The Jackson R-2 School District set a tax rate hearing date during its August Board meeting. The hearing was scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the District Office.
The tax rate will not increase. Assessed evaluation in the District is up about four-and-a-half percent and the budget has increased about three percent.
In other action:
• Bus routes for the 2018-2019 school year was approved by the Board. The District was able to make some of the routes quicker, with the buses getting all students at the secondary schools before heading to the elementary schools. This will allow the buses to arrive at the elementary schools by 3:20 p.m. instead of 3:45 p.m. There are 70 active buses running this school year.
• 59 students were recognized for taking part in the Summer Missouri Choral Directors Association Hon-or Choirs. The students, which ranged from fourth graders through high school sophomores, performed in Jefferson City on July 18.
• Special education teach-er Evan Theobald spoke about the JHS Work Program, which gives special education students work placements in the area to give the students hands-on job training and develop necessary skills to become competitively employed.
The students are placed at area business and organizations including Jackson Manor, Jackson Civic Center, Southeast Hospital, Country Mart, Buchheit and Hardee’s.
The students also took community outings to a job fair, the post office, a license bureau and an apartment tour to gain more skills for their transition out of high school. They also had a driver’s education class over the summer with a car provided by First Auto Credit.
The placement locations were recognized by the Board and were each given a plaque.
• To comply with a recent legal decision, the Board passed a resolution to have all policies and policy updates signed by the Board president. Previous Board minutes include policy changes that were already being signed by the Board president, but the District’s attorneys asked the Board to pass a resolution as an extra layer of protection.
