Malta Bend school board appoints new member

The Malta Bend School Board appointed a new member to fill its vacant seat during the regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 18.

Walden Chevalier Sr. was appointed by the board after discussions with an attorney to ascertain whether there was conflict because Chevalier's son, Walden Chevalier, Jr., is already a member of the board.

The attorney advised that it was legal. Chevalier Jr. was asked to step outside while they discussed the appointment. Mike Malter moved to appoint Chevalier Sr. and the motion passed unanimously.

Chevalier Sr. will begin school board duties immediately. The seat became open when former board member Debbie Kiser resigned from the board in order to take employment within the school district.

The board then discussed the results of Missouri Assessment Program testing and the Adequate Yearly Progress Report which is a part of the "No Child Left Behind" program.

The program sets out standards of progress towards the goal of 100 percent student competence by 2013. Superintendent Ryan Nowlin reported that Malta Bend students are meeting the annual proficiency standard set forth by the program

"It's great news, excellent news," Nowlin said.

The board then discussed the possibility of enrolling in the "textcaster" program. Textcaster is a program that allows the school to send text messages to cellphones and other wireless devices. The system would be used to notify parents of school closing and other school events, the program would be optional to parents and would cost $2,000 to implement, although in many cases a bank in the community sponsors the system in exchange for advertisement on the messages.

Boardmember Chevalier Jr., moved that they go forward with the textcaster system only if there was a bank that would be willing to sponsor the system. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

In other business, the board approved a request by Malta Bend Band Director James Duncan to take an overnight trip to Springfield for the Missouri State University homecoming band competition.

Duncan said in a letter that the trip would be good preparation for the upcoming band trip to the Liberty Bowl. The board voted to allow the overnight trip if a minimum of 10 parents go along as chaperones.

Nowlin reported a number of donations to the band for the Liberty Bowl trip, Nowlin reported that the trip fund is now $3,705 short of the goal of $15,000 for the trip.

He also thanked the Mt. Leonard Baptist church for donating school supplies as well as the Malta Bend American Legion for donating a large cooler.

First grade teacher Veronica Bondy reported that the CTA is collecting box tops from General Mills products in the box tops for education program. Bondy said that Malta Band was ranked 14th in the state last year in boxtop collections and the CTA hoped to do well again this year.

The school board will again meet in closed session on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

The board also approved fundraisers for the FFA, the Ag department, the band and the sophomore class.

On the Net:

www.boxtops4education.com

Contact Zach Sims at

marshallbusiness@socket.net