HERMANN — After deciding in recent years that having an on-campus police presence wasn’t quite feasible, the Gasconade County R-1 School District is reconsidering adding a School Resource Officer to its roster of employees.

Superintendent Geoff Neill Thursday night mentioned renewed efforts to have a SRO — a uniformed licensed law enforcement officer — as part of the district’s emphasis on student safety. R-1 is in the midst of tightening security at the three buildings with the planned construction of new, more secure entrances. Drawings for the new entrances are in hand, but construction has been sidelined while the district awaits the materials needed for the project — another victim of the still-unwinding supply-chain kinks stemming from the slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Neill has been in talks with Hermann Police Chief Marlon Walker about the district having a dedicated officer, but the city police force still is trying to return to full strength during a time of law enforcement personnel shortages. It might be up to the school district to hire its own SRO, which means R-1 could find itself competing with cities and counties for the limited number of available law enforcement officers.

“I think the biggest hurdle will be finding someone to hire,” Neill told the R-1 directors. Despite the difficulty, having a SRO will remain a goal of the administration.

“I think it’s something we definitely should look at,” the superintendent said.

The board’s session was held two weeks later than usual because property assessment figures were not ready in two of the four counties that contain a portion of R-1 that were needed to calculate the district’s property tax rate for this year. (See related story.)

In other matters, Neill offered a reminder to parents that forms for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program must be turned in by Sept. 30. Also, he noted that the federal government is no longer providing support for free meals, so it’s important that parents submit the forms in order to determine if their student is eligible for the program.

“Please get those in,” Neill said.

Latin Honors being considered

The district is poised to join other area schools in changing the way graduates are recognized. Administrators are looking to replace the class-ranking method with the Latin Honors system of recognizing ranges of Grade Point Average — a move they say will make more graduates eligible for scholarships from colleges and universities. Rather than striving for first or second in class ranking (Valedictorian and Salutatorian positions), students will be able to schedule the classes that will benefit them the most as they sharpen their focus on specific areas. The Latin Honors system has students graduating cum laude (with honors), magna cum laude (with high honors) or summa cum laude (with highest honors), based on their collective grade point averages.

Hermann High School Principal Chip Stutzman told the board that parents and students in the Hermann Middle School and in the HHS freshman class were informed about the two programs to obtain input.

“Maybe it’s time we get our kids moving in that direction,” Stutzman said of the Latin Honors system.

If R-1 does make that move, it would begin with this year’s freshman class, Stutzman said. That means this year’s sophomore class would be the last class with students tailoring their course schedules to give them the best chance at obtaining a GPA high enough to put them in contention for Valedictorian or Salutatorian honors.

Legislative priorities listed

The R-1 directors unanimously adopted a set of recommendations for the legislative priorities that will be considered by the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) for the 2023 session of the Missouri General Assembly. The recommendations — which might or might not be included in MSBA’s final list of legislative priorities — include: 

• Adequate and equitable public school funding;

•Examination and review of the Foundation Formula to ensure it meets the needs of all school districts;

• The board requests the MSBA Platform add support for quick movement on the expansion of high-speed internet to all parts of Missouri;

• Regarding Child Nutrition Programs, the board is requesting the removal of the word “economical” and replacing it with “free,” with the board believing that universal free school meals are essential; 

• Regarding immunizations, the R-1 board is requesting clarifying language on vaccination requirements; and,

• The local board also is requesting to add to the legislative wishlist that students who wish to transfer must declare by May 1 that they are committed to attending the new district.