Poplar Bluff school board members, administrators and teachers welcomed nearly 50 new certified and classified staff members to the R-I district to kick off three days of training beginning on Monday, Aug. 3, in the Administrative Building. Poplar Bluff Schools is among the largest employers in Butler County, with a staff of 737.
A $250,000 grant has been awarded to Poplar Bluff Schools to add a preschool program that will further help serve the needs of the community in getting district children school-ready. The funding through the Missouri Preschool Program will allow the Early Childhood Center to enroll 60 students ages 3-5, and employ six staff members to manage three classrooms. Pending licensing by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the plan is for the preschool to be operational by Monday, Sept 21. Enrollment will take place on a first come, first serve basis. Cost of tuition will be set on a sliding scale based on the income levels used for the free and reduced lunch program. “Studies have shown over
More than 75 supporters celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for Poplar Bluff School’ new high school, the impetus of the district buildings plan, on Thursday, June 4, at the present site of the 5th & 6th Grade Center. In attendance were state and city officials, business leaders, project managers, R-I administrators, the School Board of Education and members of the various committees established beginning in 2010 in order to help reach this major milestone, including: the Long-Range Planning Committee, the Citizens’ Advisory Council and the Committee for our Kids’ Future. The current educational facility will receive a 135,000-square-foot addition featuring a new science wing, media center and centrally located commons area. The high school will share the 80-acre campus already housing the Technical
Poplar Bluff Junior and Senior High students were recently awarded bank cards for leading their respective classes in the Charlie Classic Reading challenge. In addition to earning the Charlie Classics scholarship, Ben Soeter of the PBHS Class of 2015 placed first as a senior, reading 25 books; outgoing junior Christian Cmehil-Warn placed first in his class with 21 books while classmate Nikkia Hickman placed second with 17 books; outgoing sophomore Jordan Cox placed first in his class with 20 books while classmate Shishanna Roberson placed second with 10 books; and outgoing freshman Kenneth Hadley placed first with 12 books. At the Junior High, outgoing seventh grader Rylee Sparks placed first with 25 books. No eighth graders read the 10-book minimal
More than 60 community members attended the groundbreaking for the Poplar Bluff Middle School on Tuesday, June 2, at the current Senior High campus. Supporters in attendance included the Board of Education, R-I administration, the Greater Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce, project officials, state and municipal representatives, business leaders, parents and a very special guest, student Sophie Starnes of O’Neal Elementary, who will be a fifth grader when the new Middle School opens for the 2016/17 school year. “This milestone marks the culmination of more than three years of input from several dozen community leaders, school officials and professional planners to determine the best plan to improve the safety of students for generations to come and get ahead of
