Education

By Jazmine Knight Missouri Western State University announced on Wednesday that they have hired a new provost. Dr. Jay Johnson has been appointed as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Johnson says it’s an honor to assume the role. He believes Missouri Western is a leader in economic and social mobility for the St.

By Ashley Luthans A new after-school club has been formed at Lindbergh Elementary School with help from a local business. More than 20 ukulele kits were donated by Lanham Music to help form the club. Sara Verduzco, an employee at Lanham, said the business wanted to give back and bring music to everyone. “We love

By NewsPress Now St. Joseph School District attendance is at its highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic ended. District officials released the year-to-date attendance report for November, showing rates increased from the August report. District attendance currently sits at 85.89%. K-12 attendance rates have improved compared to 2023 with ninth grade leading by almost 7%

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph School District is asking for the community’s input as leaders look toward the future. A survey titled “Portrait of a Graduate” asks for a list of essential characteristics people believe are necessary for a student’s future success. The district has put together a team of stakeholders, students, educators and

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph School District officials are sharing some impressive scores from this past fall’s end of course exams. “At the beginning of the year, we do assessments in our EOC tested areas for the high schools and also Algebra I in eighth grade,” said Dr. Ashly McGinnis, assistant superintendent of academics. The

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School Board gathered for another school board meeting Monday night. Starting off strong with recognitions, the district honored Raider cadets that completed the JROTC National Ranger Challenge. Following that, the district recognized George Willoughby as a Cross Country Class 5 State Medalist and the Benton High School Cross Country

By Kendra Simpson Central High School will celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit this Friday in honor of American Enterprise Day. During lunch, Central’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will host a Trivia and Treats event. Two students, Rudy Habiger and Jacob Orth, will share key aspects of the American economic system by asking trivia questions

By Jazmine Knight Missouri Western State University and North Central Missouri College gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new Houlne Center for Convergent Technology on Friday. The 20,000-square-foot laboratory provides practical and applied learning in industries such as skilled manufacturing, construction and innovative service technologies. “This has been a two to two and

By Jazmine Knight Voters may see a proposal for a new high school next spring as St. Joseph School District officials continue to move forward with their long-range plan. Following a meeting of the school board on Monday, President LaTonya Williams said the next step in improving district facilities is to put the construction of

By Jenna Wilson As construction continues on the South 29th bridge near Pickett Road, some parents are frustrated their kids have to cross through a ravine to get to the school bus. “Now that they’ve started construction there is no longer a bridge here,” said Courtney Chamberlain, a mother who lives in the neighborhood. “These

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School board met Monday evening at the Troester Media Center to discuss updates and to review yet another challenged book. Originally challenged on May 29 and retained in Sept., “Looking For Alaska,” the 2005 novel by John Green, has recently been appealed for being too inappropriate for SJSD students.

By Brandpoint (BPT) (BPT) – With 18 million Veterans living in the United States today, Veterans Day is not only an opportunity to recognize the men and women who have served the country, but also celebrate their successes after service. Military service and life afterwards is often shrouded in misconceptions. Many of us are unaware

By Brandpoint (BPT) (BPT) – Professor David W. Miller, executive director of the Princeton Faith & Work Initiative and lecturer at Princeton University, has announced his latest white paper, “The Ethics of Organizational Change.” The paper offers an academic perspective on organizational change and transformation at the intersection of historic, cultural and social change. In

By Jazmine Knight With the large influx of non-English speakers in the area, the St. Joseph School District has a free program designed to help that community. Through SJSD’s adult education program at the Keatley Center, adults at any level can learn English at no cost. “Some of them can speak to you. Some of

By Brandpoint (BPT) (BPT) – Murals aren’t just large-scale works of art — though they function all on their own to beautify public spaces. They also serve as powerful platforms for cultural expression and highlight the vibrancy of their communities. According to research from nonprofit Americans for the Arts, art in public spaces (like murals)

By Jazmine Knight Attendance within the St. Joseph School District is starting to look up. Ashly McGinnis, assistant superintendent of academic services, said numbers have significantly improved as students readjust from the impact of the COVID pandemic. In October of 2022, the district sat at 79.55% for attendance across all schools. A year later, the

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School Board had their hands full as they hosted several scheduled meetings on Oct. 28 On the agenda, the board voted on multiple actions regarding various construction projects and policy changes. The board selected DLR Group as their architectural firm for the proposed construction of a new high school.

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph students Lou Lengudi and Emily Dalrymple always knew they wanted to go into education. Now, through the Career Pathways to Teaching program, those dreams are becoming a reality sooner than they could ever imagine. It all started four years ago when the St. Joseph School District decided to help grow

By NewsPress Now Another donation is helping with the finishing touches as the inspireU Children’s Discovery Center enters its final weeks of construction. According to officials with the Mosaic Life Care Foundation, the Proper/Fricke family made a $120,000 donation towards the $19 million project. The money will help with special programming and events during Children’s

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph school leaders are seeking to improve communication with parents who have limited or no English skills with a new position. As the immigrant population increases, LaTonya Williams, president of the school board, thinks it’s important that the district is prioritizing English learners as adults. “It’s good in order to give

By Jazmine Knight School lockdowns, fires or tornado drills can be daunting for any student. For a student who is deaf or blind, however, the situation can be all the more difficult to navigate. For Isaiah Middendorf, a visually impaired sixth grader in the Stewartsville School District, he’s used to having accommodations made for him,

By Jazmine Knight Six St. Joseph educators are bringing learning and creativity to a whole new level, and now, they have the funding to do so thanks to the Apple Seed Grant. On Thursday, Oct. 17, the “prize patrol” comprised of the SJSD Foundation, visited six local schools starting at Central High School then moving

By Jazmine Knight During Tuesday’s St. Joseph school board meeting, officials discussed a plethora of items including more information on the long-range plan. As part of the agenda, the board reviewed an RFQ that requested various architectural engineering land-surveying firms that the board would potentially work alongside to build a new high school. “We asked

By Ashley Luthans Hundreds of high school students filled the Civic Arena on Tuesday morning for the annual My Success Event hosted by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. The event invited students to learn more about what they can do after high school, from jobs to college to the military. Kristi Bailey, director of

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School District continued discussions about a new superintendent at Monday’s board meeting at Troester Media Center. During the meeting, the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) presented results from a community survey and focus groups. The survey garnered 673 responses from parents, teachers, community members, staff, students and more. “The

By Jazmine Knight An investigation is underway after claims a bus carrying St. Joseph School District students failed to follow its normal route Friday morning. A St. Joseph parent said in a social media post that the bus on route 45 to Eugene Field Elementary made multiple unscheduled stops and was late arriving at school,

By Ashley Luthans A new after-school program is being offered by the YWCA for teens ages 12-19 in St. Joseph, providing a large space for teens to relax, learn and meet new people. The Grove, located on the corner of Faraon and Eighth streets, is a program and space for middle and high schoolers to

By Brandpoint (BPT) (BPT) – What’s next for branded content? Branded content is a powerful, targeted way to connect with consumers, aligning your brand with their values. And it’s highly effective. A Nielsen report found branded content produced 86% brand recall. According to the International Journal of Advertising, branded content is 22 times more effective

By Jazmine Knight It’s a win-win for hungry people: Eat a tenderloin on Thursday and help pay a local student’s lunch debt. The rules of the St. Joseph School District’s Tenderloin Challenge are simple. Visit one of 15 participating restaurants for the local favorite sandwich on any Thursday in October and $1 from your meal

By Jazmine Knight Two St. Joseph educators are in the spotlight for statewide achievements. Landi Quinlin, who works at Truman Middle School, was awarded the Northwest region middle-level principal of the year by the Missouri Association of Secondary Principals. Jill Huntsman, the director at Hillyard Technical Center was honored as administrator of the year by