CCR-1 School District Loses Another Administrator

By Mike Scott

For the second time in less than a month, the Clark County R-1 School District is dealing with the loss of an administrator.  The school board accepted the resignation at their Thursday, June 13, meeting.

Dr. Susan Rossmiller, principal of the Indian Pride Learning Center, resigned Thursday.Rossmiller has been hired by the Highland School District as their new high school principal.

“It’s a huge loss to our district,” said Superintendent Dr. Ritchie Kracht.  “But its a great career move for Susan, and we wish her the best.”

In addition to serving as principal at the Indian Pride Learning Center, Rossmiller was responsible for the Early Childhood and Special Education programs.

“She is one of the best in the state of Missouri at understanding everything there is about those programs,” Kracht added.

Rossmiller will be replaced at the Indian Pride Learning Center by long-time high school counselor Megan Wendling.

“Megan has past experience in Early Childhood and Special Education,” said Kracht.  “It’s still going to be a steep learning curve for her.”

As of Friday, June 14, the CCR-1 District was looking to fill the position of Principal at Black Hawk Elementary School, which was recently vacated by the retirement of Julie Brotherton.  Wendling’s transfer to the Indian Pride Learning Center leave a high school counselor position open.  In addition, the district is seeking a middle school language arts teacher, a title reading teacher, and, of course, bus drivers.

Kracht also gave board members an update on the bond issue funding.  At this point, there is $27,961 still available.

“We will likely use it for some Building Trades projects we have planned for next year,” Kracht said.  “We can do that because they would be capital improvements.”

In other business, the board:

-Approved the Early Childhood calendar.

-Updated the gym/fitness center usage to require that a parent be present when school-aged children are using the facilities.  In some cases, older students or recent graduate have been allowing younger students access to the facilities without proper supervision.

-Updated the weighted grade policy.  Under the current policy, up to eight dual-credit or college classes could be weighted.  In addition, any Advanced Placement courses can also be weighted.  Currently, the only AP course available is Music Theory, which could give music students an advantage in class standing.  The district changed the policy to provide for any combination of dual-credit, college credit or AP courses, up to eight total, to be weighted.

-Declared school bus number 9 to be surplus property.  It is a 2002 bus with 189,000 miles.  The school will accept bid to sell it.

-Approved the purchase of 80 non-touchscreen Chromebooks for the Middle School, at a cost of $236.65 each, and 70 touchscreen Chromebooks for the High School at $297.68 each.  In addition, they purchased 150 licenses for the computers at $25 each.  New Chromebooks are purchased each year, and rotated as to which classes will get them.  This fall, seventh and tenth graders will get the new computers, and those being replaced will be used at the elementary level.

The total cost of the new computers is $43,519.