November Pirate Post
A recap of this month's happenings at Crane R-III Schools.
November 2025
Pirate Post
November’s Pirate Post
Hello Everyone! This is Dr. Rogers with an update on the important work that continues to take place across the Crane R-III School District!
This month we were proud to recognize Mrs. Kelsey Cox, our Parents as Teachers Parent Educator, and Ms. Deanna Means, our junior high school science teacher, as our Teacher Proud Tuesday honorees. These spotlights give us the chance to showcase the incredible individuals who make public education so impactful.
Our November Teacher of the Month will be announced when we get back from Thanksgiving Break!
Did You Know?: The state of Missouri is currently undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the 20-year-old funding formula used to support public schools. Because this outdated model has not kept pace with the rising cost of education, Missouri now ranks 50th in the nation for state funding, leaving districts heavily dependent on local tax revenue. For perspective, in the 2008–2009 school year, schools received a State Adequacy Target (SAT) of $6,117 per student if the student had perfect attendance. Last school year, that figure increased to $6,750 per student with 100% attendance, which is only a 10% increase across 16 years. During that same period, however, the cost of educating a student has climbed by more than 60%. As the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force works to redesign the formula, future planning remains challenging, as the impact of these changes on our district is not yet known. Each month, I will continue to provide updates to help our community understand how legislative developments affect our school
Academic Happenings: We recently received our Annual Performance Report for the past school year and noted both encouraging progress and areas in need of continued attention. Our results on the MAP and EOC assessments indicate that we must remain focused on helping students demonstrate the full extent of what they learn each day. As we examine the data, we will refine and adjust our instruction to better support student growth and improve learning outcomes.
Following Christmas Break, we are excited to launch Pirate Pals, a tutoring and mentoring initiative made possible through Silver Dollar City’s Hope Grant. Students will be selected through multiple measures to participate in this program, ensuring that support is tailored to those who will benefit most.
Board Meeting Updates: At this month’s Board of Education meeting, members addressed several important district matters. The board reviewed pricing for various fencing options surrounding the track; however, a decision was postponed for one additional month to allow time for an additional bid and to obtain updated figures for the existing, outdated proposals. The board also approved a budget amendment reflecting unanticipated revenue received by the district, and they formally accepted this year’s annual audit, which was conducted in July. The meeting concluded with an update to the Staff Handbook regarding the district’s Purchase Card Procedures, which is another step in ensuring our policies and practices align.
Track Updates: The contractor has completed the base layer and angled components of the project, including the runways, javelin pad, high jump pad, and the track oval and chute. More than 1,600 man-hours have been dedicated to this work over the past five weeks. However, with colder weather approaching, and with mild temperatures required for the final phases, progress will likely pause until spring, when the remaining five weeks of work can resume. Although the Board of Education, administration, and contractor were hopeful that favorable weather would allow the track to be completed before winter, it now appears that the project will reach completion in late spring.