The North Callaway School Board agreed to create a Hall of Fame for North Callaway High School athlete alumni at their regular meeting Thursday.
The Hall of Fame would honor the athletic achievements of individuals or teams and their contributions to the North Callaway High School's athletic programs, according to a document presented at the board meeting. In order for an athlete to be eligible for nomination, they must have attended North Callaway High School for a minimum of two years and graduated from the school - they will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction five years after graduation.
A selection committee of five alumni and the school's activities director will vote on nominations at a hearing. Individual self-nominations will not be accepted for review, according to the document. Other nominations will be kept on file for five years, or until the committee inducts the nominee into the Hall of Fame with an 80 percent vote.
Athletes will be strongly considered if they meet two or more of the criteria:
AP or Coaches' Association 1st Team All-State Selection
State Champion (Relay teams in Track and Field will be inducted as a group, not as individuals)
Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHAA) state qualifier
State Tournament Series record holder
School record holder
Division I Athletic Scholarship recipient
AP or Coaches' Association 1st Team, 2nd Team, 3rd Team, or honorable mention All-State
All-Conference selection (three or more times)
Outstanding statistical achievement in an individual sport or sports
Coaches will be strongly considered if they exhibit achievements in two or more of the categories:
Member of a recognized state Hall of Fame in the sport that he or she coached
Conference championships
Sectional, Regional, Semi-State Championships
Coach of the Year honors (by state recognized coaching organizations or media groups)
Career winning percentage at North Callaway High School
Athletic success of individuals coached
Years of coaching service to North Callaway High School
Leadership roles in national or state coaching associations
Member of the coaching staff of a state recognized all-star team.
Also during its regular meeting, the School Board also heard the progress of the district's Partners in Learning program, which is an after-school program that provides tutoring and additional classes or activities for students, the Fulton Sun previously reported.
The 2014-2015 school year was the program's fourth year under grant funding, Program Director Ashli Houchins said. Next year will be the program's final year under the grant with a budget of $253,172. For the 2014-2015 school year, the program suffered a loss in student participation which Houchins speculated is a result of increased program fees which jumped from $15 per quarter in 2013-2014 to $30 per quarter in 2014-2015. Fees will increase to $40 per quarter to assist with the budget, however students receiving reduced price lunches will be required to pay only $20 per quarter as a fee and students receiving free lunches will be able to participate for free, Houchins said.
Although the program saw a drop in attendance its goals to increase math and reading levels in its students participating the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program were met, Houchins said.
"We've increased our tutoring opportunities and it's paying off," she added.
The School Board has several options to approach funding for the program in its sixth year:
Apply for and receive another federal grant
District funds the program (approximately $170,000)
After School Program funds itself (would mean a stricter fee and enrollment policy)
No Partners in Learning program for the 2015-2016 school year.
Board member Jenny Bondurant suggested that the program adopt a business model similar to programs in St. Louis where the students would provide funding for the program by selling goods or services.
The Board also discussed progress on the bond update which, Superintendent Bryan Thomsen said, "remains on track." The high school is now completely asbestos free and the pad mount transformer, which would power the scoreboard, concession stand, press box and track storage facilities which will cost about $33,000 will be covered by the budget although Thomsen hoped an Ameren grant would provide funding for it.