Dear
Knob Noster Parents and Community:
I
hope this memo finds you well and that you enjoyed a restful, relaxing, and
healthy Christmas Break with your family. It goes without saying that 2020 was
a year unlike any we have seen. Yet,
despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, Knob Noster Public Schools
continued to push forward with a number of successes for our students and
community. We want to take this
opportunity to thank each of you for your support of Knob Noster Public
Schools, our students, and our team.
Through your support and partnership, 2020 was another standout year! Provided
below is a year-in-review “Top 10 List” of accomplishments of Knob Noster
Public Schools. Our students, teachers, and Board of Education continue to
firmly plant our feet as one of the best school districts in the nation…and we
look forward to what’s in store for 2021! We are very pleased to share the following
list of select accomplishments that you have helped our students achieve during
a very challenging year!
10. The United States Air Force conducted a
nationwide study on the quality of education serving its 154
installations. Amidst very elite competition,
Knob Noster Public Schools / Whiteman Air Force Base ranked NUMBER 1 in the
country for quality of education. The
study measured academic outcomes, college and career readiness programs,
attendance, graduation rate, preschool offerings, and a variety of other
metrics.
9. With support from a $1,000,000 grant from the
Department of Defense Education Activity, Knob Noster Public Schools opened the
Little Wingmen Preschool Program to serve the students of Knob Noster and
Whiteman AFB. In 2013, the Knob Noster community reported that a preschool
program was among its greatest needs.
The district is pleased to have delivered this program in 2020 through
start-up federal funding.
8. For the second year in a row, Knob Noster
High School was recognized as the NUMBER 1 rural high school in Missouri for
college and career readiness by US News and World Report. This study measured and ranked over 600 high
schools in the state on a variety of academic and performance measures.
7. Whiteman Elementary School’s Student 2
Student program was recognized as the NUMBER 1 program in the nation by the
Military Child Education Coalition. The S2S program serves as the face of the
school, with the core function of establishing a welcoming climate and culture
for all students. When students PCS to
and from Whiteman Elementary, our S2S ambassadors ensure these transitions are
not solo missions, but are supported from start to finish by a team of
friendly, embracing students.
6. Employee compensation increases were a point
of pride in 2019 and again in 2020, with the Board of Education approving the
most aggressive wage increases (back to back) in over a decade. The district
also enhanced the health program and benefits offered to our team. Throughout the Covid pandemic, the district
did not cut a single employee or a single paycheck. The district ended 2020 by providing a Covid
supplemental payment for employees. The
Board and administration remain fully committed to aggressive recruitment and
retention of quality employees.
5. To further strengthen our secondary programs, Knob Noster
partnered with Embry Riddle University to provide dual credit courses within
our JROTC aviation program. The district added a Community Based Instruction
Teacher for our Project Partners Program which provides worksite experiences
for special needs students. The district expanded the reach of our Business
Program by adding a second instructor and expanding courses into Knob Noster
Middle School. The district also took additional steps in developing
career academies to provide high school students real world worksite experience
to jump start their careers. From PreK to Career, Knob Noster continues
to establish new ways to innovate.
4. Financially, Knob Noster Public Schools
continues to offer an exemplary return on investment for our taxpayers. In 2020, the district spent more on direct
instruction than ever before while simultaneously securing the largest reserve
fund balances in school history, the majority of which is being held in reserve
for future capital projects. The district produced another clean audit for 2020,
with notable enhancements to operational practices. All of this was accomplished with the lowest
K-12 public school tax levy in the region...a tax rate 50% lower than most
other schools in our region.
3. Knob Noster Public Schools continues to
strengthen its local, state, and national profile as a leader in public education. In 2020, the district was profiled in/by: Digital
Learning Collaborative, Association of Defense Communities, Collaborative for
Student Success, Military Impacted Schools Association, Military Child
Education Coalition, Whiteman Area Leadership Council, Missouri Military
Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, Department of Defense Education
Activity, and others. In an era where
partnerships are paramount for securing grant funding and educational
opportunities for students, the future looks promising and bright for Knob
Noster Public Schools.
2. Above all other goals, Knob Noster Public
Schools seeks to develop quality character, citizenship, and patriotism in our
students, with this effort being championed through our Panthers R.O.C.K
character program and The Leader In Me program.
In 2020, our students lived these values in many ways, most notably
through their resilience and perseverance throughout the Covid-19 crisis. We send a HUGE thank you to our students for
living out the most important elements of our school mission! We hope our
community is as proud of our students as we are!
1. A typical year in Knob Noster….VIRTUALLY!
When Covid reached the Knob Noster community….we were ready. Decisions by the district over the last
several years allowed us to have one of the most seamless shifts to virtual
learning in the nation. The technology
infrastructure, 1:1 devices K-12, and embedded skills of our teachers were
already in place, which made the transition very smooth. The readiness of our school district was
second only to the resolve, commitment, and extraordinary humanity of the
people that make up our school and community.
From drive through food service lines to zoom classrooms to school bus
hotspots and everything in between, our team stepped up to the challenge to
continue services to our students and families.
While it was not perfect at every step, we were able to move forward
with high levels of success. When we reopened
our doors in the fall, students and teachers alike rushed back into their
classrooms with a new found appreciation for what school really means to all of
us. Covid 19 helped remind all of us that the functions of public schools
extend far beyond academics. Public
schools support students and families with basic needs. They create a safe space for friendships and
social interactions. They challenge
students to grow and learn and to not take a single day for granted. Covid 19
reminded us all that public schools are the heartbeat of the communities of our
nation. And when it comes to
communities, Covid-19 proved that Knob Noster is one of the best communities in
our country! When adversity hit, the
Knob Noster community embraced it, we united, and we put our best foot
forward! Our trust and relationships
carried us through 2020….and we are aligned for 2021 even stronger than before!
As
2020 comes to a welcomed end, we again want to thank you for your partnership
in helping the accomplishments listed above, and many others, occur for our
students! From the Knob Noster Panther
Family to yours, we wish you and your family the best of health, happiness, and
prosperity in 2021 and we look forward to great things in partnership with each
of you!
In Knob
Noster Public Schools – Our Mission Is Student Success!
Very
Respectfully,
Jerrod
Wheeler, Ed. D.
Superintendent
of Schools