LEADER CLINTON COUNTY Voters approve levy for new EBMS building

The East Buchanan School District will have its new middle school in Gower.

Months of research and feedback culminated Tuesday, August 8, when district voters approved a 65-cent levy increase (per $100 assessed value) to fund construction

CCR-III sees much-needed bump in test scores

As the Clinton County R-III School District in Plattsburg prepares for the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, leaders are optimistic that a recent upswing in performance is a sign of more improvements to come.

Superintendent Dr. Sandy Steggall told The Leader that students throughout all grade levels showed considerable improvements in the MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) and EOC (End of Course) standardized tests this past spring.

Primarily, Dr. Steggall reported that students in kindergarten through the twelfth grade improved scores in English/Language Arts, Math and Science. The average percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in each subject group grew by 10 percent or more. Those groups improved when compared to how they performed the previous year, and compared to how the class ahead of them performed in that grade level.

The full results from the MAP and EOC tests aren’t yet publicly available.

“This substantial increase in MAP and EOC scores reflects the collective efforts of our dedicated educators, support staff, and students,” said Dr. Steggall. “Staff have worked diligently to implement effective instructional strategies, tailor lesson plans to meet individual student needs. Their unwavering commitment to student success has undoubtedly played a significant role in these impressive results.

of a new middle school building, which the district plans to build on school-owned property west of Fourth Street (in Buchanan County).

According to unofficial county results, the measure passed by a total vote of 645-418 (60.67 percent against 39.33 percent). In Clinton County, voters signed off on the levy 401-236, and in Buchanan County, voters favored the measure 242-181. Three votes were cast between Platte and DeKalb Counties – two in favor and one against.

When constructed, the new building will replace the current East Buchanan Middle School in Easton, and the district will no lon- ger need to shuttle students back and forth between the two towns. Had the issue failed Tuesday, district officials would have had to decide whether to commit hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of dollars to fix the old middle school.

Tuesday’s levy features a 20year sunset, which means it would

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