through career fair Blair Oaks High School students picked up some career and interviewing advice and explored their options at Thursday's career fair featuring 55 local groups. Unlike many career fairs in which tables a... March 17, 2023

Blair Oaks School Board candidates talk about communication, transparency Candidates for the Blair Oaks Board of Education discussed how they would communicate with patrons if elected.Five candidates are vying for three open seats on the board: incumbent Doug Moeller and ne... March 17, 2023

Students explore financial futures through budgeting simulation Students at Lighthouse Preparatory Academy in Jefferson City walked through a simulated version of life Wednesday as they faced decisions about transportation, insurance, health and nutrition, and clo... March 16, 2023

Jefferson City School District reaches settlement in discrimination lawsuit The Jefferson City School District and a former physical therapist's assistant have reached a settlement.Denise Rackers sued the district in 2019, saying she had resigned after experiencing discri... March 16, 2023

Blair Oaks School Board reviews performance report The Blair Oaks School District Board of Education reviewed its gifted program and annual performance report and adopted a resolution supporting military families at its regular March meeting Thursday.... March 15, 2023

JC Schools April bond issue would build new early childhood center, expand career center if approved The Jefferson City School District plans to build a new early childhood center, renovate both middle schools and expand Nichols Career Center if the community approves an April 4 bond issue. The bond ... March 12, 2023

JC Schools hires director of community outreach, student assistance The Jefferson City School District has announced that Chris Dawson, a JCHS graduate, will serve as its new director of community outreach and student assistance. The new position of director of commun... March 11, 2023

JC School Board talks budget, transportation The Jefferson City School Board reviewed a preliminary budget for next year, discussed transportation and passed a number of policy updates Thursday at its regular March board meeting. Prior to the bo... March 10, 2023

Missouri House panel hears ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ bills Missouri lawmakers heard another set of bills promising a "Parents' Bill of Rights" on Wednesday in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.Bill sponsors sought to include... March 9, 2023

Senate Education panel hears bill to move Missouri school board elections A bill to move local school board elections to November instead of April could increase turnout in elections for influential local offices, supporters said.But opponents of the bill said it could have... March 8, 2023

Jefferson City School District sets bond issue meeting The Jefferson City School District will host a community meeting for its April bond issue Thursday.The "Kids FIRST" bond issue will build an early childhood center, upgrade technology for pr... March 7, 2023

Helias Catholic senior a National Honor Society Scholarship semifinalist A Helias Catholic High School senior has been selected as a National Honor Society Scholarship semifinalist.Danielle Buker has been an NHS member for two years and is one of five students on Helias Ca... March 5, 2023

Jefferson City Rotary names February students of the month Rotary Club of Jefferson City has announced its February students of the month from Helias Catholic and Jefferson City high schools.Helias Catholic senior Lily Delk, daughter of Lisa and Louie Delk, h... March 5, 2023

Appeals court reverses ruling on lawsuit over athlete’s forced haircut A lawsuit against the Jefferson City School District over the forced haircut of an athlete has been sent back to a lower court after an appeal reversed an original ruling. In 2019, a middle school wre... March 4, 2023

Language development milestone bill hits resistance A bill designed to help young children who are deaf and hard of hearing reach milestones in American Sign Language and English literacy met with both support and resistance Wednesday.The Missouri Hous... March 2, 2023

Jefferson City School District candidates weigh in on teacher retention, pay, input Jefferson City School Board candidates took questions from teachers in a candidate forum Monday night.Five candidates are vying for three positions on the school board: Incumbents Brad Bates and Scott... March 2, 2023

Missouri Senate panel explores changes to school funding calculation Education committees in both chambers of the Missouri Legislature are now digging into the school funding formula.The Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee heard SB 17, sponsored by Sen... March 1, 2023

Counselors, advisers, lawmakers aim to improve FAFSA completion numbers The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, can open doors for students who might otherwise not be able to afford higher education, college and career advisers say. But many students never... February 26, 2023

Jefferson City School District candidates outline plans for increasing support for teachers The Jefferson City School District seems to be supporting its teachers, school board candidates said, but more can be done.Candidates for the Jefferson City School District Board of Education shared t... February 26, 2023

History fair steers students into new research skills Lighthouse Preparatory Academy juniors and seniors stepped into the shoes of researchers Friday as they sought to answer history-based research questions. The history fair, a decade-long tradition, ta... February 25, 2023

LCMS students celebrate Black history through live museum presentations <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xVB0NYEIsYw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerom... February 24, 2023

JC Schools receive $300,000 in STEM items for classrooms Surrounded by a pile of boxes, Moreau Heights Elementary students tore into packages Thursday. Their faces lit up like Christmas morning as they pulled out engineering projects, robots, coding kits an... February 24, 2023

Missouri House panel discusses alternative testing, accreditation approaches There's some wiggle room in the way Missouri does testing and accreditation, one legislator told the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday.And perhaps Missouri should ... February 23, 2023

JC Schools committee weighs options for transportation provider The Jefferson City School District transportation selection committee weighed the proposals of two transportation providers while looking at desired traits in a transportation provider.The committee, ... February 22, 2023

Senate bill meant to encourage Missouri students to plan for their future, take advantage of opportunities Missouri legislators and education organizations were excited about a plan to encourage students to think about their post-secondary future and apply for federal student aid.SB 136, sponsored by Sen. ... February 22, 2023

Speaker seeks to spark innovation, constant improvement among Blair Oaks educators Blair Oaks teachers received a call to action to start their day Friday during a district-wide professional development day. Students stayed home Friday while teachers heard from nationally-known educ... February 18, 2023

Missouri legislators recap education funding formula process If you've ever had questions about how public schools are funded in Missouri, know that Missouri lawmakers have questions, too.On Wednesday, taking a break from its regular bill hearings, the Miss... February 16, 2023

College, career fair hosts area employers, nonprofits, colleges RUSSELLVILLE -- The Russellville High School gym was nearly overflowing Tuesday as area employers, colleges, and nonprofits met with students looking for opportunities to work, learn and volunteer. Th... February 15, 2023

Blair Oaks Board of Education reviews advising program, district audit The Blair Oaks Board of Education heard reports on the college and career advising program as well as its yearly audit. College and Career Advisor Renee Maples gave a report to the board about her wor... February 15, 2023

Senate bills address school background checks, mental health absences A bill about background checks for adult students on school campuses could finally be passed this year, its sponsor said before the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee on Tuesday. The... February 15, 2023

Blair Oaks to review district audit, school resource officer program The Blair Oaks Board of Education will review a district audit and programs involving school resource officers and career advisers in its regular meeting tonight. Renee Maples will present a rootEd ca... February 14, 2023

JC Schools committee advances longer bereavement leave, other policy changes The Jefferson City School Board Policy Committee gave initial approval to several policy updates stemming from new legislation, district updates or Missouri School Boards' Association clarifications. ... February 14, 2023

South Elementary principal named The Jefferson City School District has selected a new principal for South Elementary School next year. Keshia LaVergne will serve as principal of South Elementary, succeeding Teri Tillinghast, who pla... February 14, 2023

Russellville School Board race: Weber prioritizes new construction, administration, growth Incumbent Russellville School Board candidate Adam Weber said his top priorities would be carrying out the addition of new classrooms, supporting new administrators, and being ready for growth in the ... February 13, 2023

Russellville School Board race: Jenkins prioritizes district growth, recruitment and retention, preparing students for success Incumbent candidate for Russellville School Board Ritchie Jenkins said he’s focusing on district growth, teacher recruitment and retention, and student success.Jenkins is an information technolo... February 12, 2023

Russellville School Board race: Wood prioritizes prepping for district growth, new course offerings, recruitment and retention Newcomer candidate for Russellville School Board Christina Wood said she’d prioritize preparation for enrollment growth, increasing extracurricular and elective offerings, and recruitment and re... February 12, 2023

Russellville School Board race: Wyss prioritizes resources, recruitment and retention, fiscal responsibility Incumbent candidate for Russellville school board Aaron Wyss is putting the focus on resources, hiring and retention, and financial responsibility in his race for re-election.Wyss is a system administ... February 12, 2023

Students get firsthand lesson in supply, demand The Blair Oaks Intermediate School gym was transformed into a bustling marketplace Thursday as fifth-grade students participated in "Market Day," a hands-on activity to teach them economic concepts. "... February 10, 2023

JC Schools athletic facility projects nearing completion Progress continues at the Jefferson City Schools athletic facilities, and if weather holds up, students should be able to use facilities in March, school officials said. At Jefferson City High School,... February 10, 2023

JC School Board hears updates on STEM Academy, academic improvement incentives The Jefferson City School District Board of Education heard an update on the upcoming STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) academy and an incentive program for students to bring up their g... February 10, 2023

WWII veteran shares experience with Russellville High School class Looking back on his wartime experiences, World War II Navy veteran Don Lee can recognize the fear of the moment and how close he came to disaster. But he can also say, "All's well that ends w... February 9, 2023