Education

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

By Leah Rainwater St. Joseph kids got a chance to learn all about how the city runs on Tuesday thanks to Tiny Tot Town at Civic Arena. Hosted by St. Joe Parents as Teachers MO Curriculum Partner, Tiny Tot Town is an interactive, simulated community designed to show and teach children how the town runs.

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph School District has spent the past few months reviewing 10 books challenged by the community to determine if they were fit to be on library shelves, and now, only three from that list remain undecided. “If I Was Your Girl” by Meredith Russo, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George

By Charles Christian Recruiting and retaining substitute teachers remains a challenge for the St. Joseph School District. Although the St. Joseph School District has gained ground in regard to teacher and staff pay in the last year, pay rates for substitutes have remained the same over the last several years, and the need for substitute

By Kirsten Stokes Two St. Joseph children’s advocates will be part of a statewide effort to improve kids’ well-being throughout Missouri. Dlo Duvall and Kristin White have been selected to participate in the Kids Win Missouri Early Care and Education Leader Fellowship for 2024-2025. “Just hearing stories from people of what the needs are out

By NewsPress Now Tenderloin lovers have a chance to make a difference this month, with tenderloin proceeds going toward student lunch debt each Thursday throughout October. The St. Joseph School District Foundation is hosting the 2024 Tenderloin Challenge to help tackle school lunch debt in the district. Every Thursday in October, $1 from every tenderloin

By Jazmine Knight The St. Joseph School District will be heading into their next board meeting with tons of local opinions after they completed a series of community input sessions. Spring Garden, Bode and Robidoux Middle School each hosted an hour-long session where parents, staff and local residents could voice their thoughts and opinions about

By Ashley Luthans St. Joseph School District officials and school board members presented a check to Second Harvest Community Food Bank on Wednesday after raising money for Hunger Action Month. The total amount donated was $1,360, in which funds were raised with portions of ticket sales at two “Orange Out” football games in September. Shannon

By Jazmine Knight As part of the St. Joseph School District’s superintendent search, the district is inviting the community to voice their opinions. St. Joseph School Board President LaTonya Williams shared details on how the input session will work and tips for giving constructive feedback. “It’s not going to be like an open forum kind