SUPERINTENDENT
As our first quarter is ending and the beauty and excitement of fall is upon us, I am reminded of the numerous and wonderful opportunities provided by our community and our school district. Whether you are attending Applefest, Irishfest, watching the Bluejay band or a sports activity, it is great to be a part of this great school community that is widely recognized throughout our state for providing unique educational and cultural experiences for our students and patrons. For those of us who were born here, we often take for granted what a truly unique town and school district we have. While there is a great deal of information and great things to share with you, here are a few highlights of importance for district patrons to know:
RECRUITING AND RETAINING EXCELLENT TEACHERS—Our school year has been off to a great start. Major changes have been made in the district’s salary schedule to become more competitive with the larger school districts in the area that we compete with for hiring and retaining teachers. Previously standing last among seven area school districts (North Kansas City, Kearney, Liberty, Smithville, Park Hill and Platte County and West Platte) in all salary categories, the district has made improvements to the base, education, and experience steps to compete with these six other schools and others in the surrounding area. After the district’s improvements to the salary structure, the district now has an average rank of THIRD when comparing all steps of the West Platte salary schedule to these other six school districts. The district hopes to be able to retain current staff as career teachers, as well to attract and retain the “brightest and best” teachers to our system.
FINANCIALLY STRONG—The district has competed its annual audit and was found to have no “material “ findings, meaning the district is operating well and within the expectations of all state and federal laws. The district audit also confirms that the district is in excellent financial condition and well positioned to continue providing an excellent education for our students.
FACIILITIES IMPROVEMENT—The district is moving into the final stages of determining the specifics of many proposed facility improvements. While the exact scope of building plans is yet to be determined, the Board of Education will be finalizing this in the coming months. The board and administration welcome your thoughts on the proposed facilities as we progress on these important decisions.
We appreciate the support and partnerships with our parents and patrons. This is a special place and “It is a great time to be a Bluejay.”
Respectfully,
Dr. Mark Harpst
Superintendent
Text-A-Tip
What is this program?
Text-A-Tip is a national program used by many schools in Missouri. This program is designed to work the same way as Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can anonymously report to school administration.
Who can participate?
This is available to anyone. Students, parents or community members who hear of a potential inappropriate or dangerous situation may report anonymously to West Platte administration.
If I want to report something, how exactly does it work?
1. Start a text with the keywords “jays”, then type your tip.
2. Send the tip to Crimes (274637)
3. The message becomes anonymous.
4. The message is sent to the school administration, who will review it and investigate if necessary.
MISSION
The Mission of the West Platte School District is to develop students with a healthy intellectual, physical, social and emotional balance that will enable them to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a changing society.