Five area school districts, as well as individual taxpayers from those districts, have filed a petition in Jackson County court seeking clarification regarding a Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) policy governing student transfers. The districts are: Blue Springs, Independence, Lee’s Summit, North Kansas City and Raytown. The petition seeks to delay the implementation of the KCPS transfer policy while the education and governance issues of KCPS are determined in the courts, legislature or State Board of Education.
KCPS loses its accreditation January 1, 2012. Under state law, students residing in the Kansas City, Missouri school district are eligible to apply for a transfer to an accredited school district in Jackson County or an adjoining county. Prior to 1993, this law stated that accredited school districts could choose whether or not to admit students from unaccredited schools. Under an amendment to the law in 1993, accredited schools districts are required to admit student transfers from an unaccredited district if the unaccredited district provides transportation and pays tuition as determined by the accredited district. Blue Springs, Independence, Lee’s Summit, North Kansas City and Raytown are accredited school districts to which KCPS students may seek a transfer.
On December 21, 2011, the KCPS Board of Education adopted a policy that requires the receiving accredited school districts to provide transportation for students. The policy does not state that KCPS will pay tuition in an amount set by the accredited districts or in accordance with the accredited districts’ tuition policies. Furthermore, the KCPS policy also does not allow all resident students to transfer, but instead, only allows students who have attended a KCPS school for two academic semesters immediately preceding the transfer request to a transfer.
The five districts listed above are committed to meeting their legal obligations to all students involved.
On Friday, December 23, representatives from the five districts filed the joint petition in Jackson County, Missouri, which asks the court to clarify the rights and responsibilities of the parties under the recent KCPS student transfer policy. The petition also asks the court to clarify the responsibilities of the parties under the statute regarding transfers, and to determine that the KCPS Board of Education policy is in violation of the Hancock Amendment.
Specifically, the petition asks for:
1. An injunction prohibiting KCPS from transferring resident pupils of KCPSaccording to its student transfer policy or in accordance with state law, Section 167.131 revised statutes of Missouri .
2. The court to declare:
a. KCPS student transfer policy is void as a violation of 167.131 revised statutes of Missouri.
b. KCPS transfer policy is invalid as it requires accredited schools to provide an education for and transportation of KCPS students in violation of Hancock Amendment.
City Administrator’s Report 12-23-2011 FROM: Mahesh Sharma, City Administrator
Administration
As a reminder, city hall will be closed Monday, December 26th, in observance of the Christmas holiday.
Community Development
Ray Haydaripoor and Tim Wymes attended the National Animal Control Association (NACA) training from December 5 – 9, 2011. The seminar included training on animal behavior, animal capture techniques, animal diseases, report writing, court testimony, and interview techniques. On the final day they each took and passed a final examination which resulted in them receiving Level 1 Certification. Becky Petree and Dave Batson in Community Development Department have both previously attended NACA training seminars and have obtained Level 3 Certifications.
Finance
Have brought in temporary staffing to assist with receipting tax payments at the front counter and Felicia seems to be picking up on the system relatively quickly. She will be a big help next week when we expect our highest volume of walk in traffic for the year. You may have also noticed that starting last week we have had security personnel in the lobby area to assist with directing walk up customers to the correct line and to encourage people to be on their best behavior.
Information Technology
Network Users who access their City email account through an Internet Browser, with Outlook Web Access, are now required to use SSL certificate by going to https://city.raytown.mo.us/exchange (when out of the office), and https://mail/exchange (when in the office).
The benefit of the SSL certificate upgrade is designed to keep sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted so that only the intended recipient can understand it. When an SSL certificate is used, the information becomes unreadable to everyone except for the server you are sending the information to. This protects it from hackers and identity thieves.
Parks and Recreation
Diane Krizek is stepping down from the Raytown Tree Board to be President of the Friends of Raytown Parks, Inc. During Diane’s term, she assisted in the creation, development and funding of the Walking Arboretum in Kritser Park and assisted in annual Arbor Day celebrations, which culminated in the planting of many trees for the betterment of our community.
Public Works
Wiedenmann & Godfrey has completed the installation of a replacement sanitary sewer pipe located on 61st Street between Laurel and Ditzler and is in the process of completing street repairs on 61st Street.
Staff and Crews are pleased and all small kids and kids at heart are disappointed; that a white Christmas is not in the forecast.
Board, Committee and Commission Meetings, and Events
December 28 – Fire Board Meeting; Station 1, 9:00am
Raytown firefighters and police from Raytown and Kansas City have cordoned off part of a neighborhood in the 9000 block of E. 74th St. while they investigate what they believe may be a home-made explosive device in a residence there. Police were called to the residence last night to investigate a domestic dispute. One of the residents was arrested. Then a little before 10:00 this morning, Raytown Police were summoned back to the house by another resident who had discovered the suspicious device. Soon after the first officers arrived to investigate the discovery, they summoned the Bomb and Arson Unit from the Kansas City Police Department and cordoned off the house. Police and Fire officials evacuated some residents and went door to door notifying others to shelter in their homes. As of 12:30 this afternoon, bomb technicians were still examining the device to determine the safest way to handle it.
1:48 PM update
Raytown Police took down their barricades and declared the emergency in the 9000 block of 74th Street over at about 1:15 p.m. this afternoon (12/22/2011). Police had been summoned to a home in the neighborhood when a home-made explosive was discovered in a house by some of the tenants. Police and fire officials closed off the street and began evacuating some residents between 9:45 and 10:00 this morning after they saw the device. Bomb technicians from the Kansas City Police Department were called to the scene and they deactivated the device. Raytown police say that there was harmful explosive material involved. Residents of the house were being interviewed by Raytown Police and one man has been taken into custody, but no charges have been filed at the time of this report.
Kansas City Police today (12/21/2011) released information that includes a piece of surveillance video of the two men who held up a Raytown business this past Friday. The two men are believed to be the same that held up a Kansas City restaurant earlier that same Friday night. They hit again in Kansas City this past Monday (12/19/2011). Both Police Departments have Detectives assigned to the investigation. Today’s release updates the physical descriptions of the two men as follows:
Suspect 1 is a black male, approximately 6’00 to 6’04, medium build with dark skin.
Suspect 2 is a black male, approximately 5’08 to 6’00, medium build.
One of the suspects fired his handgun when the victim did not move fast enough.
Police are asking anyone that can help identify these men to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (8477). The details of the Kansas City Press Release and the video are attached here.
On January 1st, 2012, the Kansas City Missouri School District (KCMSD) will lose its accreditation. As a result, students residing within KCMSD may transfer to neighboring districts. The Missouri Supreme Court, in July, 2011, ruled that an unaccredited district must pay tuition to the receiving district. Kansas City Missouri School District offered to pay neighboring districts $3,733 per student for the 2012 fiscal year, and proposes to make payments by the month. In their new transfer policy, KCMSD also stated they would not pay tuition for students who have not attended a KCMSD school for at least the two previous semesters.
The State Legislature has drafted a plan that would allow surrounding districts to run KCMSD schools on a contract basis.
For more on this click HERE to read a The Republic, Columbus Indiana article (yes Indiana!) and click HERE to read The Republics article on the proposed legislation.
For more on this click HERE to read a KCTV article.
For more on this click HERE to read a KMBC article.
It is difficult to believe that the district’s tuition proposal of $3,733 is a good faith offer, since it is less than one-fourth of the current per pupil expenditure, as reported by DESE. From the data in the table above, there would appear to be only 3 reasonable starting offers. The amount they are spending now per student, the amount Raytown is spending now per student, or the average of the two.
Requiring a student to have been enrolled for two semesters is an avoidance of the district’s responsibility to provide a decent education to all students in the district. It seems likely that this policy is designed primarily to prevent students currently attending private schools at their parents’ expense from taking advantage of the opportunity to transfer to a neighboring district, at KCMSD’s expense.
UPDATE
RaytownOnline.com owner/reporter attended a NAACP meeting that R. Stephen Green, Ed.D., the acting superintendent of the Kansas City Mo. School District was the featured speaker. At the end of the speech, there was a question and answer session and the RaytownOnline.com reporter was able to ask about the tuition offer.
Police were called to a business in the 9300 block of E. 350 Hwy. last Friday night (12/16/2011) to investigate a robbery. Two men entered the store at about 9:15 that evening armed with handguns. They held up a customer at the counter as well as the clerk waiting him. The two men demanded wallet and keys from the customer, and then ordered the clerk to empty the register. They then left west on Gregory Blvd. in the customer’s black 1997 Ford Ranger pickup truck.
Both suspects were described as black men that were about 5’ 8” tall and around 150 lbs. The first man wore blue jeans; a grey hooded sweatshirt, black tennis shoes with a white stripe around the sole; a dark mask and dark gloves. He carried a black handgun that he pointed at the victims. The second man wore black jeans, a dark shirt over a white hooded shirt, dark shoes, a white ski mask under a dark stocking cap and was also thought to be wearing gloves and holding a handgun in his pocket. The victim’s truck was located and recovered by police Monday morning (12/19/2011) near 70th St. and Evanston.
Police ask for your assistance with this, and other crime, by calling the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS (474-8177)
Raytown School District Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator Marilyn Cannon has been named the 2011 Missouri Outstanding Middle School Educator for the state by the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM).
Cannon has been with the District since 1994 and has served as a middle school mathematics teacher, department chair, instructional coach, and curriculum coordinator.
“ I am excited to receive this award not because it speaks highly of me but of the work we do in Raytown,” Cannon said.
Dr. Steve Shelton, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, calls Cannon a driving force behind alignment to state and core standards and a data expert.
“Marilyn works tirelessly at evaluating our data to show us how to best impact instruction. Her commitment to the mathematics department is admirable,” Shelton said.
Cannon received her award at the MCTM fall conference.
City Administrator’s Report 12-16-2011 FROM: Mahesh Sharma, City Administrator
Community Development
Demolition of the first two houses located at 5420 and 5424 Laurel, which were purchased as part of the City’s NSP3 grant, began this week. A building permit was issued last week for the new homes that will be constructed on each of these lots. The city’s Housing Specialist, Michael Snodgrass with Builders Development Corporation, will be at the next Board of Alderman Work Session on December 20th to provide an update on the NSP3 program.
Staff has completed review of the revised site plan and construction plans and approved the building permit for a new building to be constructed at Gregory Boulevard and Highway 350 in front of the recently opened Aldi’s grocery store. Construction plans have not yet been submitted for the interior finish of the building, however, as the developer has not finalized leases for the building.
EMS
Child safety seat technicians at the Department of Emergency Medical Services have been seeing quite a bit of activity pertaining to child safety seat education in the month of December. Month-to-date, Raytown EMS has inspected and installed 14 child safety seats with 5 of those being provided by the department through grant funding.
A Community Blood Center Blood Drive is being held at Raytown EMS, on Wednesday, December 21st from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Call 816-737-6030 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.
Human Resources
Jim Roberson is starting Monday, December 19th, as a Maintenance Worker with the Public Works Department. Jim was a Seasonal Maintenance worker for Parks and Recreation this past summer, so he has some municipal government experience. He also has worked for Jackson County Parks & Recreation and as a service technician for La-Z-Boy. Additionally, Jim is a Raytown resident.
Public Works
Crews have identified a sanitary sewer that needs immediate replacement due to constriction of flow in an existing ductile iron pipe. The constriction in the pipe caused by corrosion is the source of a sewer backup in the area. Wiedenmann & Godfrey is scheduled to start next week to replace the sewer line to correct the issue and restore the flow capacity in the area. The sewer main is located on 61st Street between Laurel and Ditzler. 61st Street will be closed to through traffic while the sewer main is replaced, traffic can detour around the work zone by utilizing Ditzler and Laurel.
Storm crews cleaned leaves from in front of storm sewer inlet boxes to prevent ponding and localized flooding in response to the forecasted rain this week. Also sewer crews cleaned 10,054 feet of sewer line main.
Staff is pleased with the performance of the rehabilitated sweeper to date. The city spent $56,000 to refurbish the equipment in lieu of the $250,000 to replace the equipment and is pleased with the performance of the sweeper and the cost savings. Public works will continue to evaluate rehabilitation costs against replacement costs when a piece of equipment is deemed in need of replacement.
Board, Committee and Commission Meetings, and Events
December 19 – Park Board Meeting; Park Office, 7:00pm
December 20 – Board of Aldermen Work Session; Council Chambers, 6:00pm
December 20 – Board of Aldermen Meeting; Council Chambers, 7:00pm
Police responded to a residence in the 5300 block of Hardy when neighbors called to report the sound of gunfire. According to police, a party was going on at the house when one of the residents became involved in a fight with some of the party-goers. A short while after the fight broke up and some of the disputants were ejected, someone began firing into the house from outside. A vehicle left the area after the gunshots. Police believe that gunfire was returned from within the house. Persons in the house report that no one inside was injured by gunfire, although police say that there were signs of injury that were reported to have been from the earlier fight.
The investigation is still open and police ask anyone with information about the incident to call the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS (474-8477)
The cards were stacked against Raytown South. Their opponents were the defending Kansas 6A champions. The final score at Avila University Saturday night was 54 to 48. South forced 19 turn overs and Junior Diago Tyson scored 22 points. The Cardinals pulled within 2 points towards the end of the game, but in the end the Falcons got the victory.
The good news for South fans is that South was able to be competative with a 6A State champion school and Tyson has another season of play.
Raytown Middle School’s theatre arts department recently presented “The Diary of Adam and Eve” by Mark Bucci adapted from Mark Twain’s story by the same name.
“The Diary of Adam and Eve” is a comical look at the relationship between men and women as seen and told through the eyes and words of the first man and woman. The performance marked the 176th birthday of Mark Twain and featured Ben Recob as Adam and Gracie Little as Eve. Ceara Dorsey led the supporting cast as the snake, along with Leah White as the lamb, and Alexis Andonie as the tiger.
Other cast members included Morgan Valancia, Samantha Love-Baxter, Midala Adams, Arriana Staats, Kari Schuacher, Amethyst Moraine, and Robyn Qualls.
Post season honors for the 2011 football season are being announced.
Raytown High School 1st team Suburban Conference White Division All-Conference selections were Justus McMullen and Chris Jackson on offense and Terrance Hill on defense. Second team selections were Steve Deshazer on offense and Andre Norles on defense. Honorable Mention selections were Chris Scott and Jamie Nix on offense, and Deshazer, Jason Ellison, Hnery Burns, Tyler Wells, Donte Yarbough, and Manny Pecina on defense. This is the largest number of recipients for Raytown High in the last 4 years.
Raytown South High School 1st team Suburban Conference White Division All-Conference selections were Jameel Cox and Leondre Gibson on offense, and Justin Turner and Steve Addison on defense. Second team selections were Justin Turner on offense, and Gibson, Justin Chigbogu, Jamaal Cox, and Landon James-Wilson on defense.
Honorable mention selections for South were Jamaal Cox, Nustafaa Rose, Delvon Rouser, Marqus Moye, Jamar Cutler, Raymond Chase, Trace Hart, Josh Johnson, and Anthony Howard on offense, and Jameel Cox, Marqus Moye, Jamar Cutler, and Tyshawn Penington on defense. Dion Williams was selected honorable mention punter.
Additionally,the Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State Football Team was announced December 2, and athletes from Raytown High and Raytown South High are included.
From Raytown High School, Terrance Hill was selected as 2nd Team Linebacker for Class 5.
From Raytown South High School, Defensive Lineman Justin Chigbogu, Linebacker Jamaal Cox, Running Back Jameel Cox, and Linebacker Justin Turner were all selected to the Class 5 All-State 3rd team.
RaytownOnline.com is in the process of upgrading to a business class hosting provider. The migration preparations has eaten into time spent posting news. The end result should be a faster response time and more flexibility on site design. We are also testing new options on live video broadcasting of local events.
Holiday events and school sports videos are waiting to be processed and will be posted as time allows.
The Missouri Rhythm is the only professional men’s basketball team located in the metropolitan area. The first game that was held on Dec 2nd had the Rhythm defeat the 5th ranked team in the league, the Bluff City Reign in a thrilling overtime victory, 120-116. On December 17ththe Rhythm will host its second home game of the 2011/2012 basketball season. The game will start at 7pm. All home games are held at First Baptist Church of Raytown (ROC GYMNASIUM).
This game will be a special night as it will be service person night, we will honor our all of our men, and women of uniform, military, police, and fire personal will receive $5.00 discounted tickets for their great service to not only our community, but our country. On this night the Rhythm will also be accepting donations, and toys for the toys for tots Christmas program.
Raytown High School’s Jake Friebohle was named Academic All-State team for maintaining a GPA of over 3.5, being in the top 10% of his graduating class, and starting as a varsity player for over 70% of the season.
Raytown High School junior Logan Anderson who was selected 5th chair trumpet in the Missouri All-State Band. The band will perform at the annual Missouri Music Educator’s Conference in the spring.
Raytown South High recently underwent a Quality Assurance Review (QAR) by AdvancED (formerly the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement) and received full accreditation.
The last time Raytown South went through the extensive review process was in 1992. The accreditation process is focused on meeting standards and policies for quality schools, engaging in continuous improvement, and demonstrating quality assurance through both internal and external review. Administrators and teachers from across the state visited Raytown South for two days to conduct the review.
“We are proud and most pleased with the results. We also realize we have much work to do as we move forward and continue with our goals of improving student achievement,” Raytown South High School Principal Dr. Kevin Overfelt said. “The visiting team affirmed the hard work and commitment by our building and school district.”
Prior to the review, the school’s QAR Team reviewed a self-assessment, school profile, and other documentation. They interviewed 114 students, teachers, parents, administrators, staff, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
Seven standards the visiting team were reviewed were Vision and Purpose, Governance and Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Documenting and Using Results, Resource and Support Systems, Stakeholder Communications and Relationships, and Commitment to Continuous Improvement.
The visitors presented findings to the faculty. Raytown South received 3 commendations, and two assessments of Highly Functional.
Raytown High School had a QAR review during the 2010-2011 school year and was also fully accredited.
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