Lebanon R-3 School Board in Session Tuesday night

With new legislative requirements dictating when schools can begin the 2020-2021 school year, the R-3 district continues to tweak the calendar. The Board of Directors was provided with an update on those calendar changes during Tuesday night’s meeting. R-3 Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Brad Armstrong, told the board they have retooled some of the staff professional development days……….

Another change that was made was to the Christmas break. Students were going to be released early on Tuesday, December 22nd, but will now be released early on Friday, December 18th. Teachers had expressed some concerns to the calendar committee about student focus and attendance during a two-day week. The first day of school is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 24th, and the last day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th. Further changes could be made before the board finalizes the 2020-2021 school calendar.

The district has also set the date for the 2020 Summer Experience. R-3 Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Laura O’Quinn, told the board the Summer Experience format has been very successful………

Registration for the 2020 Summer Experience and Launch will begin April 13th. Dr. O’Quinn has set an attendance goal of 14-hundred students for the Summer Experience, and 425 for Launch (with an 80 percent completion goal).

The board was also given an update on the process of razing the Wallace and Rainey buildings on the old junior high campus site. R-3 Superintendent, Dr. David Schmitz, told the board that contractors have found 3-time capsules in the facility. Two of those, from 1912 and 1924, were damaged by the elements. Dr. Schmitz told the board the capsule from 1939 was still sealed, and the district has special plans for that one……

Many residents have inquired about obtaining a brick from the old facility, and those will be available at a later date. Dr. Schmitz says the district will provide that information to residents when it becomes available.

Dr. Schmitz also provided the board with an update on legislation that has been filed during this session. Dr. Schmitz told the board many of these bills are an attack on public school funding……….

Board members were also provided with an update on the construction at Maplecrest Elementary, the Curriculum, and Instruction program, the Library Services program, and the 2020-2021 budget development plan during Tuesday night’s meeting.