The winning number for the Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program is:

The shopper with the winning ticket has 24 hours to come forward to claim the $10,000 prize. Shoppers are urged to keep their tickets because if the winner hasn’t come forward by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, another number will be announced. This process will continue at 5 p.m. on weekdays until a winner comes forward with the winning ticket.

The winner MUST call the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce at (816) 232-4461 during business hours or (816) 261-3610 after business hours to arrange a time to verify the ticket. He or she MUST come to the Chamber office at 3003 Frederick Ave. before 5 p.m. Thursday to claim the prize. The person with the winning ticket should come to the Chamber to have the ticket verified, not a member of the media. Media members cannot verify a winning ticket.

For the first time ever,&nbsp;On top of the $10,000-thousand dollar grand prize, there's a new, extra cash prize of $2,500-hundred dollars this year for shopping at small businesses&nbsp;

The winning number for the Shop Small Business Bonus is:&nbsp;

The winner will be responsible for any applicable taxes.

The winner must be 18 or older. Proof of age, Social Security number, home address and place of employment (if applicable) is required to claim the prize. Chamber of Commerce staff, Chamber officers and their immediate family members (dependents living at the same address) are not eligible to win the grand prize. Participating business owners, managers and employees are eligible to win, with the exception of tickets distributed through their own place of business (including other participating locations).

One winning number per each second-chance prize were also drawn today. Those numbers will be announced after the grand prize ticket has been verified.

Certified public accountants provided oversight of the program. About 1.9 million tickets were distributed this year through the 127 participating merchants. This is up from 119 merchants last year.

This is the 17th year for the local holiday shopping program. The program’s goal is to keep holiday spending in the local economy, so sales tax collected goes back into helping St. Joseph and Buchanan County projects. Shop St. Joseph is presented by First Option Bank.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703113072873.jpeg" alt="The winning number for the Grand Prize of $10,000 during the Shop St. Joe program/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The winning number for the Grand Prize of $10,000 during the Shop St. Joe program/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The winning number for the Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program is:0608606The shopper with the winning ticket has 24 hours to come forward to claim the $10,000 prize. Shoppers are urged to keep their tickets because if the winner hasn’t come forward by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, another number will be announced. This process will continue at 5 p.m. on weekdays until a winner comes forward with the winning ticket.The winner MUST call the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce at (816) 232-4461 during business hours or (816) 261-3610 after business hours to arrange a time to verify the ticket. He or she MUST come to the Chamber office at 3003 Frederick Ave. before 5 p.m. Thursday to claim the prize. The person with the winning ticket should come to the Chamber to have the ticket verified, not a member of the media. Media members cannot verify a winning ticket.For the first time ever,&nbsp;On top of the $10,000-thousand dollar grand prize, there's a new, extra cash prize of $2,500-hundred dollars this year for shopping at small businesses&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703113509361.jpeg" alt="The winning number for the Shop Small Business Bonus during the Shop St. Joseph program/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The winning number for the Shop Small Business Bonus during the Shop St. Joseph program/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The winning number for the Shop Small Business Bonus is:&nbsp;1722584The winner will be responsible for any applicable taxes.The winner must be 18 or older. Proof of age, Social Security number, home address and place of employment (if applicable) is required to claim the prize. Chamber of Commerce staff, Chamber officers and their immediate family members (dependents living at the same address) are not eligible to win the grand prize. Participating business owners, managers and employees are eligible to win, with the exception of tickets distributed through their own place of business (including other participating locations).One winning number per each second-chance prize were also drawn today. Those numbers will be announced after the grand prize ticket has been verified.Certified public accountants provided oversight of the program. About 1.9 million tickets were distributed this year through the 127 participating merchants. This is up from 119 merchants last year.This is the 17th year for the local holiday shopping program. The program’s goal is to keep holiday spending in the local economy, so sales tax collected goes back into helping St. Joseph and Buchanan County projects. Shop St. Joseph is presented by First Option Bank.

And the winning numbers are.....

Triumph Foods is expanding in St. Joseph.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development
reports Triumph will add 88 jobs to its pork processing plant in south St. Joseph.

Triumph opened its 800-Thousand-square-foot
plant in 2006. The facility processes 1-point-5(B)Billion pounds of pork
products annually.

Triumph executives say the pork processor works
to better the St. Joseph area, donating more than 100-Thousand pounds of pork
products to local food banks this year.

Triumph used the Missouri Works program to
finance the expansion. The program provides access to capital for expansion
through tax withholdings or tax credits.

Triumph Foods employs approximately 2,400 workers.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703097311473.jpeg" alt="Triumph Foods/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Triumph Foods/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostTriumph Foods is expanding in St. Joseph.The Missouri Department of Economic Development
reports Triumph will add 88 jobs to its pork processing plant in south St. Joseph.Triumph opened its 800-Thousand-square-foot
plant in 2006. The facility processes 1-point-5(B)Billion pounds of pork
products annually.Triumph executives say the pork processor works
to better the St. Joseph area, donating more than 100-Thousand pounds of pork
products to local food banks this year.Triumph used the Missouri Works program to
finance the expansion. The program provides access to capital for expansion
through tax withholdings or tax credits.Triumph Foods employs approximately 2,400 workers.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Triumph Foods to add 88 jobs in St. Joseph

The former president of the St. Joseph area Fraternal Order of
Police has been placed on probation for defrauding the organization.

Michael Hardin has been sentenced by a federal judge to five
years of probation. He has been ordered to repay $15,000 to the
FOP.

Earlier, his wife, Sarah Hardin, had also been sentenced to
five years probation and ordered to make more than $88,000 in
restitution.

The Hardins pleaded guilty in April to three counts of wire
fraud, confessing to use FOP debit cards for personal expenses at gas stations,
stores, hotels, and restaurants.

Michael Hardin, a former St. Joseph Police Officer, served as FOP
Lodge #3 president for nearly 10 years. Sarah Hardin, who served on the
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, was FOP treasurer.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe former president of the St. Joseph area Fraternal Order of
Police has been placed on probation for defrauding the organization.Michael Hardin has been sentenced by a federal judge to five
years of probation. He has been ordered to repay $15,000 to the
FOP.Earlier, his wife, Sarah Hardin, had also been sentenced to
five years probation and ordered to make more than $88,000 in
restitution.The Hardins pleaded guilty in April to three counts of wire
fraud, confessing to use FOP debit cards for personal expenses at gas stations,
stores, hotels, and restaurants.Michael Hardin, a former St. Joseph Police Officer, served as FOP
Lodge #3 president for nearly 10 years. Sarah Hardin, who served on the
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, was FOP treasurer.

Former St. Joseph FOP President placed on probation for fraud

By ALLISON KITE&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin expects energy regulation to be a ‘hot topic’ in the upcoming legislative session

One of Missouri’s highest-ranking lawmakers hopes to stop state regulators from forcing electric utilities to charge a premium for power used at times of high demand.

The l<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=107">egislation filed by Senate Majority Leader</a>&nbsp;Cindy O’Laughlin was inspired by Evergy’s roll out of time-of-use pricing plans to its customers last summer, which included a plan that would have quadrupled customers’ charges for energy used at times of high demand.&nbsp;

The new rates were mandated by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://psc.mo.gov/">Public Service Commission</a>, a five-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate that oversees investor-owned utilities in Missouri.

The goal of time-of-use rates is to save consumers money in the long run by limiting demand on the energy grid. But they immediately inspired public backlash, including from O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina.&nbsp;

“It’s not the job of the Public Service Commission to dictate to consumers the time of day that they can use power,” O’Laughlin said in an interview last week.&nbsp;

O’Laughlin said she expects energy regulation to be a&nbsp; “hot topic” when the Missouri General Assembly returns to Jefferson City. In addition to her time-of-use legislation, she’s also sponsoring a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=55">bill she says would ensure grid reliability</a>&nbsp;by requiring utilities to add at least an equivalent amount of energy generation to the grid before decommissioning a power plant.&nbsp;

Environmental advocates, however, fear that proposal would hamper utilities’ efforts to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.&nbsp;

Evergy, which is the largest energy provider in Western Missouri, began informing customers in June that power used between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. during the summer would cost four times as much as it does during other months.

That means, on a hot summer afternoon, running an air conditioner would become far more expensive.&nbsp;

Other pricing options, imposed by the Public Service Commission, were less dramatic. But that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/17/missouri-utility-regulators-plan-for-peak-pricing-prompts-pushback-from-top-republican/">pricing plan caught O’Laughlin’s attention</a>. She railed against what she referred to as “woke” energy policies.

Time-of-use pricing is meant to encourage customers to limit their energy consumption at times when energy demand is high. By limiting the peaks of demand, the idea is to save utilities from having to build more power generators, which customers end up paying for.&nbsp;

Citing the pushback, Evergy asked the Public Service Commission in September to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/12/evergy-asks-missouri-regulators-to-let-customers-opt-out-of-time-of-use-pricing/">allow it to make time-of-use pricing optional</a>, citing the “substantial” number of complaints it received where customers accused the company of trying to “spike customer bills to increase profits.”&nbsp;

The Office of the Public Counsel, which represents ratepayers before the Public Service Commission, argued that the rates should still go into effect, citing Evegy’s studies that show customers will largely benefit.&nbsp;

Clean energy advocates with Renew Missouri put it more starkly, saying Evergy needed to better communicate with its customers “rather than succumbing to negative Facebook comments by reversing course and attempting to upend a binding commission order.”&nbsp;

O’Laughlin isn’t trying to ban time-of-use pricing, but rather simply require it to be optional for customers.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/19/evergy-withdraws-request-to-make-time-of-use-pricing-optional-in-missouri/">Evergy withdrew the request</a>&nbsp;to make time-of-use pricing optional but did succeed in making the default pricing plan one more similar to the previous flat-rate pricing rather than the plan that quadruples rates on summer afternoons.

Because of that, O’Laughlin said, the issue isn’t as urgent as it appeared this summer. But she still wants to send the Public Service Commission a message.&nbsp;

“If they made a decision like that once,” she said, “the likelihood that they might try to do that again I would say is fairly high.”

Evergy’s spokeswoman said the company hadn’t seen the bill and could not comment on it.&nbsp;

O’Laughlin is also sponsoring a grid reliability bill she says is a response to the federal government’s efforts to force “death by a thousand cuts” on coal plants.&nbsp;

“I cannot imagine that we want to allow our citizens and our businesses to run out of power basically because of political activism,” she said.

The legislation, she said, is inspired by the impending closure of the Rush Island Energy Center, owned by Ameren Missouri, which serves electric customers in the greater St. Louis area.

Ameren was ordered by a federal court to install pollution controls at Rush Island after being found in violation of the Clean Air Act. Instead, the utility plans to shut the coal plant down.

Last month,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/28/ameren-seeks-to-shutter-missouri-coal-plant-early-recoup-investment-from-ratepayers/">Ameren asked the Public Service Commission for permission</a>&nbsp;to use a new financing law known as securitization to recoup its investment at Rush Island and shutter the plant.&nbsp;

Ameren and other utilities belong to regional grid operators. In Ameren’s case, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator that coordinates power production to ensure there’s enough electricity to support the grid. Those organizations impose complicated capacity requirements on utilities, and MISO has raised concerns about the planned closure of Rush Island.

Ameren Missouri’s vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs, Warren Wood, said in a statement that the company would monitor O’Laughlin’s bill as it moves through the legislative process.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“Delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers and the communities we serve is our top priority,” Wood said. “We aim to do that by having a diversified generation portfolio that supports the overall reliability and resiliency of the energy grid.”

State Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, said a lot of the state’s residents want environmental responsibility, but it’s important to ensure that when Missourians “turn on the switch, they have reliable, safe energy.”

“I’m certainly wanting to make sure that I’m doing things that leave the state of Missouri in a better place than I found it,” she said, “but we’ve got to be responsible about that.”&nbsp;

Jenn DeRose, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign representative for Missouri, said the idea behind O’Laughlin’s bill makes sense at first glance, but ensuring reliability is MISO’s job.&nbsp;

She’s not sure the state has the ability to wade into that complicated calculation.

“This bill is trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist,” DeRose said. “It’s just fear mongering.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703075349044.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Cindy O'Laughlin wants to prohibit state energy regulators from forcing time-of-use pricing on utilities and customers (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Cindy O'Laughlin wants to prohibit state energy regulators from forcing time-of-use pricing on utilities and customers (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin expects energy regulation to be a ‘hot topic’ in the upcoming legislative session</h2>One of Missouri’s highest-ranking lawmakers hopes to stop state regulators from forcing electric utilities to charge a premium for power used at times of high demand.The l<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=107">egislation filed by Senate Majority Leader</a>&nbsp;Cindy O’Laughlin was inspired by Evergy’s roll out of time-of-use pricing plans to its customers last summer, which included a plan that would have quadrupled customers’ charges for energy used at times of high demand.&nbsp;The new rates were mandated by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://psc.mo.gov/">Public Service Commission</a>, a five-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate that oversees investor-owned utilities in Missouri.The goal of time-of-use rates is to save consumers money in the long run by limiting demand on the energy grid. But they immediately inspired public backlash, including from O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina.&nbsp;“It’s not the job of the Public Service Commission to dictate to consumers the time of day that they can use power,” O’Laughlin said in an interview last week.&nbsp;O’Laughlin said she expects energy regulation to be a&nbsp; “hot topic” when the Missouri General Assembly returns to Jefferson City. In addition to her time-of-use legislation, she’s also sponsoring a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=55">bill she says would ensure grid reliability</a>&nbsp;by requiring utilities to add at least an equivalent amount of energy generation to the grid before decommissioning a power plant.&nbsp;Environmental advocates, however, fear that proposal would hamper utilities’ efforts to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.&nbsp;Evergy, which is the largest energy provider in Western Missouri, began informing customers in June that power used between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. during the summer would cost four times as much as it does during other months.That means, on a hot summer afternoon, running an air conditioner would become far more expensive.&nbsp;Other pricing options, imposed by the Public Service Commission, were less dramatic. But that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/17/missouri-utility-regulators-plan-for-peak-pricing-prompts-pushback-from-top-republican/">pricing plan caught O’Laughlin’s attention</a>. She railed against what she referred to as “woke” energy policies.Time-of-use pricing is meant to encourage customers to limit their energy consumption at times when energy demand is high. By limiting the peaks of demand, the idea is to save utilities from having to build more power generators, which customers end up paying for.&nbsp;Citing the pushback, Evergy asked the Public Service Commission in September to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/12/evergy-asks-missouri-regulators-to-let-customers-opt-out-of-time-of-use-pricing/">allow it to make time-of-use pricing optional</a>, citing the “substantial” number of complaints it received where customers accused the company of trying to “spike customer bills to increase profits.”&nbsp;The Office of the Public Counsel, which represents ratepayers before the Public Service Commission, argued that the rates should still go into effect, citing Evegy’s studies that show customers will largely benefit.&nbsp;Clean energy advocates with Renew Missouri put it more starkly, saying Evergy needed to better communicate with its customers “rather than succumbing to negative Facebook comments by reversing course and attempting to upend a binding commission order.”&nbsp;O’Laughlin isn’t trying to ban time-of-use pricing, but rather simply require it to be optional for customers.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/19/evergy-withdraws-request-to-make-time-of-use-pricing-optional-in-missouri/">Evergy withdrew the request</a>&nbsp;to make time-of-use pricing optional but did succeed in making the default pricing plan one more similar to the previous flat-rate pricing rather than the plan that quadruples rates on summer afternoons.Because of that, O’Laughlin said, the issue isn’t as urgent as it appeared this summer. But she still wants to send the Public Service Commission a message.&nbsp;“If they made a decision like that once,” she said, “the likelihood that they might try to do that again I would say is fairly high.”Evergy’s spokeswoman said the company hadn’t seen the bill and could not comment on it.&nbsp;<h2>Grid reliability&nbsp;</h2>O’Laughlin is also sponsoring a grid reliability bill she says is a response to the federal government’s efforts to force “death by a thousand cuts” on coal plants.&nbsp;“I cannot imagine that we want to allow our citizens and our businesses to run out of power basically because of political activism,” she said.The legislation, she said, is inspired by the impending closure of the Rush Island Energy Center, owned by Ameren Missouri, which serves electric customers in the greater St. Louis area.Ameren was ordered by a federal court to install pollution controls at Rush Island after being found in violation of the Clean Air Act. Instead, the utility plans to shut the coal plant down.Last month,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/28/ameren-seeks-to-shutter-missouri-coal-plant-early-recoup-investment-from-ratepayers/">Ameren asked the Public Service Commission for permission</a>&nbsp;to use a new financing law known as securitization to recoup its investment at Rush Island and shutter the plant.&nbsp;Ameren and other utilities belong to regional grid operators. In Ameren’s case, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator that coordinates power production to ensure there’s enough electricity to support the grid. Those organizations impose complicated capacity requirements on utilities, and MISO has raised concerns about the planned closure of Rush Island.Ameren Missouri’s vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs, Warren Wood, said in a statement that the company would monitor O’Laughlin’s bill as it moves through the legislative process.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers and the communities we serve is our top priority,” Wood said. “We aim to do that by having a diversified generation portfolio that supports the overall reliability and resiliency of the energy grid.”State Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, said a lot of the state’s residents want environmental responsibility, but it’s important to ensure that when Missourians “turn on the switch, they have reliable, safe energy.”“I’m certainly wanting to make sure that I’m doing things that leave the state of Missouri in a better place than I found it,” she said, “but we’ve got to be responsible about that.”&nbsp;Jenn DeRose, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign representative for Missouri, said the idea behind O’Laughlin’s bill makes sense at first glance, but ensuring reliability is MISO’s job.&nbsp;She’s not sure the state has the ability to wade into that complicated calculation.“This bill is trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist,” DeRose said. “It’s just fear mongering.”

Mo. legislative leader files bill targeting time-of-use utility pricing plans

St. Joseph Central High School promoted from within as they sought a successor for now former head football coach Regi Trotter.

Sheldon Farrell, a 2009 Central alum and offensive coordinator for the Indians, was named as the 31st head coach in program history Tuesday.

Farrell has served as offensive coordinator under coach Trotter for each of the last five seasons. Taking over as the head coach is a dream that was born more than 14 years ago back when Farrell himself was the Indians' quarterback.

"It started with coach Tony Dudik," Farrell said. "He was an amazing mentor, a loving father figure. He kind of built my desire to want to come back and give back to Central. This is where my heart is. This is where it's always been."

Farrell brings plenty of playing and coaching experience to the table. He played quarterback at Central under coach Dudik. He spent two years playing college ball at Buena Vista University and two more at Baker University.

Before coming back to Central, Farrell spent two seasons as an assistant at Bonner Springs High School and two more as offensive coordinator at Leavenworth - both in Kansas.

Through all of those stops, Farrell knew he wanted to ultimately come back home one day.

"The last 24 hours, I've thought about the people who have impacted me here," he said. "Coaches, teachers, former players. It's all kind of coming back full circle and it's kind of cool."

Farrell takes over after Trotter announced his resignation in November as Central's head football coach after six seasons.

Trotter and Farrell both helped lead the Indians to a 7-3 record this fall - the first winning season for Central football since 2013 and the program's most regular season wins since 1989.

"I feel like we put Central football back into the limelight a little bit," Farrell said about the 2023 season. "Teams are respecting us and they know it's going to be a hard fought game. Just continue to build on that and take it even farther than we already have."

Seeing the Indians set a handful of offensive school records over the last couple of years, Lau is confident that Central picked the right man for the job.

"We have kind of been grooming Sheldon for the last couple of years under Regi," Lau said. "Knowing Coach Trotter was going to be <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/66deb83c-9c85-40cf-b2a6-392eb98b4a63">moving on to his family</a> (in Minnesota). This was opened internally."

"Knowing what he's done with the offensive coordinator position here and with our offense setting some new school records the last few years, to us there was no question who our next head football coach needed to be."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703021221959.jpeg" alt="New Central head football coach Sheldon Farrell (center) is introduced at a press conference Tuesday with athletic director David Lau (right) and principal Heather Renk (left). Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>New Central head football coach Sheldon Farrell (center) is introduced at a press conference Tuesday with athletic director David Lau (right) and principal Heather Renk (left). Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Central High School promoted from within as they sought a successor for now former head football coach Regi Trotter.Sheldon Farrell, a 2009 Central alum and offensive coordinator for the Indians, was named as the 31st head coach in program history Tuesday.Farrell has served as offensive coordinator under coach Trotter for each of the last five seasons. Taking over as the head coach is a dream that was born more than 14 years ago back when Farrell himself was the Indians' quarterback."It started with coach Tony Dudik," Farrell said. "He was an amazing mentor, a loving father figure. He kind of built my desire to want to come back and give back to Central. This is where my heart is. This is where it's always been."Farrell brings plenty of playing and coaching experience to the table. He played quarterback at Central under coach Dudik. He spent two years playing college ball at Buena Vista University and two more at Baker University.Before coming back to Central, Farrell spent two seasons as an assistant at Bonner Springs High School and two more as offensive coordinator at Leavenworth - both in Kansas.Through all of those stops, Farrell knew he wanted to ultimately come back home one day."The last 24 hours, I've thought about the people who have impacted me here," he said. "Coaches, teachers, former players. It's all kind of coming back full circle and it's kind of cool."Farrell takes over after Trotter announced his resignation in November as Central's head football coach after six seasons.Trotter and Farrell both helped lead the Indians to a 7-3 record this fall - the first winning season for Central football since 2013 and the program's most regular season wins since 1989."I feel like we put Central football back into the limelight a little bit," Farrell said about the 2023 season. "Teams are respecting us and they know it's going to be a hard fought game. Just continue to build on that and take it even farther than we already have."Seeing the Indians set a handful of offensive school records over the last couple of years, Lau is confident that Central picked the right man for the job."We have kind of been grooming Sheldon for the last couple of years under Regi," Lau said. "Knowing Coach Trotter was going to be <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/66deb83c-9c85-40cf-b2a6-392eb98b4a63">moving on to his family</a> (in Minnesota). This was opened internally.""Knowing what he's done with the offensive coordinator position here and with our offense setting some new school records the last few years, to us there was no question who our next head football coach needed to be."Press conference audio<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Sheldon-Farrell--David-Lau---121923-e2df4bd" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703023003524.jpeg" alt="Sheldon Farrell speaks to the media Tuesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Sheldon Farrell speaks to the media Tuesday. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Central alum Sheldon Farrell named as the Indians' new head football coach

The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art will host an annual exhibition coming up early in January, an exhibition it has hosted for the past 50 years. 

Marketing and Communications Manager Dansare Marks says this exhibition will feature works from current Albrecht members. 

"This is a chance for all the members to really showcase what they've been working on over the last year, it gives every member a chance to submit artwork and be in an exhibition, it's kind of a big deal," Marks tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "You don't have to be a professional, you don't have to meet any criteria, as long as you're a member you can submit works." 

Members are allowed to submit two works between January 2nd and 7th.  The exhibition will open in the upstairs gallery on January 13th, with an opening ceremony on the 12th. 

Executive Director Eric Fuson says last year the exhibit featured 225 works of art, and he's expecting even more to show up this year.  

"We've been pushing really hard on the idea that it's the 50th anniversary, it's going to be upstairs, that really has kind of triggered everybody's creativity," Fuson says. "I've had more people this year come up and say I'm working on something, I'm going to have something ready, I'm working on it, and we're very fortunate to keep this tradition going." 

The membership exhibition will run until April 14th. 

Another new exhibit coming to the Albrecht next month will feature works of art done in a unique form.  

The exhibit, called Stillness and Life in Colored Pencil, features pieces from Wanda Taylor.  

Marks says she's seen some of the art pieces and has been blown away by how realistic colored pencil can look. 

"I think anyone who would come into this who's not really familiar with colored pencil work might be surprised that this is what medium she works in," Marks explains. 

Taylor will also be teaching a class at the museum, coming up this Thursday.  Marks says Taylor will lead Colored Pencil Happy Hour. 

"That's just a fun evening for you to bring a friend, get your colored pencils out, very low pressure, but she usually has some sort of guide and there's a theme to it," Marks says. "We have a cash bar available, so it's a really fun evening to just kind of let loose." 

Taylors exhibit will also open on January 13th and will run until February 18th.  An opening ceremony for the exhibit will be held on January 12th. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art will host an annual exhibition coming up early in January, an exhibition it has hosted for the past 50 years. It's the annual membership exhibition. Marketing and Communications Manager Dansare Marks says this exhibition will feature works from current Albrecht members. "This is a chance for all the members to really showcase what they've been working on over the last year, it gives every member a chance to submit artwork and be in an exhibition, it's kind of a big deal," Marks tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "You don't have to be a professional, you don't have to meet any criteria, as long as you're a member you can submit works." Members are allowed to submit two works between January 2nd and 7th. The exhibition will open in the upstairs gallery on January 13th, with an opening ceremony on the 12th. Executive Director Eric Fuson says last year the exhibit featured 225 works of art, and he's expecting even more to show up this year. "We've been pushing really hard on the idea that it's the 50th anniversary, it's going to be upstairs, that really has kind of triggered everybody's creativity," Fuson says. "I've had more people this year come up and say I'm working on something, I'm going to have something ready, I'm working on it, and we're very fortunate to keep this tradition going." The membership exhibition will run until April 14th. Another new exhibit coming to the Albrecht next month will feature works of art done in a unique form. The exhibit, called Stillness and Life in Colored Pencil, features pieces from Wanda Taylor. Marks says she's seen some of the art pieces and has been blown away by how realistic colored pencil can look. "I think anyone who would come into this who's not really familiar with colored pencil work might be surprised that this is what medium she works in," Marks explains. Taylor will also be teaching a class at the museum, coming up this Thursday. Marks says Taylor will lead Colored Pencil Happy Hour. "That's just a fun evening for you to bring a friend, get your colored pencils out, very low pressure, but she usually has some sort of guide and there's a theme to it," Marks says. "We have a cash bar available, so it's a really fun evening to just kind of let loose." Taylors exhibit will also open on January 13th and will run until February 18th. An opening ceremony for the exhibit will be held on January 12th.

New exhibits coming to Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art next year

By CLARA BATES&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

A&nbsp;wide-ranging bill passed by the state legislature last year banning sleeping on public land was struck down on Tuesday by the Missouri Supreme Court for violating the constitution’s single subject requirement.&nbsp;

Missouri lawmakers last year made<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/17/advocates-providers-scramble-as-missouris-new-homelessness-law-goes-into-effect/">&nbsp;sleeping on state-owned land a Class C misdemeanor</a>&nbsp;and restricted state funds for combating homelessness. The legislation was passed as an amendment in a broader&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/hlrbillspdf/3703H.08T.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;relating to political subdivisions just before the end of the 2022 session.

Critics of the bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/17/advocates-providers-scramble-as-missouris-new-homelessness-law-goes-into-effect/">feared</a>&nbsp;it essentially criminalized homelessness. Supporters characterized it as reducing the prevalence of encampments they deemed dangerous to unhoused people and surrounding communities.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, along with Public Citizen Litigation Group and a Springfield homeless shelter, filed a lawsuit last year against the state, arguing the homelessness provisions did not fit within the bill’s overarching subject of “relating to political subdivisions.”

The case centered on whether the way the law was passed — as an amendment in a bill pertaining to “political subdivisions”&nbsp; — violates constitutional requirements that legislation have a single subject, clear title and adhere to its original purpose. Those requirements were designed to support transparency and discourage legislative maneuvering to tack amendments that wouldn’t pass as stand-alone bills onto popular bills in order to pass.

In March, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Cotton Walker ruled in favor of the state, and the plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the circuit court’s decision Tuesday, with Judge Paul C. Wilson authoring the opinion.

The homelessness provisions added on to the bill “introduced at least one impermissible&nbsp; additional subject, i.e., homelessness,” Wilson wrote.

The “primary inquiry,” he wrote, is whether all provisions of the bill “fairly relate to, have a natural connection with, or are means to accomplish [the bill’s] subject, i.e., ‘political subdivisions.’”

Even though some of the homelessness provisions regulate state funds that would apply to political subdivisions receiving those funds, Wilson wrote, the provisions also apply to nonprofits and private developers.

Other homelessness-related provisions in the bill, he wrote, don’t relate to political subdivisions at all.&nbsp;

With the homelessness provisions found unconstitutional, the court then weighed whether that required it to strike down the rest of the sprawling bill.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It takes an extraordinary showing to convince this court to engage in judicial surgery to save a bill infected with the otherwise fatal constitutional disease of multiple subjects” Wilson wrote, “and no effort was made by any party to make such a showing here.”

As a result, the rest of the bill — including provisions related to county financial statements, county coroners’ salaries, and more — were also struck down Tuesday, with the court arguing it was unable to determine whether the bill would’ve passed without the homelessness provisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689729912291.png" alt="The Missouri Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>The Missouri Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLARA BATES&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>A&nbsp;wide-ranging bill passed by the state legislature last year banning sleeping on public land was struck down on Tuesday by the Missouri Supreme Court for violating the constitution’s single subject requirement.&nbsp;Missouri lawmakers last year made<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/17/advocates-providers-scramble-as-missouris-new-homelessness-law-goes-into-effect/">&nbsp;sleeping on state-owned land a Class C misdemeanor</a>&nbsp;and restricted state funds for combating homelessness. The legislation was passed as an amendment in a broader&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/hlrbillspdf/3703H.08T.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;relating to political subdivisions just before the end of the 2022 session.Critics of the bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/17/advocates-providers-scramble-as-missouris-new-homelessness-law-goes-into-effect/">feared</a>&nbsp;it essentially criminalized homelessness. Supporters characterized it as reducing the prevalence of encampments they deemed dangerous to unhoused people and surrounding communities.Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, along with Public Citizen Litigation Group and a Springfield homeless shelter, filed a lawsuit last year against the state, arguing the homelessness provisions did not fit within the bill’s overarching subject of “relating to political subdivisions.”The case centered on whether the way the law was passed — as an amendment in a bill pertaining to “political subdivisions”&nbsp; — violates constitutional requirements that legislation have a single subject, clear title and adhere to its original purpose. Those requirements were designed to support transparency and discourage legislative maneuvering to tack amendments that wouldn’t pass as stand-alone bills onto popular bills in order to pass.In March, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Cotton Walker ruled in favor of the state, and the plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the circuit court’s decision Tuesday, with Judge Paul C. Wilson authoring the opinion.The homelessness provisions added on to the bill “introduced at least one impermissible&nbsp; additional subject, i.e., homelessness,” Wilson wrote.The “primary inquiry,” he wrote, is whether all provisions of the bill “fairly relate to, have a natural connection with, or are means to accomplish [the bill’s] subject, i.e., ‘political subdivisions.’”Even though some of the homelessness provisions regulate state funds that would apply to political subdivisions receiving those funds, Wilson wrote, the provisions also apply to nonprofits and private developers.Other homelessness-related provisions in the bill, he wrote, don’t relate to political subdivisions at all.&nbsp;With the homelessness provisions found unconstitutional, the court then weighed whether that required it to strike down the rest of the sprawling bill.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It takes an extraordinary showing to convince this court to engage in judicial surgery to save a bill infected with the otherwise fatal constitutional disease of multiple subjects” Wilson wrote, “and no effort was made by any party to make such a showing here.”As a result, the rest of the bill — including provisions related to county financial statements, county coroners’ salaries, and more — were also struck down Tuesday, with the court arguing it was unable to determine whether the bill would’ve passed without the homelessness provisions.

Missouri Supreme Court strikes down law banning sleeping on public land

The Buchanan County Sheriff's Department was out in full force this morning; giving gifts rather than taking people to jail.&nbsp;

The department raised money throughout the year to adopt several people in need.  

Sheriff Bill Puett says every year deputies make the gift distribution a sort of spectacle to bring Christmas cheer to needy families. 

"For the family, especially those that are struggling and everything else, so usually there's lots of vehicles and lights and those types of things," Puett tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  

The Buchanan County Sheriff's Department distributed several gifts to families in need that were adopted by the department.

Puett says it's extremely special to get to do something like this every year. 

"All of our staff does an excellent job all year, I mean they focus on this, raising money throughout the whole year just so we can try to help some that are less fortunate in the community," Puett explains to KFEQ/St. Joseph Post following the distribution. "And it's a special thing for us to be able to that and help people who just need help this time of year, so we're just really happy to do it."

Puett says the annual distribution is a great effort by many members of the department.  

"We just like to do things to help, it's not all about going out and taking people to jail, we like to help people and there's some folks that are just in need of a little help this time of year," Puett says. "So, we were happy we could help some of those folks." 

Donning his Santa hat, Puett and several of his deputies and staff hit the streets to hand out the gifts, and even sang carols to help put people in the holiday spirit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703020989237.jpeg" alt="Members of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department prepare to distribute gifts during their annual event giving gifts to people adopted by the department/ Photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>Members of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department prepare to distribute gifts during their annual event giving gifts to people adopted by the department/ Photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Buchanan County Sheriff's Department was out in full force this morning; giving gifts rather than taking people to jail.&nbsp;The department raised money throughout the year to adopt several people in need. Sheriff Bill Puett says every year deputies make the gift distribution a sort of spectacle to bring Christmas cheer to needy families. "For the family, especially those that are struggling and everything else, so usually there's lots of vehicles and lights and those types of things," Puett tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. The Buchanan County Sheriff's Department distributed several gifts to families in need that were adopted by the department.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703021308731.jpeg" alt="Buchanan County Sheriff deputies load up a patrol car with gifts to distribute to adopted families/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Buchanan County Sheriff deputies load up a patrol car with gifts to distribute to adopted families/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Puett says it's extremely special to get to do something like this every year. "All of our staff does an excellent job all year, I mean they focus on this, raising money throughout the whole year just so we can try to help some that are less fortunate in the community," Puett explains to KFEQ/St. Joseph Post following the distribution. "And it's a special thing for us to be able to that and help people who just need help this time of year, so we're just really happy to do it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703021368843.jpeg" alt="Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett prepares his staff before heading out to distribute gifts to adopted families/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett prepares his staff before heading out to distribute gifts to adopted families/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Puett says the annual distribution is a great effort by many members of the department. "We just like to do things to help, it's not all about going out and taking people to jail, we like to help people and there's some folks that are just in need of a little help this time of year," Puett says. "So, we were happy we could help some of those folks." Donning his Santa hat, Puett and several of his deputies and staff hit the streets to hand out the gifts, and even sang carols to help put people in the holiday spirit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703021422939.jpeg" alt="Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703021243411.jpeg" alt="Sheriff Bill Puett (Santa hat) and deputies sing Christmas carols after dropping off gifts at the home of an adopted family/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Sheriff Bill Puett (Santa hat) and deputies sing Christmas carols after dropping off gifts at the home of an adopted family/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>

Buchanan County Sheriff's Department spreads holiday cheer to families in need

As the state’s education department assigns scores to school districts and charter schools, some educators request a deeper look at the grading system

By ANNELISE HANSHAW<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Livingston County R-III was among a litany of school districts last year with a performance report that could have put its accreditation in jeopardy.

But this year, it has the highest score in Missouri, swelling more than 35 points to receive 96.1% of the points possible — a synthesis of student test scores, attendance, school-district planning and other metrics.

Holliday C-2 School District swung the opposite direction. After scoring in the top 20% of Missouri’s 550 districts and charter schools last year, it now sits among the bottom five with zeros and “null” across standardized-testing criteria.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its annual performance reports on Monday, which measure districts on standardized tests, attendance rates and other factors. It showed 70% of districts had a lower score for the 2022-23 school year than the previous year.

But school administrators are raising red flags about the data, pointing to massive swings in scores in both directions across the state and wondering — with only a year to go before the data will impact school-district accreditation — whether the testing program’s formula needs to be adjusted.

“In some districts that I know of, who are having essentially the same faculty and the same students using the same resources and the same methodologies are seeing perhaps a 10 to 15%&nbsp; drop in their (annual performance report) score from the first year of MSIP6 to the current year,” Kyle Kruse, superintendent of the St. Clair School District, told The Independent. “That raises some question marks for me.”

The Missouri School Improvement Program 6, known as MSIP 6, is being phased in over a period of three years for the department to be able to fully apply its point system. This year, the program included “growth scores,” which administrators say can lower the district’s overall grade and be misunderstood.

“What (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) is calling the growth scores really isn’t growth at all,” Gregg Klinginsmith, superintendent of the Warren County School District, told The Independent.

He said the growth scores show if students are beating expectations on standardized tests but don’t&nbsp; represent how much the student body has learned. A school can receive a low score for growth, but it only shows that students are not meeting the target the growth formula predicted.

Klinginsmith, who serves on the MSIP advisory committee, would like a deeper look at the way growth is calculated. He’s asked for a copy of the formula, only receiving a summary of it rather than the full calculation.

When The Independent asked for the formula’s documentation, the department pointed to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-growth-model-primer">resources that summarize the calculations</a>.

<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/missouri-growth-model">Reports from 2013</a>&nbsp;explains the Missouri Growth Model in more detail, though the multi-step formula is blotted out from the technical documentation.

Doug Hayter, executive director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators, said educators have a lot of questions about the growth model.

“There’s more work to be done in investigating that change because that has had an impact on the scores,” he said. “And I’m not sure that everyone really fully understands how it works and the impact that it’s having.”

It really boils down to “how well DESE predicted your school will do,” Klinginsmith said. “They adjust that formula from year to year, and the growth scores really is what is separating districts.”

“The lack of transparency on it is an even bigger issue,” he continued.

The model relies on predicting standardized test scores based on previous years’ performance and comparing the result to the prediction. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes the model reveals a school’s instructional effectiveness, according to the summary report.

The previous annual performance report scores were the first in the sixth version of the Missouri School Improvement Program, and growth scores were only available for English and math. Monday’s release, which gives scores from the 2022-23 school year, includes growth points for social studies and science as well — an additional 12 points of MSIP 6’s possible 192 points.

Growth is a quarter of a school district’s score. Other data includes the maintenance of school improvement plans, attendance and career and academic plans for students entering high school.

Kruse believes there are “cliffs” throughout the scoring system — so crossing a threshold, like a 90% attendance rate, can boost a score significantly and not proportional to the actual performance.

The department’s guide to MSIP 6 shows scoring tables where points are assigned in levels. For example, the “postsecondary readiness” metric (which looks at students’ scores on the ACT and advanced coursework) gives schools 10 points for student averages 75% and above. For 67.2% to 71.4%, schools receive 7.5 points.

There are many table-based scores in the MSIP 6 system, allowing districts to drop in score while performing similarly to previous years.

&nbsp;“This year, in year two of the MSIP 6 accreditation system, we may have exposed some potential flaws in the system that will need to be studied and addressed,” Kruse told The Independent.

Under MSIP6,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/13/impact-of-declining-scores-unclear-as-missouri-lawmakers-continue-education-debate/">fewer schools are scoring high marks</a>&nbsp;when compared to the previous scoring system.

In 2018 under MSIP 5, 371 school districts and charter schools scored at least 90%. Now, just 26 districts and charters met that target.

Growth is one of the things that is measured differently between the two systems.

“In MSIP 6, a (district) must show growth using the Missouri Growth Model in order to receive full points. In MSIP 5, an (district) could earn points through status, growth, or improvement — or through a combination of status and growth or status and improvement,” the department’s chief communications officer Mallory McGowin said. “This policy change was made based on feedback from multiple stakeholder groups.”

A bar chart showing the distribution of scores looks more like a bell curve now than the top-heavy MSIP 5.

Lisa Sireno, assistant commissioner of the office of quality schools, told reporters last week that the department believes MSIP6 is “a more accurate representation of performance.”

Hayter said some educators have questioned the scoring when looking at districts’ ranking between the two scoring systems.

“They’re not afraid of accountability, but they want it to be fair and balanced,” he told The Independent. “Where is the realistic picture of so many districts in MSIP5 apparently doing exceedingly well, and then now because we change the system, they’ve been dispersed.”

The top-scoring district in 2018, Clever R-V School District, is 331st under MSIP 6 — sinking from 99% to 75.2%.

Although it has become harder to maintain a top score, the score needed to be an accredited school district has not changed.

Sireno said that full accreditation is 70% and above, under 50% is unaccredited and between is provisionally accredited.

The department is set to make accreditation decisions after reviewing next year’s data. But Klinginsmith worries the scores aren’t steady enough to make the classification decision in a year.

Scores this year moved by an average of 5.4%, in either direction, with some districts seeing larger changes.

A total of 42 districts’ and charter schools’ scores decreased by at least 10% compared to their last annual performance report, and 39 had an increase of at least 10%.

Kruse worries about the number of districts losing double digits in points.

“If a school does essentially the same performance and the district score drops 10% or 14%, I don’t think that’s an accurate portrayal of how that district is serving students,” he said. “That has ramifications that go beyond just the school setting. It goes into how a community could be perceived.”

If based solely on this year’s scores, 447 districts and charter schools are in the accredited range, 99 would be provisionally accredited and five are in the unaccredited tier.

The five in the unaccredited range, four charter schools and one single-school district, are smaller and more likely to be impacted by changes in the student body,

McGowin told The Independent that classification decisions would consider all three years of MSIP 6 scores.

Klinginsmith hopes the department will look at districts’ highest scores in each category over three years to determine accreditation.

“That gives everybody an opportunity if they have a good year to carry that through to show, ‘hey, we can do good things,’” he said.

Ultimately, though, he — and others — would like a second look at the scoring system before it determines districts’ fate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698860060134.jpg" alt="-&nbsp;The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its annual performance reports on Monday, which measure districts on standardized tests,&nbsp;attendance rates and other factors. It showed 70% of districts had a lower score for the 2022-23 school year than the previous year&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>-&nbsp;The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its annual performance reports on Monday, which measure districts on standardized tests,&nbsp;attendance rates and other factors. It showed 70% of districts had a lower score for the 2022-23 school year than the previous year&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As the state’s education department assigns scores to school districts and charter schools, some educators request a deeper look at the grading system</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Livingston County R-III was among a litany of school districts last year with a performance report that could have put its accreditation in jeopardy.But this year, it has the highest score in Missouri, swelling more than 35 points to receive 96.1% of the points possible — a synthesis of student test scores, attendance, school-district planning and other metrics.Holliday C-2 School District swung the opposite direction. After scoring in the top 20% of Missouri’s 550 districts and charter schools last year, it now sits among the bottom five with zeros and “null” across standardized-testing criteria.The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its annual performance reports on Monday, which measure districts on standardized tests, attendance rates and other factors. It showed 70% of districts had a lower score for the 2022-23 school year than the previous year.But school administrators are raising red flags about the data, pointing to massive swings in scores in both directions across the state and wondering — with only a year to go before the data will impact school-district accreditation — whether the testing program’s formula needs to be adjusted.“In some districts that I know of, who are having essentially the same faculty and the same students using the same resources and the same methodologies are seeing perhaps a 10 to 15%&nbsp; drop in their (annual performance report) score from the first year of MSIP6 to the current year,” Kyle Kruse, superintendent of the St. Clair School District, told The Independent. “That raises some question marks for me.”The Missouri School Improvement Program 6, known as MSIP 6, is being phased in over a period of three years for the department to be able to fully apply its point system. This year, the program included “growth scores,” which administrators say can lower the district’s overall grade and be misunderstood.“What (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) is calling the growth scores really isn’t growth at all,” Gregg Klinginsmith, superintendent of the Warren County School District, told The Independent.He said the growth scores show if students are beating expectations on standardized tests but don’t&nbsp; represent how much the student body has learned. A school can receive a low score for growth, but it only shows that students are not meeting the target the growth formula predicted.Klinginsmith, who serves on the MSIP advisory committee, would like a deeper look at the way growth is calculated. He’s asked for a copy of the formula, only receiving a summary of it rather than the full calculation.When The Independent asked for the formula’s documentation, the department pointed to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-growth-model-primer">resources that summarize the calculations</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/missouri-growth-model">Reports from 2013</a>&nbsp;explains the Missouri Growth Model in more detail, though the multi-step formula is blotted out from the technical documentation.Doug Hayter, executive director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators, said educators have a lot of questions about the growth model.“There’s more work to be done in investigating that change because that has had an impact on the scores,” he said. “And I’m not sure that everyone really fully understands how it works and the impact that it’s having.”It really boils down to “how well DESE predicted your school will do,” Klinginsmith said. “They adjust that formula from year to year, and the growth scores really is what is separating districts.”“The lack of transparency on it is an even bigger issue,” he continued.The model relies on predicting standardized test scores based on previous years’ performance and comparing the result to the prediction. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes the model reveals a school’s instructional effectiveness, according to the summary report.The previous annual performance report scores were the first in the sixth version of the Missouri School Improvement Program, and growth scores were only available for English and math. Monday’s release, which gives scores from the 2022-23 school year, includes growth points for social studies and science as well — an additional 12 points of MSIP 6’s possible 192 points.Growth is a quarter of a school district’s score. Other data includes the maintenance of school improvement plans, attendance and career and academic plans for students entering high school.Kruse believes there are “cliffs” throughout the scoring system — so crossing a threshold, like a 90% attendance rate, can boost a score significantly and not proportional to the actual performance.The department’s guide to MSIP 6 shows scoring tables where points are assigned in levels. For example, the “postsecondary readiness” metric (which looks at students’ scores on the ACT and advanced coursework) gives schools 10 points for student averages 75% and above. For 67.2% to 71.4%, schools receive 7.5 points.There are many table-based scores in the MSIP 6 system, allowing districts to drop in score while performing similarly to previous years.&nbsp;“This year, in year two of the MSIP 6 accreditation system, we may have exposed some potential flaws in the system that will need to be studied and addressed,” Kruse told The Independent.<h2>Recalibration</h2>Under MSIP6,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/13/impact-of-declining-scores-unclear-as-missouri-lawmakers-continue-education-debate/">fewer schools are scoring high marks</a>&nbsp;when compared to the previous scoring system.In 2018 under MSIP 5, 371 school districts and charter schools scored at least 90%. Now, just 26 districts and charters met that target.Growth is one of the things that is measured differently between the two systems.“In MSIP 6, a (district) must show growth using the Missouri Growth Model in order to receive full points. In MSIP 5, an (district) could earn points through status, growth, or improvement — or through a combination of status and growth or status and improvement,” the department’s chief communications officer Mallory McGowin said. “This policy change was made based on feedback from multiple stakeholder groups.”A bar chart showing the distribution of scores looks more like a bell curve now than the top-heavy MSIP 5.Lisa Sireno, assistant commissioner of the office of quality schools, told reporters last week that the department believes MSIP6 is “a more accurate representation of performance.”Hayter said some educators have questioned the scoring when looking at districts’ ranking between the two scoring systems.“They’re not afraid of accountability, but they want it to be fair and balanced,” he told The Independent. “Where is the realistic picture of so many districts in MSIP5 apparently doing exceedingly well, and then now because we change the system, they’ve been dispersed.”The top-scoring district in 2018, Clever R-V School District, is 331st under MSIP 6 — sinking from 99% to 75.2%.Although it has become harder to maintain a top score, the score needed to be an accredited school district has not changed.Sireno said that full accreditation is 70% and above, under 50% is unaccredited and between is provisionally accredited.The department is set to make accreditation decisions after reviewing next year’s data. But Klinginsmith worries the scores aren’t steady enough to make the classification decision in a year.Scores this year moved by an average of 5.4%, in either direction, with some districts seeing larger changes.A total of 42 districts’ and charter schools’ scores decreased by at least 10% compared to their last annual performance report, and 39 had an increase of at least 10%.Kruse worries about the number of districts losing double digits in points.“If a school does essentially the same performance and the district score drops 10% or 14%, I don’t think that’s an accurate portrayal of how that district is serving students,” he said. “That has ramifications that go beyond just the school setting. It goes into how a community could be perceived.”If based solely on this year’s scores, 447 districts and charter schools are in the accredited range, 99 would be provisionally accredited and five are in the unaccredited tier.The five in the unaccredited range, four charter schools and one single-school district, are smaller and more likely to be impacted by changes in the student body,McGowin told The Independent that classification decisions would consider all three years of MSIP 6 scores.Klinginsmith hopes the department will look at districts’ highest scores in each category over three years to determine accreditation.“That gives everybody an opportunity if they have a good year to carry that through to show, ‘hey, we can do good things,’” he said.Ultimately, though, he — and others — would like a second look at the scoring system before it determines districts’ fate.

Mo. school administrators question district scores in second year of new formula

St. Joseph city officials are still working on ways to tackle a growing homeless population.  

One way the city is addressing the problem is with numerous agencies working together to tackle it.  

Mayor John Josendale says at the forefront of those agencies is the United Way. 

"They've kind of been the leader, but they bring whether it be Family Guidance or CAP or the different organizations, they all come together and they meet on a regular basis and they talk about what the issues are," Josendale tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. 

Josendale says work is also being done by Community Services, putting together cold shelters for homeless people during these winter months. 

Josendale says several agencies around the city put in a lot of time and effort to help the homeless population 

"The amount of money that is put into just making sure that the cold weather shelters are there, or the ones to make sure that there are vouchers for some people to get rooms or to get out of the cold, or to get someone started in the right direction," Josendale explains. 

Josendale says many times help getting started is what people need and there are a number of agencies that help in that aspect. 

Cities saw the homeless population beginning to grow after several state mental health facilities were shut down.  

Josendale says that is a big issue because many people suffering from homelessness has mental health issues, drug problems, and numerous other issues.  

"The point that we made to the legislators is, you know we had a facility that took care of that in the past, now if you have that where do they go, where do you put them, or where how do you get them help, and the ones that don't want help how do you deal with that," Josendale says. 

Josendale says the feedback they got from legislators is that they have an understanding of the problem. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph city officials are still working on ways to tackle a growing homeless population. One way the city is addressing the problem is with numerous agencies working together to tackle it. Mayor John Josendale says at the forefront of those agencies is the United Way. "They've kind of been the leader, but they bring whether it be Family Guidance or CAP or the different organizations, they all come together and they meet on a regular basis and they talk about what the issues are," Josendale tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Josendale says work is also being done by Community Services, putting together cold shelters for homeless people during these winter months. Josendale says several agencies around the city put in a lot of time and effort to help the homeless population "The amount of money that is put into just making sure that the cold weather shelters are there, or the ones to make sure that there are vouchers for some people to get rooms or to get out of the cold, or to get someone started in the right direction," Josendale explains. Josendale says many times help getting started is what people need and there are a number of agencies that help in that aspect. Cities saw the homeless population beginning to grow after several state mental health facilities were shut down. Josendale says that is a big issue because many people suffering from homelessness has mental health issues, drug problems, and numerous other issues. "The point that we made to the legislators is, you know we had a facility that took care of that in the past, now if you have that where do they go, where do you put them, or where how do you get them help, and the ones that don't want help how do you deal with that," Josendale says. Josendale says the feedback they got from legislators is that they have an understanding of the problem.

St. Joseph city officials continue working to find ways to tackle growing homeless problem

St. Joseph public school officials are poring over the report
card issued by the state, working to make improvements in the score compiled by
the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

St. Joseph school Superintendent Gabe Edgar says attendance
remains a stubborn problem for the district.

“Attendance is the biggest one from a challenge standpoint,”
Edgar tells reporters during a news conference. “But as far as the report is
concerned, I don’t necessarily look at the bottom-line score, I look at where
we make improvements and where we need to make improvements.”

Attendance rose from around 71% to 79%, but still fell just
shy of the 80% state standard.

St. Joseph, along with every Missouri public school district,
is having trouble recruiting and retaining teachers. Veteran teachers are
retiring and not enough students are choosing education. In Missouri, around 5,000
teachers leave the profession for various reasons with only 3,500 leaving Missouri
colleges with education degrees.

As for academics, Edgar says that while the scores released by
the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show improvement
in Social Studies test scores, they disclose a weakness in math and Language
Arts.

“And we need to look at those offerings, look at options for
embedded credits for students,” Edgar says. “There are things out there. When I
told you about thinking outside the box, that’s what we’re going to have to do.”

Edgar suggests each student needs more individualized educational
plans, similar to the individual education plans devised for Special Education
students. The superintendent says that is something school officials are
discussing.

Edgar says pay remains a barrier to attracting quality
candidates for teachers and state lawmakers need to address the fact that
Missouri ranks near or at the bottom in teacher pay.

“Right now, they’re funding the formula,” according to Edgar. “They’re
funding the formula that was built in 2006. So, maybe it’s time for a new
funding formula. I don’t know what the answer is.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702929581187.jpeg" alt="Asst. Superintendent of Academics, Ashly McGinnis (2nd to right), addresses reporters questions during the news conference on the state report card. School Improvement Dir. Kendra Lau is to McGinnis' left with Superintendent Gabe Edgar and Asst. Supt. of Human Resources Brian Kraus to her right./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Asst. Superintendent of Academics, Ashly McGinnis (2nd to right), addresses reporters questions during the news conference on the state report card. School Improvement Dir. Kendra Lau is to McGinnis' left with Superintendent Gabe Edgar and Asst. Supt. of Human Resources Brian Kraus to her right./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph public school officials are poring over the report
card issued by the state, working to make improvements in the score compiled by
the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.St. Joseph school Superintendent Gabe Edgar says attendance
remains a stubborn problem for the district.“Attendance is the biggest one from a challenge standpoint,”
Edgar tells reporters during a news conference. “But as far as the report is
concerned, I don’t necessarily look at the bottom-line score, I look at where
we make improvements and where we need to make improvements.”Attendance rose from around 71% to 79%, but still fell just
shy of the 80% state standard.St. Joseph, along with every Missouri public school district,
is having trouble recruiting and retaining teachers. Veteran teachers are
retiring and not enough students are choosing education. In Missouri, around 5,000
teachers leave the profession for various reasons with only 3,500 leaving Missouri
colleges with education degrees.As for academics, Edgar says that while the scores released by
the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show improvement
in Social Studies test scores, they disclose a weakness in math and Language
Arts.“And we need to look at those offerings, look at options for
embedded credits for students,” Edgar says. “There are things out there. When I
told you about thinking outside the box, that’s what we’re going to have to do.”Edgar suggests each student needs more individualized educational
plans, similar to the individual education plans devised for Special Education
students. The superintendent says that is something school officials are
discussing.Edgar says pay remains a barrier to attracting quality
candidates for teachers and state lawmakers need to address the fact that
Missouri ranks near or at the bottom in teacher pay.“Right now, they’re funding the formula,” according to Edgar. “They’re
funding the formula that was built in 2006. So, maybe it’s time for a new
funding formula. I don’t know what the answer is.”<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/St--Joseph-School-District-receives-report-card-e2ddk32" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

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