Published by MoASBO, November 2013 On occasion, a neighbor, an adjoining property owner or a community benefactor will approach a school district with an attractive offer to sell land. The location, price or deal terms may look irresistible, but as with any...
Shaky Ground: Easy Steps to Avoid the Pitfalls Associated with Building Trades Courses – By: Scott Kimble
Published by MoASBO, October 2013 Building trades courses have been around for years. These courses serve a valuable purpose and offer real, on the job training for students who desire to enter the construction profession. Indeed, many school districts across...
Back to School To-Do List: Getting Ready For a Successful School Year – By: Wendy Kasten
Published by MARE, September 2013 As another school year starts, here are a few reminders of things that should be done to help ensure a smooth and successful school year. Review Board Policies and Regulations If your District has a web page, are all of your board...
“It’s Alright – I’ll Just ‘Salary’ Them!” Common Misconceptions About Non-Exempt Employees – By: Christi Flaherty
Published by MoASBO, August 2013 As non-certified staffs grow while budgets continue to shrink, many school districts are looking at ways to cut expenses while accommodating an increase in student and staff needs. One way districts are doing so is that they are...
Change May Be Coming: A Review Of House Bill 134 – By: Scott Kimble
Published by MoASBO, June 2013 Bullying has been a hot legal topic for the past decade. Indeed, in 2006, in response to increased awareness due to several student-related tragedies, the Missouri legislature passed the State’s first anti-bullying statute, Mo. Rev....
Students on the Move: Determining Whether a Student Is Homeless – By: Sarah Schmanke
Published by MoASBO, April 2013 Today, it is not all that uncommon for school districts to encounter a student who has moved into a home in the district to live with someone who is not a parent or guardian. If the student is a minor and does not have a parent,...
The Tale of the Backpack: Seizure of Property in the Public School Setting – By: Natalie Hoernschemeyer
Published by MARE, May 2013 A high school student filed suit claiming that his property was subjected to an illegal and unconstitutional seizure when he was briefly separated from his backpack and books during a random search of his science classroom by the local...
TITLE IX v. FERPA: Which Law Trumps Following a Sexual Harassment Investigation – By: Betsey Helfrich
Published by MoASBO, February 2013 Imagine the following scenario: a student makes a claim that he has been sexually harassed by another student in your district. Per Board of Education policy, you follow grievance procedures and after investigating, determine that...
Recent 8th Circuit Case Law: Court Sides With School District In Missouri Student Speech Case – By: Wendy Kasten
Published by MARE, January 2013 In October, the United States Court of Appeals in the Eighth Circuit reversed a District Court’s decision to grant an injunction to two Missouri students who claimed that their school district violated their First Amendment free speech...
Building for the Future: A Guide to School Construction – By: Conor Neusel & Natalie Hoernschemeyer
Published by MoASBO, July 2012 I. Introduction Regardless of the size, construction and maintenance projects can cause tremendous headaches for school administrators. In addition to making aesthetic and financially conscientious decisions, administrators...