Lion's Link #lionpride

Dear Lions Family,

Miller County R-III School District first day of school is Monday, August 18.. On behalf of the entire staff, we want to extend a warm welcome to all of our families and community members. It is a top priority to ensure safety to everyone that enters our school campus. There are certain protocols that we need to follow to maintain a daily organized environment.

On our first day of school…

• Drop off procedures can be tricky in the morning. On the first day, and first day only elementary parents may walk their child to their classroom. If you choose to do this, enter at the elementary school doors. Walk your child to their classroom, take a quick picture of them, give them a hug and tell them to have a great day. Elementary doors will be open at 7:40, but all parents need to exit the building by 8:00, so we can start our school day. Middle school and high school parents will need to stop at the front entrance doors to send their child into the building so they can start their day of learning. Starting the second day of school, all students will need to enter the building through the front entrance doors. The main parking lot will not be available for parent drop off, as the main parking lot will be utilized for teacher parking and bus drop off only. All parents will need to use the entrance that is between the parking lots and stop at the flagpole to drop off their students. Don’t worry, I will be there to help!

• Breakfast will be available from 7:40-8:00 in the cafeteria. If your child chooses to eat breakfast after 7:55, they will be served an alternative breakfast that is quick to eat so they can be to class on time.

• From 8:00-3:15, your child will be in a safe learning environment. Our focus this year is to utilize our instruction time to maximize teaching our students, giving them direct and indirect instruction to work on assignments, increase reading opportunities and watch them grow into wonderful learners.

• Dismissal procedures will look a little different this year. We ask that you call the office before 2:00 for any transportation changes. This ensures that we have time to deliver the message to the teacher. At 3:15 elementary bus riders will be walked in an orderly fashion to the buses to load. All middle school and high school students will load the buses on their own. Once the buses leave the parking lot, the office will announce that all drivers, walkers, and pickups will be released from class. At this time, any parents that have parked in the main parking lot may then exit their vehicles and meet their child. Elementary parents, you will need to pick up your child from the teacher at the sidewalk in front of the elementary school. Middle school and high school parents, your child will walk to your vehicle.

We appreciate your support to ensure the safety of your child. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time. I am here to help.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Alicia Burrows

Tuscumbia School Principal

As always, we have so many in the community who help us get the school year started in one way or another. We'd like to say a big thank you to them!

• Central Bank provided breakfast for our staff on one of our teacher work days;
• Booster Club is providing lunch for staff on Friday;
• School Board Vice-President Steve Wilson smoked pork tenderloin for staff lunch on a teacher work day;
• PTO gave every teacher a Walmart or Amazon gift card for $25 to purchase supplies for their classrooms;
• Several community members and businesses donated gifts and gift cards for teacher door prizes this week;
• There will be lots of community groups and individuals providing services and supplies at the Back-To-School Fair tonight--check them out in the cafeteria!

We appreciate everyone who donates their time, money, and services to our students and staff. Thank you!

Please click here for a list of this year's meal prices, including the cost for reduced meals. This is also included every week with this newsletter in the Quick Links section.

We also request that everyone fill out a free/reduced meal eligibility form if you are within the eligibility guidelines. The paperwork is not difficult, and we are happy to assist you in filling it out. All you need to know is the number of people living in your household and the gross income for any wage earners living there.

Even if you’re unsure whether your family qualifies, filling out the meal benefits application not only benefits your household—but the entire Miller County R-III School District community. Here are important reasons to submit the application:
1. You may qualify for free or reduced-price meals and Summer EBT funds. This can lead to meaningful savings on breakfast and lunch costs each month and savings on food during the summer months (e.g. SUN Bucks Summer EBT).
2. It brings in additional funding for our schools. Completed applications help the district secure critical funding for technology, internet access, instructional support and more.
3. Your student could save on college readiness exams. Eligible students may receive reduced fees for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams, and gain access to scholarship opportunities.
4. Many colleges offer application fee waivers based on free/reduced meal eligibility.
5. It affects our state funding. The number of approved applications directly can influence the amount of funding our district receives from the state.

6. It helps area daycares to also qualify for assistance with their meals.
The application process is confidential, fast, and makes a real difference. Please pick up a copy of the form at the office to complete during in-person registration next week.
Questions? Please contact the office.

This year, our school calendar includes designated make-up days in case of closures due to inclement weather. These dates are listed in the lower left-hand corner of the calendar in the order they will be used. As snow days occur, we will announce the corresponding make-up dates to help families plan ahead. You may click the link below for a copy of this year's calendar.

We also have a Google Calendar on which we try to include all school activities as well as community activities that involve the school. You can access it here: http://bit.ly/3IXwUk4

• 8/14: Open House/Back-to-School Fair, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; COMC Sports Physicals available
• 8/15: Back to School Splash, 7:00 p.m., Eldon pool
• 8/18: First day--classes begin at 8:00 a.m.--can't wait to see everyone!
• 8/19: FFA Alumni Meeting, 6:30 p.m., FFA classroom
• 8/20: FFA meeting, 3:30 p.m.; Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., HS library
• 8/26: Softball Jamboree @ St. Elizabeth, 5:00 p.m.
• 8/28: Softball vs Eldon, 5:00 p.m.
• 8/29: Baseball vs Stoutland, 5:00 p.m.; Softball @ Humansville Tournament, 6:05 p.m.
• 8/30: Softball @Humansville Tournament, 10:00 a.m.

The mission of the Miller County R-III School District, in partnership with our students, parents, staff, and community, is to promote PRIDE and provide a quality education that inspires our students to be lifelong learners.

2025-26 Meal Prices

2025-26 School Calendar

Purchase student accident insurance from K&K

Calendar of All School Events

Title I Resources:

School Wide Program Plan

School, Parent, and Family Engagement Policy

Parents Right to Know

The Miller County R-III School District has the following openings available:

• Substitute Teachers, as needed, $105/day, must have substitute certificate and pass a background check.
• Substitute Bus Drivers, as needed, $31.60 per route (a.m. or p.m.) and $15/hour for trip drivers, including wait time. If you do not have a CDL, we have an on-site trainer who will train you if you commit to substituting for our district.

Interested parties should contact Dr. Spencer at tspencer@tuscumbialions.k12.mo.us, or come by central office during working hours for an application.

It's always a great day to be a Lion! Come join our Pride!

The Miller County R-III School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

The process for getting a CDL is not difficult, and we will help you! Here is what you need to do:

• Take the written portion of the exam. Here is the study guide. You can get a printed copy at any testing site. You will need to take the test for School Bus, Class B with passengers. You do NOT need to test for air brakes.
• After you pass all portions, take the paper the testing site gives you to the license office and get your permit. You also have to take 2 forms of proof-of-residency and a photo ID.
• Come see us--James Luttrell is our federally approved site trainer, and he will provide your training to take the pre-check and driving portions of the test. He will also take you to the testing site when you take the test. Before he does that, we will need you to complete an application and get a fingerprint background check to ensure you are eligible to work for the district.
• After you pass your test, you will take your paperwork to the license office again with 2 forms of proof-of-residency and a photo ID and get your CDL.
• Keep all of your receipts--we reimburse for the permit, CDL, and fingerprints, and we pay for the drug testing and physical.
• As soon as you have a CDL, are approved by the Board, have a DOT physical, and pass a pre-employment drug test, you can sub bus routes and/or drive activity trips.

If you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher and you do not have the required 36 college hours, you can do an online course that will allow you to get a substitute certificate. Here is the link to that course, and here is the link to the DESE web page that gives you more information about what you need to do to get a substitute certification. Our daily rate for subs for the 2025-26 school year will be $100/day!