Education

By Ashley Luthans Two Central High School students shared their gratitude after receiving recognition from a national program. Charlie Horn was given the First Generation National Recognition Award, and Aaron McAllister received the Hispanic National Recognition Award. Both awards were handed down from the College Board National Recognition Program. Horn, a senior, said he was

By Jazmine Knight With the recent additions of a brand new simulated manufacturing facility and a newly renovated health science wing, Hillyard Technical Center has a lot to show off during the HTC Showcase. The event gives eighth, ninth and 10th grade students, along with their families, a chance to explore the state-of-the-art facilities and

By Ashley Luthans Financial aid can be crucial for college students, and many benefit from Free Application for Federal Student Aid. However, there were some delays last year that are expected to continue this year. Taylea Luedke, a freshman at Missouri Western State University, said that she dealt with last year’s delays, explaining that it

By NewsPress Now (StatePoint) When a new school year begins, most teachers don’t wait long before they begin scheduling tests, and assigning loads of homework and reading assignments. Here are three tips for helping kids stay on top of all their coursework: 1. Focus on organization: One of the most valuable life skills a student

By Jazmine Knight Parents of children who receive free and reduced lunch may be entitled to new benefits. The St. Joseph School District just announced Missouri’s approval of the Summer EBT 2024 program. This program is made possible by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Summer EBT gives

By Jazmine Knight With the St. Joseph school board approving the long-range plan at its Aug. 26 meeting, community members have mixed opinions on the next steps for St. Joseph schools. The long-range plan lays out goals to eventually build two new St. Joseph School District high schools, improving the school feeder system. The plan

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph School District leaders are continuing to make security a priority this school year, with some upgrades on the way, like metal detectors at sporting events, and others still in the works. “We’ve received plenty of money over the last four or five years to help with security improvements within our

By Jazmine Knight Parents at four St. Joseph schools that struggle the most with attendance will have a new incentive for making sure their kids get to class this year. Carden Park Elementary, Lindbergh Elementary, Robidoux Middle School and Lafayette High School parents will be competing for two opportunities to earn a $500 gift card,

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School District made a few decisions during the August 26th board meeting. The board approved the long range plan with six votes in support and one member abstaining. Superintendent, Gabe Edgar, says there’s still a lot of work to do over the next couple of months but he’s happy

By Kendra Simpson “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison received the green light to stay in St. Joseph School District libraries, but some community members still aren’t happy about its place in local schools. In June, the district announced it would be forming a committee to review books that were challenged by community members. The

By Jazmine Knight The school year has just begun, but district leaders are already thinking ahead to how to improve attendance this year. Attendance has been an ongoing problem for St. Joseph schools. In 2022, attendance rates stood at 70.6%. They hit 78.91% in 2023 and 77.56% in 2024. “So what that has us doing

By NewsPress Now (StatePoint) At a time of declining enrollment and rising college costs, extra support of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) can give more young people a chance at a bright future. “HBCUs nurture the success of tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why investing in the HBCU community is critically important,” says Dewey Norwood, senior

By Jazmine Knight Wednesday morning was full of nervous jitters but laughter and smiles, too, as St. Joseph students celebrated the first day of school. The 2024-25 school year is in session, and students have different things to look forward to. Second grader Bentley Harris said he’s looking forward to recess. “That’s all I really

By Jazmine Knight The first day of school is usually full of surprises, but choir students at Central High School received one that was particularly grand. Central High School’s choir program was surprised with a grand piano as they entered class Wednesday. The school purchased a Yamaha CX3 grand piano. This comes after the April

By NewsPress Now (StatePoint) Say goodbye to dull, white walls and hello to a world of color and personality! A new survey by Duck brand finds college students and teachers are on a mission to turn their small spaces into feel-good, stylish surroundings. From creating DIY bulletin boards to covering cubbies and desks with fun

By Jazmine Knight Hillyard Technical Center students will be able to hone their skills in a new facility this school year. Hillyard hosted the ribbon-cutting for its brand new stimulated manufacturing facility Tuesday morning. The 22,000-square-foot facility, on the campus at 36th and Faraon streets, will be ready for students when classes begin on Wednesday.

By Kyle Schmidt Back-to-school supplies cost parents an average of $875, according to the National Retail Federation, but student-athletes have to tack on a bit more to prepare for their extracurriculars. Brad Spinner, athletic director at Lafayette High School, spoke about the costs of athletics, even without a registration fee. “Your soccer requires cleats and

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph teachers and staff geared up for the school year Monday morning at Civic Arena with the annual convocation. District employees welcomed in the 2024 school year with speeches from board members, the superintendent and special performances from students across multiple St. Joseph schools. During convocation, Robert Sigrist, assistant superintendent of

By Leah Rainwater The St. Joseph School District Board of Education discussed possible firms in the search for a new superintendent Monday night in a special meeting. Both firms, the Missouri School Boards’ Association and the Education, Governance and Leadership Association were interviewed by the SJSD Board of Education. Ultimately, the board voted for the

By Jenna Wilson With the start of school looming, the St. Joseph School District is looking to keep students safe by preventing bullying in the classroom. Dr. Samantha Davis, SJSD coordinator of counseling, said starting a new school year can be difficult for students who have concerns about encountering bullying from their peers, but school

By Jazmine Knight As parents load their child’s school supplies in their backpack, some may wonder how those supplies will hold up by the end of the year, especially depending on if the supplies are sticking with the student or being shared with the class. Some families might not have a preference when it comes

By Charles Christian Like their public school colleagues, St. Joseph private schools administrators, teachers and staff are preparing for the new school year. Natalie Newville begins her first full school year as president of the St. Joseph Catholic Academy. She said the preparation of the Academy is unique, because of five separate campuses under one

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School District searched for standout candidates at its final hiring fair before the beginning of the school year. As previously reported, the district is looking for a number of positions including paraprofessionals, campus supervisors and interventionists. First-time attendee Alex Schaffer said the event gave applicants a chance to speak

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph School District officials hosted a back-to-school news conference on Wednesday to answer questions of public interest. The panel consisted of Superintendent Gabe Edgar; Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Brian Kraus; Assistant Superintendent of Academic and Education Services Ashly McGinnis and Director of Nonacademic Services Shannon Nolte. One of the first

By Chris Fortune Buchanan County and the St. Joseph School District will lean toward an automated process to report attendance issues in the upcoming school year. The PowerSchool system, which tracks attendance, will automatically alert the county diversion officer if attendance falls below a certain level. In the past, the school district relied solely on

By Jazmine Knight As teacher recruitment remains a key focus locally and nationwide, the St. Joseph School District is making one final attempt to hire new employees for the upcoming school year. Brian Kraus, assistant superintendent of human resources, said the district is in need of classified positions, which is why it will host one

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School Board met to hear community opinions on the current challenged books and discuss progress on the long range plan. The meeting started with residents taking turns to voice their concerns with some of the district’s challenged books. Currently, the district has 10 challenged books including “The Bluest Eye”

By Leah Rainwater Local students will be walking the school halls in a new pair of kicks thanks to the Soles for Christ shoe distribution program, which began Monday morning. The goal of the program is not only to help families financially by providing students with a free new pair of shoes but also to

By Kendra Simpson First Student is giving St. Joseph students the opportunity to get comfortable with buses before the school year starts. In an effort to ensure bus services resume as safely and smoothly as possible, First Student will be hosting four “Meet the Bus” sessions from 10 to 11 a.m. and 11 a.m. to

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph residents were wrapped around the building for Salvation Army’s back-to-school drive on Thursday. Each student received a backpack filled with school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, crayons and more. All of the items were donated through United Way of Greater St. Joseph’s Stuff the Bus event, where community members could