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The Salem R-80 Board of Education held their regular meeting Thursday night. After the consent agenda, Superintendent Steve Bryant discussed the free and reduced lunch count, which is down 33 this year for a total of 736, compared to last years 769. Also discussed was the January membership that is 1,469 this year, compared to 1,510 for the same time period last year. Bryant emphasized the membership count is important to the extent that it impacts title programs and grants. In legislative updates, Bryant informed the board that the State Chamber is pushing for a later start date for school in order for more tourism dollars to be generated around the state. He also encouraged the board members to contact their legislative representatives and let them know that R-80 opposes open enrollment bills of any kind. Salem R-80 received two donations for which they are very thankful. The Salem Rotary Club donated $300 to all the schools in the county to be used for necessities for the children such as coats. The Judson Young Foundation donated $30,000 and Bryant said that is being considered for use for new band uniforms.  The Upper Elementary building addition started and then the weather turned bad, but the gas and water is in place, the footings have been poured and the forms are up with a lot of the materials already on site for work to resume as soon as weather permits. Also discussed was the Dent County School Administrators meeting that meets every other month to discuss legislative issues and other district school issues. At the meeting, they discussed cooperative purchasing in order for all districts to save money. The school calendars are being prepared for next year, so there was a discussion about sharing a band instructor and also co-coordinating curriculum at that meeting. In new business, Representative Jason Smith sent Certificates of Appreciation to the board members. There was a presentation from three teachers on the K-2 reading program in detail. Further education of the instructors and new implementations are planned for the future. A letter of retirement was read from Mike Johnson effective the last day of the school year, and Will Harmon will resign as 9th grade basketball coach. The Board postponed making a decision for an assistant band director position as they are looking into a couple of possibilities. The board then adjourned their regular meeting and went into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel. In closed session, the board voted to employ Don Smith as the senior high Assistant Principal for the 2007-08 school year. He is currently serving as the interim for the remainder of the 2006-07 school year. These administrators were then re-employed for the 2007-08 school year: Kriste Crocker as principal at the lower elementary school; Melanie Wisdom as principal of the upper elementary school; John McColloch as the junior high assistant principal; Larry Maxwell as the junior high principal; John Smith as principal at the senior high and Susan Jenkins as the Director of Special Programs. The BOE also voted to re-employ Assistant Superintendent Cindy Rumpf and offered her a two-year contract. The meeting was then adjourned.  

On February 13, 2007, a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper and a member of the South Central Drug Task Force went to the residence of 23-year old Andrew L. Bates of Salem, to serve a warrant for endangering the welfare of a child-second degree. The trooper and task force member received consent to search the residence and located methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. During the search of the home, officers also noted the presence of a one-year-old infant. Along with the warrant arrest, Bates was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child-second degree, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Accompanying Bates at his residence was 26-year old Christian M. Kepple of Salem. Kepple was also arrested for the drug violations and endangering the welfare of a child-second degree. Both Bates and Kepple were incarcerated in lieu of a $7,000.00 cash only bond. The Dent County Sheriff’s Department assisted the trooper and task force member in this investigation.

About 300 people attended the Salem FFA Chapter’s 60^th Anniversary Sunday at the Salem High School Gymnasium. Former FFA students, Ag teachers and friends gathered and heard about the Salem FFA from the days of B. Oscar Brown up to the present days with instructor Bob Parsons from different FFA members from different decades. Memorabilia was plentiful from scrapbooks and awards to old movies of the FFA boxing matches and FFA trips.

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Today..Partly cloudy and breezy, high near 60.
Tonight..Partly cloudy with a 30% chance for rain after midnight, low around 40.
Tuesday.. Cloudy with a 30% chance for light rain, high of 55.
Tuesday night..Mostly clear, low of 32.
Wednesday..Mostly sunny, high of 63.