Education

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

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School Board conducted a special meeting to discuss the request for proposals, or RFPs, submitted in the search for a new superintendent. The search comes after current superintendent, Gabe Edgar, announced his retirement from the district earlier this summer. SJSD Board President, LaTonya Williams, says replacing Dr. Edgar will

By Leah Rainwater The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the St. Joseph School District celebrated the opening of a newly renovated health wing at Hillyard Technical Center on Monday. What used to be the dental school at Hillyard was renovated into a health wing, which now houses more opportunities to train students interested in

By Kirsten Stokes With less than three weeks until the St. Joseph School District is back in session, the shift from enjoying summer activities to morning alarms can pose a challenge for some students. Dr. Samantha Davis, coordinator of counseling with the district, said the biggest thing a parent can do for their child is

By Jazmine Knight With the school year right around the corner, many families might be shopping for a new wardrobe, but this isn’t always an easy task with trends constantly changing and kids constantly growing. Lindsey Bradford, store manager of Bling Glamour in St. Joseph, said cargo and flannel are in style right now. “Definitely

By Ashley Luthans St. Joseph School District Board of Education members took part in a retreat Monday to discuss the upcoming school year. Board President LaTonya Williams led the meeting. Williams explained that the purpose of the meeting was to get all school board members on the same page. “(It’s a) kickoff meeting,” Williams said.

By Jazmine Knight Missouri Western State University is preparing for the opening of its new Convergent Technology Alliance Center building, now with an official name. Named the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology, this building aims to provide a 20,000-square-foot workforce development laboratory for areas such as manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity and other related industries. The building

By NewsPress Now Missourians will get a break on the cost of school supplies during the state’s annual sales tax holiday from Friday, Aug. 2, to Sunday, Aug. 4. During that weekend, purchases such as school supplies, computers, clothing and other qualifying items as defined by statute are exempt from all state and local sales

By NewsPress Now A new face will be leading the esports program at Missouri Western State University. Alec “Chance” Mueller has been named the new director of Griffon Esports, effective Aug. 1. He previously was esports head coach at Ashland University in Ohio. In his new role, Mueller will oversee all aspects of MWSU’s esports

By Jazmine Knight Free child care is on the way for St. Joseph School District employees. District employees will have free before- and after-school child care after the school board approved a child care initiative in partnership with the YMCA at Monday’s board meeting. The YMCA is offering to cover the costs of 50 children.

By Kendra Simpson A few St. Joseph teachers won’t have to worry about purchasing school supplies this year thanks to a local car dealership. Anderson Auto Group will randomly fulfill teachers’ Amazon wish lists through a posting on its Facebook page this week. Teachers take days, if not weeks, to prepare their classrooms, but that’s