Lucas Ignores KCATA Representation Statute

Jerry Nolte, Clay County Presiding Commissioner

Clay County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte and Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker have released a letter charging Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas of ignoring state statute regarding the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) Board of Commissioners. The County Commissioners believe Clay and Platte County are being unfairly taxed without representation on the KCATA board.

One of the questions on this November’s Kansas City ballot is QUESTION #1 (Public Bus Transit System) to approve a continuation of the current 3/8 cent sales tax. The projected $421 million raised over 10 years will go to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners who spends those funds on area transportation needs, including buses.

Missouri Statute (238.060) authorizes Clay and Platte Counties each to have one seat on the KCATA Board of Commissioners. Clay and Platte County Commissions each submit a panel of three persons to the Mayor of Kansas City, who shall appoint, with the approval of the city council, one person from each county’s list.

the Mayor of Kansas City has instead ignored recommendations from both counties and has seated commissioners of his choosing

“However, the Mayor of Kansas City has instead ignored recommendations from both counties and has seated commissioners of his choosing,” the County Commissioners say. “One of the appointments made by the Kansas City Mayor is a city employee, which raises concerns about the independence of the KCATA Board and the undue influence of the Kansas City Mayor.”

According to the press release, “the citizens of Clay and Platte Counties do not have proper representation on the KCATA Board of Commissioners. And more importantly, by not following the lawful procedure under state statute, Clay and Platte County citizens are being taxed without proper representation as required by the law.”

The County Commissioners want inform residents that before they vote to extend this tax, Kansas City should comply with the law and appoint members to the KCATA Board of Commissioners as required by Missouri Statute.

“On November 7, Clay and Platte Kansas Citians should consider whether or not to support this taxation without the legitimate representation as guaranteed to us by law.”

Kearney Softball Players Are District Champs

The Bulldogs have again demonstrated their softball domination.

The Kearney High School Softball team earned the 2023 Class 4 District 8 Championship by defeating a formidable Platte County Pirates team 10-3 last night in Excelsior Springs.

The Bulldogs came out strong at the plate and scored in every inning but the sixth. The defense was solid behind Alyssa Quick, who struck out seven as she pitched for seven innings.

Quick brought the heat to the plate as well, going 2-3, earning 3 RBIs and hitting her 12th home run of the season. Bri Reynolds also had 3 RBIs and hit her first home run of the season.

Other Highlights:

Macy Morrow went 1-4 with 1 RBI

Kennedi Casey went 1-3 with 1 RBI

Brooke Paalhar went 3-4 with 1 RBI

Morgan Pennington went 1-4

Jocelyn Lincoln went 2-3 with 1 RBI

Ryleigh Van Emmerik went 1-3

The Bulldogs’ road to the state championship tournament continues when they play Nevada this Saturday, Oct. 21.

Kearney Residents Respond to Pitbull Ordinance

The City of Kearney asked residents to respond to a Polco poll they created to help Aldermen with the decision to repeal the current pit bull ban or keep it in place.

To ensure that city officials received responses from residents living inside Kearney city limits and to avoid fraud and ballot box stuffing, only answers from verified respondents were considered. 

58% of the respondents strongly support a repeal of the pit bull ban and 33% strong support keeping the ban.

City Administrator Shelia Ernzen reported that the poll received a total of 950 responses. Out of those responses only 450 were verified responses. Out of those responses, 407 were from residents who lived inside the city limits.

According to the poll, 58% of the respondents strongly support a repeal of the pit bull ban and 33% strong support keeping the ban.

Respondents to the poll also said that if the ban is repealed then they wanted stronger leash laws, mandatory dog registrations, and harsher penalties for dog bites.

This was an opinion poll and not a vote to change policy or the pit bull ordinance. No discussion or action was taken by the Aldermen at the meeting.

Cross Country Girls Take Gold and Boys Silver at Conference

The Kearney High School Bulldogs have once again run their competitors off their feet.

The Girls Cross Country team earned gold and a third straight Conference title on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Jesse James Park in Kearney. Five girls made First-Team All-Conference with their outstanding results:

Heidi Adams – 2nd

Daisy Burman – 4th

Olivia Brock – 5th

Liela Murphy – 6th

Alex Kinstler – 7th.

Delaney Thurston was 9th and Jordin Vaughn was 11th. Both runners earned Second-Team All-Conference honors.

The Boys Cross Country team finished second and had seven Second-Team All-Conference runners:

Rylee Johnson – 8th

Isaac Smith – 9th

Bradly Barton – 10th

Max Morehouse – 11th

Carter Smith – 12th

Seth Thomas – 13th

Alex Gustafson – 14th.

All 14 of the Bulldog athletes running Varsity made their All-Conference teams.

Kearney Introduces New Grading System for Elementary Students

The Kearney School District is launching a new report card system for students in kindergarten through fifth grade that is based on proficiency scales for English Language Arts and Mathematics priority standards.

The new report card system will provide a better representation of the skills and knowledge that students have acquired, according to Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Ali Stewart. This helps both teachers and students develop a competency-based mindset.

Kearney teachers also came up with common assessments for each proficiency scale.

“As students dive into their learning, they know what they’re aiming for, where they currently stand, and can work with their teacher to set objectives and milestones for mastering the material,” Mrs. Stewart said. “This is super important for empowering learners. This means students have a say in their learning experience, actively participate in decision-making about their education, and are personally invested in the process.”

The project was a two-year collaborative effort between the Northwest Regional Professional Development Center (NWRPDC) and elementary teachers. To start, the NWRPDC teamed up with elementary teachers to create the new proficiency scales for ELA and Math priority standards.

In addition, Kearney teachers also came up with common assessments for each proficiency scale. This helps ensure that all grade levels and elementary schools have the same expectations and standards.

“These new common assessments will help parents/guardians to better understand their child’s abilities and areas that need improvement,” Stewart said. “They will have more chances to support their child in line with the school’s goals.”

Building on this work, K-5 students will get new report cards starting in the fall of 2023 that focus on growth and their individual learning progression. The goal is to give parents/guardians and students a complete picture of their learning and progress throughout the school year.

“In our parent and school relationships, we are going to have to look at elementary report cards in a new way,” Stewart said. “We will begin by knowing the starting point of student learning and look for growth and mastery throughout the year. This detailed information will help us communicate how the student is progressing and performing along the way.”

The desired outcome of this project is to make sure that every student reaches the Proficient level for each priority standard set by Kearney School District and Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. To make that happen, the district’s teachers are constantly adapting their techniques to match the different learning priorities, providing targeted small group work to address each student’s individual needs, and giving opportunities to expand knowledge and use it as needed. Supporting standards are also taught alongside the priority standards.

The new report cards will reflect a foundational level of learning that aligns with the content taught at the beginning of the year, according to Stewart. Families will be able to observe the growth and learning journey of their children throughout the school year.

New Kearney Report Cards: Navigating to Proficiency

4+ = Advanced: The student has advanced understanding and exceeds grade-level expectations.

4 = Mastery: The student has shown proficient understanding and meets grade-level expectations.

3 = Progressing: The student recognizes/recalls vocabulary related to the standard and can perform the basic processes that are foundational to the standard.

2 = With Assistance – With help, the student demonstrates partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes.

1 = Even with help, the student has no understanding of the concept or skills.