Eagles,

Welcome to the final quarter of the school year, and thank you for a great winter of hard work and progress. Educators tend to measure our year around a series of benchmarks, and for me, the start of 4th quarter kicks off a race to the end. There's about to be a lot going on in Joplin Schools!

Right after Spring Break, intentional academic work continues while spring athletics get underway. We do encourage all students to find an extracurricular activity to join, allowing opportunities for teamwork, focus, and physical fitness outside of the regular school day.

In April, we have an important item on the ballot with Eagle Bond 2026, to keep our schools and extracurricular activities safely supported for further generations of Joplin students. Shortly after election day, we'll host several Academic All Star celebrations to recognize the thousands of students whose state assessment results showed growth, proficiency, or advanced scores from last school year.

State assessment season opens up at the end of April into early May, and our students will have a chance to demonstrate their academic growth across the board. These tests are just one of the ways we measure student success in Joplin Schools, and they help us make plans for how to continue improving curriculum, instruction, and learning interventions so all students have access to a great education.

The year winds down with field trips, end of year banquets, and finally graduation on May 17 at Joplin High School. Spring will be busy in Joplin Schools, and we're excited to see the efforts of a full school year come to fruition. Many thanks to our teachers and support staff for working towards a fantastic fourth quarter together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kerry Sachetta, Superintendent

You may have noticed there are big changes happening at Jefferson, McKinley, and Royal Heights elementary schools.

New construction and interior renovations at these buildings will address recommendations made by the district's Long Range Facility Committee (LRFC) to improve educational suitability. These three of the district's oldest elementary buildings were identified as having the highest priority of immediate needs, so we're using $11M of the district’s capital reserves to fund the work.

We expect this phase of work to be finished just before school starts this August. More work will immediately follow pending voter approval of Eagle Bond 2026.

Across Joplin, seven of our oldest elementary schools need important updates to improve safety, accessibility, and learning spaces, bringing them up to the standard of our newer buildings. Guided by community members serving on the Long Range Facility Committee, these priorities also include a much-needed indoor education and activity facility at Joplin High School to relieve crowded indoor spaces used by middle and high school students every day, year-round.

Through careful financial stewardship, we have already begun some of this work (as seen above) using $11M of capital reserves, and we are asking for the community’s help to finish the job. These community-identified improvements would be funded through a responsible plan that uses an additional $10 million in district capital reserves and a $40 million bond, all while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in the area, pending voter approval on April 7, 2026.

When combined with the improvements already in progress, this work represents $21M of our reserve funds being invested into vital facility work, for a total of $36M in elementary upgrades.

This work will NOT raise the tax levy to our community, extending the district's debt in support of important infrastructure that will benefit the next generations of students and staff.

It's time to pre-enroll our littlest Eagles for Kindergarten!

Families with students who will be 5 years old before Aug. 1, 2026, and who live within district boundaries are eligible to attend Joplin Schools Kindergarten programs. Eligibility for Transitional Kindergarten will also be determined during the pre-enrollment and screening process.

Pre-enrollment forms are available now on our website. After completing the pre-enrollment form, parents should watch their email inbox to complete the process.

(Current JEC and Flight School students do not need to pre-enroll; these families will be contacted to schedule screenings soon.)

We can't wait to meet the incoming class of 2039!

Do you know of an outstanding graduate from Joplin High School, Lincoln School, Memorial High School, and Parkwood High School. The Joplin Schools Foundation is seeking nominations for the Alumni Hall of Fame! Nominees may be honored posthumously and must have graduated at least 25 years prior to their nomination.

In addition to alumni, the Foundation also seeks nominations for Meritorious Award winners. These are individuals who may not have attended Joplin Schools, but who, through leadership, service and/or support, have demonstrated extraordinary contributions to Joplin Schools and the local education community.

Nominations for induction into the 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame class are due by MAY 1, and can be submitted on the Foundation website.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the lifelong accomplishments of some of our most impressive Joplin Schools graduates!

Joplin High School students enrolled in the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program at Roi S. Wood have created a new online resource to support their peers experiencing homelessness in the Joplin community.

The website, Joplin Community Resource Guide for Youth, is specifically designed to be navigated by youth and teens who may be unaware of the resources available to them in support of food, shelter, transportation, and more. According to the new website, the students state their purpose is “to provide the resources needed to support our unhomed peers and to offer a community-driven approach to alleviate their struggles.”

JAG teacher Janet Parker-Spain said the students decided to create the website out of a desire to help their peers.

Senior Serenity Ramsey, President of Joplin JAG, said, “This project was very educational and rewarding in the sense that we learned a lot about local places where you can get help if you are in need. We thought there should be a single place where you can find everything. Hopefully, this website will help people know where to go and what to bring, and if they need information, it is just a click away!”

“I’m so proud of these students,” said Ms. Parker-Spain. “They saw a need, they researched how to help, and they put their thoughts into action. This is what JAG is all about: giving students a way to find their purpose and participate in their community in meaningful ways.”

Congratulations to Joplin High School senior Ava Doll on being named the Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross Country Player of the Year!

This award is one of the most prestigious honors in high school athletics, recognizing one athlete in each sport per state based on athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character and leadership. Winners are selected from all Missouri high schools, making this a significant statewide recognition.

Ava won the Class 5 state championship this past season, marking the first time in history an Eagles’ girls competitor captured the title. She also took ninth in the El Caliente Race at the prestigious Chile Pepper XC Festival, clocking one of her two sub-18 times of the fall. She broke the tape at November’s Class 5 District 2 meet in a personal best 17:46.01.

A member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society, Ava has maintained a weighted 4.14 GPA in the classroom and is pursuing her CNA certification, for which she has worked with local nursing home residents daily. She has volunteered locally and has donated her time with Joplin middle schools as a peer tutor, track meet official and youth running mentor.

We are so proud of Ava's tremendous accomplishments, character and drive, and of the athletic program and school community who has supported her success both on and off the course. Well done, Ava!