LEADER CLINTON COUNT Y
Thurs., August 10, 2023 |
Plattsburg, Lathrop and Gower, Mo.
$1.00 | “Covers Clinton County Like Dew ”
AUGUST ELECTION
Voters approve levy for new EBMS building by brett adkison leader editor
The East Buchanan School District will have its new middle school in Gower. Months of research and feedback culminated Tuesday, August 8, when district voters approved a 65-cent levy increase (per $100 assessed value) to fund construction
PLATTSBURG
CCR-III sees much-needed bump in test scores
of a new middle school building, which the district plans to build on school-owned property west of Fourth Street (in Buchanan County). According to unofficial county results, the measure passed by a total vote of 645-418 (60.67 percent against 39.33 percent). In Clinton County, voters signed off on the
levy 401-236, and in Buchanan County, voters favored the measure 242-181. Three votes were cast between Platte and DeKalb Counties – two in favor and one against. When constructed, the new building will replace the current East Buchanan Middle School in Easton, and the district will no lon-
ger need to shuttle students back and forth between the two towns. Had the issue failed Tuesday, district officials would have had to decide whether to commit hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of dollars to fix the old middle school. Tuesday’s levy features a 20year sunset, which means it would ||Continued on A2
ON THE MOVE
EXTENSION’S NEW HOME
INSIDE One Section | 12 pages
The Service of Gene Grady Looking back at Grady’s WWII service with The Leader’s feature story from 2011. || PAGE A7
Sheriff ’s Activity Report See what calls were dispatched through the county’s sheriff ’s office this week. || PAGE A3
by brett adkison leader editor
As the Clinton County R-III School District in Plattsburg prepares for the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, leaders are optimistic that a recent upswing in performance is a sign of more improvements to come. Superintendent Dr. Sandy Steggall told The Leader that students throughout all grade levels showed considerable improvements in the MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) and EOC (End of Course) standardized tests this past spring. Primarily, Dr. Steggall reported that students in kindergarten through the twelfth grade improved scores in English/Language Arts, Math and Science. The average percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in each subject group grew by 10 percent or more. Those groups improved when compared to how they performed the previous year, and compared to how the class ahead of them performed in that grade level. The full results from the MAP and EOC tests aren’t yet publicly available. “This substantial increase in MAP and EOC scores reflects the collective efforts of our dedicated educators, support staff, and students,” said Dr. Steggall. “Staff have worked diligently to implement effective instructional strategies, tailor lesson plans to meet individual student needs. Their unwavering commitment to student success has undoubtedly played a significant role in these impressive results.
||Continued on A2
Redgate on its recycling The trash collection service breaks down how its recycling pick-up works. || PAGE A2
Community........A5 Opinion..............A4 Legals................A9 Sheriff...............A3 The Clinton County University of Missouri Extension has a new home in Plattsburg. The group has moved its office to the former Tri-County Ambulance building on Y Highway just north of 116 Highway (Clay Avenue). The Extension has quite the road since being squeezed out of the courthouse more than a decade ago, including stops at the former chamber building at the corner of Main and Broadway (where Blondie Brews now sits) some time in Cameron, Mo., and a recent space-sharing partnership with the school district on Main Street.
THE LEADER Est. 1895
COMMUNITY
Fall Festival hosting annual “Back to School Bash” Saturday by brett adkison leader editor
In what has become a late-summer tradition, the Plattsburg Fall Festival Committee will be kicking off the school year with its annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in downtown Plattsburg. The event is free of charge. There will be a movie on main street, so don’t forget to bring blankets or chairs. Kids
will get the chance to craft art on the streets with assorted chalk. Hot dogs, chips and water will be served, with popcorn during the movie and other sweet treats throughout. The Plattsburg Fall Festival is also encouraging people to come help “stuff the bus” for their back-to-school supply drive. For every supply a student donates, they’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of 100 wristbands for
the Jones Carnival during the Fall Festival this October. For more information on the event, be sure to check out the Plattsburg Fall Festival on Facebook. The 2023-2024 school year will kick off in Plattsburg on Tuesday, August 22. Lathrop also returns that day, while the East Buchanan School District will be back one day sooner on Monday, August 21.
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VOL. 128, NO. 41