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The Salem R-80 Board of Education conducted their monthly meeting Thursday evening at the district administrative offices boardroom. After approval of the agenda and the consent agenda, with the addition of four names added to the substitute list, Superintendent Steve Bryant then presented to each of the Board members a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the District from the Missouri School Board Association. Bryant then updated the Board on the candidate filings for the two three-year terms available. Incumbent Wade Jadwin has re-filed along with Joe Howard, Bernie Sirois, Angela Christesen and Carol Jordan. Bryant then updated the Board on the RT3-Race to the Top, which is federal dollars. Missouri has 513 districts in which about 99% have signed up for that money including Salem R-80. Bryant will keep the Board informed about the RT3 dollars, but stressed the need to remain frugal as well as conservative with their spending and budgeting. The AlertNow message service is moving forward and is to be used as a communication tool for the district. A letter will be sent to all the parents and employees of the District explaining the uses of and how to use the system. It will be used for things such as school closings, truancy, etc and there will an additional opting-in for texting. When asked how soon the system will be ready, the answer was ASAP. In new business the Board approved the at risk and alternative program evaluation along with evaluations for the Parents as Teachers Program and Federal Programs. Bryant then presented to the Board a six-month comparison from this year and for the same time period last year, and although the dollar amounts are down in a lot of revenue areas, dollar amounts are up in other areas and all and all, Bryant is fairly pleased with the findings, but again stressed the importance of operating on a tight budget with no padding as compared to in past years. Bryant did tell the Board that the budget for next year would be done earlier this year in light of the impending transition at the end of the school year. After approval of budget amendments, Bryant informed the Board the he plans to do a monthly budget update through the end of this school year to help make the transition easier. The Junior High Football Cooperative Program was then presented to the Board. The program is designed to allow schools such as the rural schools in Dent County, to participate in football, which is the one sport the rural schools do not offer. Salem R-80 would be the host school and supply equipment and such as they do now for their junior high students, and the rural schools would supply their own transportation to practice and the games. The practices and games would be held in Salem. The junior high football equipment is not as expensive as the senior high equipment. Often times in the rural school children play grade school football, and they have no junior high football and miss those years of playing until they get to senior high and this would help fill that gap. Although nothing is final at this time the Board was asked for permission to pursue further information about the program and to talk more with the rural schools before any other action is taken at which time the issue would be brought back to the Board for their approval. The Board agreed. The Board then accepted the resignation of Paraprofessional Terrie Burchett as of December 21, 2009 after 11 years of service and the Board also accepted the resignation of Christy Bryant as of June 30, 2010 after 16 years of service. One item that was added to the consent agenda was the 2010 Graduation date change. Due to a conflict with a previous engagement of the Quiz Bowl Team, the Graduation date for 2010 has been moved to May 21st and was approved by the Board. The Board then voted to go into closed session.

Crews have reached three miners that were trapped after an underground equipment fire Thursday at The Doe Run Company's No. 29 mine near Viburnum. A truck fire broke out about 11:00 Thursday morning and blocked the exit from the mine for three employees. All miners were immediately evacuated except for three which waited in an underground refuge chamber waiting for the mine rescue teams to reach them, according to The Doe Run Company. Rescue crews reached the miners about 3:00 p.m. Medical professionals checked out the miners when they reached the surface, according to Bob Roscoe, vice president of mining at The Doe Run Company's Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling Division (SEMO).

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program would provide $72,000 to local Missouri organizations to promote job growth in rural communities. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made the money available through the Rural Business Enterprise Grants program, which provides funding to help new and existing small businesses in rural areas. According to the USDA, these funds can be used for adult education, start-up and working capital loans, renovations, transportation improvements, and project planning. The Salem Area Community Betterment Association will receive $27,000 and the Randolph County Sheltered Industries, Inc. in Bunker will receive $45,000. Funding to states and localities through the economic recovery package will be allocated through existing federal programs like these, rather than earmarks, in order to ensure prompt distribution and better accountability. Local projects receive funds from these grants by following the process set up by each program.

Some of the photos printed at the Costume Ball had some printing errors on them. The photographer, Beth Watson has reprinted all photos, so you can have a clear copy. You may pick up the new photo at the TCRC in the “Salem Freedom Activity Center” (the old National Guard Armory) at your convenience and at no charge. Charles Pace at the TCRC is also making a disk with all of the photos from the ball on it. For those that attended the ball, and would like to have a copy of the disk, you may pick this up at the TCRC and again there is no charge. If you attended the Costume Ball you will want to be sure to get these. For more information, call 729-8163. 

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