Below are highlights of items discussed during the open session of the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Full highlights are available online as well as the full agenda. The next regular session meeting is Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hallsville Primary School cafeteria.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
As no school board election was required this year due to the number of candidates matching the number of open positions, Craig Stevenson, Secely Kennedy, and Brian Mottaz were sworn in during this month’s meeting for their three-year terms. After they were sworn into office, the Board elected Craig Stevenson as president, Jessica Hassler as vice president, and Secley Kennedy as treasurer.
PROGRAM EVALUATIONS
The Board approved the evaluations of the At-Risk and Facilities and Grounds programs. Each review includes program goals, evidence of change, concerns, and future recommendations
CSIP GOAL 1: STUDENT LEARNING
The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) requires districts to administer a variety of assessments, including the Grade Level Assessments for grades 3-8, End of Course (EOC) testing for Algebra I, English II, Biology, and Government at the high school level, and MAP-Alternate (MAP-A) assessment for those students with severe cognitive disabilities who meet eligibility requirements determined by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team. Each assessment requires considerable preparation to ensure a seamless testing experience. The MAP-Alternate assessment has both a fall and spring component. The spring testing window opened in February and closes in mid-May. MAP and EOC testing will begin at the end of April and finish in mid-May. Administrators, counselors, teachers, and the technology department all ensure schedules are coordinated, student information is uploaded accurately, technology is synced with each testing platform, test administrators are trained, and students are prepared.
CSIP GOAL 2: EXCELLENT SCHOOLS
As part of the district’s ongoing efforts to meet the requirements of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6), building-specific surveys were conducted to support our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) and Building Improvement Plan (BIP). Surveys were sent out last week to all families and students in grades 3 through 12. Survey results are used to complete the evaluation and to set and monitor building (BIP) and district (CSIP) goals. A summary of the results will be available at the May board meeting.
CSIP GOAL 3: QUALITY GOVERNANCE
FY26 BUDGET AMENDMENT
The third budget amendment for the 2025-26 school year was reviewed and approved by the board. A budget amendment is presented each spring to provide as accurate a foundation as possible for the creation of the following year's initial budget. The District can now expect a $220,000 reduction in revenue based on the SAT (state adequacy target) being underfunded. The target funding was $7,145 per student but based on new state revenue projections, it can be assumed that the SAT will now be funded at $6,950 per student for FY26.
This amendment also addresses changes to our Capital Projects fund (Fund 4). Projected interest earnings on current money in Fund 4 has been reduced from $200,000 to $160,000. This money has been spent or transferred and is no longer accruing interest in Fund 4. At the same time we have added projected earnings of $56,000 through the remainder of FY26 from our new bond earnings investment. The recent sale of the land on Heller Rd is also now figured into the current Fund 4 budget as an additional $180,000.
As for Fund 4 expenditures, we have increased our building acquisition/construction budget from $660,000 to $890,000 to address additional money spent on the Little Indians building purchase and locker room project since the budget was approved in June 2025.
FY27 PRELIMINARY BUDGETDr. Walker shared preliminary budget projections for FY27, highlighting ongoing challenges with state and federal funding. With the SAT being reduced to as low as $6,740 (from $7,145) per student next school year, Prop C revenues coming in low, and transportation funding being cut, we are anticipating a state aid reduction of $450,000 in FY27. We do anticipate a local revenue increase of $80,000 which is on par with a normal local tax revenue increase and based on new construction within our school district. This puts the district at a grand total of $370,000 less revenue in FY27 than we are getting for the current school year.
For expenditures, the district is planning to increase salaries and hourly pay by 2.1% along with covering the 2.9% increase to employee health benefits. This comes to a total increase of $295,977 for staff wages and benefits.
The district is also decreasing our certified staff by six positions and our support staff by 2.5 positions for next year for a total reduction of $514,804 along with a projected $100,000 decrease to supplies. We are also reducing our Fund 4 transfer by $90,000 because we are no longer paying on the lease purchase, as that was paid off with new bond money. With the budget increase for salaries combined with the savings from reduced positions and supplies, we anticipate reducing expenditures by $402,453 next school year while still realizing a $834,028 deficit. Reducing the district’s operating reserve balance to 36.03%. If the state fully funded the formula as DESE has recommended, Hallsville Schools would generate an additional $635,202 which would put our deficit for next year at less than $200,000.
POLICY UPDATES
This is the second reading of Regulation 2610: Misconduct and Disciplinary Consequences. This district has added the highlighted portion regarding Threats of Violence. Board policies go into effect after the second reading.
AGREEMENTS: The Board approved the following agreements:
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E-Squared Vision Services: The new contract for the 2026-2027 school year offers a comprehensive range of services, including vision, orientation, and mobility services, all provided by a single provider located closer to the district. In contrast, the current provider only offers orientation and mobility services.
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Missouri Education Consulting: This contract provided the district with IQ and academic testing.
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Licensed School Counselor Services: The contract provides IQ testing for GATE Students.
