Education

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph Christian School celebrated its 2024 graduating class on May 12 with 28 graduating seniors receiving diplomas. The graduation ceremony held at Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church was presented with an opening prayer by Mr. Todd Miller, Teacher of the Year Announcement, Salutatorian address from student Lilly Walker, Valedictorian address from student

By Riley Funk The Bishop LeBlond Class of 2024 walked the stage Friday evening, wrapping up their high school careers. Families and friends gathered at Our Lady of Guadelupe for the ceremony, but first took part in the 64th Annual Baccalaureate Mass. Forty-three seniors were recognized for their achievement, and some received special honors. Six

By Jazmine Knight St. Joseph students will have new opportunities to be scientists and mathematicians in the classroom thanks to a donation aimed to uplift STEM learning. Thanks to Optimum’s donation of $25,000, the St. Joseph School District is now turning to teachers to create fun, innovative STEM projects. Teachers can submit their ideas through

By Jenna Wilson Dozens of JROTC cadets protested outside of Lafayette High School on Thursday in support of Master Sgt. Jamaal Anderson, who was placed on administrative leave by the St. Joseph School District. News-Press NOW has been following this story since last week. District officials have said they are avoiding commenting on the situation

By Jazmine Knight More than 30 St. Joseph students took the first step on a promising career path on Thursday. Hillyard Technical Center hosted its Apprenticeship Signing Day where 36 students accepted offers from their desired companies. Some of those companies include the St. Joseph School District, Midland Steel, Altec, Herzog, Lifeline Foods, multiple car

By Chris Fortune Four-day school weeks were rejected in St. Joseph, and a new bill signed by the governor may reduce the likelihood of the issue arising again any time soon. Gov. Mike Parson signed Senate Bill 727 into law on Wednesday, addressing elementary and secondary education and incentivizing a five-day school week. The Department

By NewsPress Now With the traditional school year wrapping up, enrollment is on for summer classes through the St. Joseph School District. The summer program, Catapult Missouri Summer Journey, is free but to secure transportation for the first day parents must register students by Friday, May 10. Classes run from Tuesday, May 28, through Friday,

By Marcus Clem Several future educators in St. Joseph received special recognition on Tuesday. The Hillyard Tech Center is best known for its capacity to train young students in the industrial arts, such as welding, robotics and automotive technology. However, it is also the site of a program that trains students interested in becoming teachers.

By Marcus Clem An impactful reform to public education is sitting on the desk of Missouri’s chief executive, and local leaders have a lot to say about it. Senate Bill 727 passed the Missouri General Assembly on April 24, starting a 15-day clock for Gov. Mike Parson, a second-term Republican who will leave office in

By Kirsten Stokes With universities across the country forced to eliminate funding, jobs and departments, diversity, equity and inclusion-based programs continue in Missouri — for now. DEI programs have roots in the 1960s Civil Rights movement. Today, officials who are against DEI are leaning toward, if not already, removing programs some say promote discriminatory ideology

By Jenna Wilson A Lafayette high school JROTC instructor is on administrative leave, district officials confirmed, and parents and students are speaking out against the decision. No criminal charges have been filed against Master Sgt. Jaamal Anderson, who has been a JROTC instructor in the SJSD for almost five years, but the teacher is on

By NewsPress Now Missouri Western State University is set to send its Class of 2024 off with fanfare this Saturday. About 375 students are set to graduate in two spring commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on May 4 in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. The public is invited. Doors

By NewsPress Now Several staff members will take on new leadership roles with the St. Joseph School District this summer. Promotions announced Tuesday by the Board of Education take effect July 1. Dr. Alexander Tomes will serve as principal at Robidoux Middle School. He started with the district as a biology teacher at Central High

By Marcus Clem Limited information has been confirmed about the paid administrative leave of a St. Joseph School District staffer earlier this month.  News-Press NOW filed a Missouri Sunshine Law request about the case on Monday, seeking all records about the case. Until the name of the staffer and any allegations affecting them are confirmed,

By NewsPress Now The long-serving leader of a nonprofit that promotes the interests of eight government and community organizations will now work directly for just one.  Tama Wagner was named earlier this month as chief assistant for strategic initiatives, a member of the president’s cabinet at Missouri Western State University. In this role, the university

By Marcus Clem With state oversight looming, classroom attendance rates are raising questions about the future of the St. Joseph School District. The worsening problem of local school attendance is a crisis of troubling timing because while the warmth of spring usually causes kids to show up at higher rates, the opposite is happening now.

By Marcus Clem With state oversight looming, classroom attendance rates are raising questions about the future of the St. Joseph School District. The worsening problem of local school attendance is a crisis of troubling timing because while the warmth of spring usually causes kids to show up at higher rates, the opposite is happening now.

By Marcus Clem St. Joseph’s hometown university will, like most of its peers, increase the cost of education as it responds to national and local pressures on its finances, officials decided Thursday. The Missouri Western Board of Governors met to, among other matters, approve the budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1. As

By Marcus Clem A leading nonprofit on policy for Show Me State public education agencies has an ongoing role in the governance of local schools, and also helps elected board members govern themselves. Kim Miller is now serving as the official delegate for the Missouri School Boards Association. As one of several hundred delegates, each

By Charles Christian St. Joseph Christian School is undergoing an expansion project — one expected to cost more than $9 million — that will bring several building upgrades, including a new gymnasium. The project is called Nehemiah 2.0, and in addition to a new gym, it will add five classrooms, locker rooms, a commons, a

By Marcus Clem Local students Patrick Rivas-Giorgi, Michael Tang and Claire Phillips are well accustomed to high academic achievements by now, but to be a part of a group of only 100 graduating seniors recognized as elite in Missouri is a new honor. Rivas-Giorgi and Tang, who go to Central High School, and Phillips, who

By Marcus Clem Kim and Steven Dragoo have been sentenced to serve 14 days each in jail for a misdemeanor offense on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. According to court filings, Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia passed a sentence that will require the Dragoos

By Marcus Clem People who have lost their freedom are often forced to leave young children behind, and nonprofit leaders visited St. Joseph to explain the scale of this problem. Nationwide, more than 5 million children have one or more parents who are currently incarcerated, and more than 10 million children have a parent who

By Marcus Clem An employee of the St. Joseph School District is serving a paid suspension pending an investigation of unknown cause, News-Press NOW learned Thursday. In response to questions given to him on a phone call, Superintendent Gabe Edgar said he can’t discuss any specifics about the case. Therefore, who this employee is, where

By Marcus Clem A divided St. Joseph Board of Education reelected LaTonya Williams as its president on Monday, backing newcomer Mike Moore as vice president. Williams, who won reelection as a board member on April 2, received support from Whitney Lanning, Rick Gehring and Mike Moore. She also voted for herself. Her nomination as president

By Marcus Clem Months of U.S. government bureaucratic problems have stressed out families and students across the country on the challenges of paying for higher education, including in St. Joseph. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the centerpiece of a would-be college student’s plan for figuring out how much tuition, fees, books, room

By Cameron Montemayor Nature isn’t the only thing blossoming in St. Joseph this April, as InterServ opened its new South Side after-school facility for its growing program. Located just down the street from its main King Hill Avenue building, the after-school space will help provide the long-standing organization with a centralized location for after-school activities

By Marcus Clem After more than a year of heated debate over whether and how community-input committees will continue in local public education, a final answer has arisen — they’re gone. The St. Joseph School District committed to the change and implemented it by canceling a meeting on facilities planning that had been set for

By Marcus Clem Noncompliance with policy and law has put off, for at least several weeks, usage of a $20 million public education debt plan that voters recently approved. The St. Joseph School District said that the main $1.3 million contract in the matter can’t stay in place. That’s because members of the elected Board

By Jazmine Knight Herzog Contracting hosted its annual senior day on Wednesday, showing students opportunities in the industrial and manufacturing industries. The event is designed for area seniors, however all grades are encouraged to attend. Kristi Bailey, director of communication and marketing with the Chamber of Commerce, said St. Joseph has a need for a