Independence, Mo., Education News and Information

09/07/2025

Here is the link to last night's board meeting. https://youtu.be/vYDSaRra9rs?si=gT6Aq3WwTWcdCMdr

09/07/2025

Here is the YouTube link to the work session they had featuring a lot of discussion regarding what the Board is looking for in a firm to help find superintendent candidates.

09/07/2025

A much higher quality version of the AMI presentation was posted. Love to see they posted this and I hope they do more.

08/07/2025

I was told the full video should be posted to YouTube but here are slides on the AMI presentation that was given during the 5pm session. The motion did pass so after 5 traditional snow days AMI will come into play.

03/07/2025

Here is the agenda for the Board Meeting on July 8th at 6pm. There is also an extra session at 5pm

If you wish to speak on any of the agenda items requests are typically due to the Board Secretary by 4 p.m. Friday. You can email [email protected] to request to speak. But since tomorrow is a holiday I'm honestly not sure if it's different this month.

02/07/2025

Missouri educators sue state over $51 million appropriation to private school vouchers

The Missouri National Education Association hopes to stop the use of the state’s general revenue to fund private school scholarships

The Missouri National Education Association is suing the state over a $51 million appropriation to the MOScholars program.

30/06/2025

Superintendent Dale Herl is retiring. What’s next for the Independence School District?

Independence residents reflect on what they appreciated about the outgoing superintendent’s legacy, and what they want to see change.

Independence residents reflect on what they appreciated about the outgoing superintendent’s legacy, and what they want to see change.

19/06/2025

Project Shine still taking volunteers for Saturday’s Independence school spruce-up
JUNE 18, 2025NEWS
By Mike Genet
[email protected]
Volunteers are still welcome for Project Shine, the annual community spruce-up event in the Independence School District which takes place Saturday morning at three schools.

Hundreds of volunteers will start at 7 a.m. with various cleaning and refurbishing tasks at:

Bingham Middle School, 1716 S. Speck Road.
Procter Elementary, 1403 W. Linden Ave.
William Southern Elementary, 4300 Phelps Road.
In years past, Project Shine would officially go until noon, but more recently a high number of volunteers led to work being finished by mid-morning. Bri Bolger, director of the ISD Foundation that organizes the event, said that would likely be the case again this year. People can sign up at: ourisdf.org/events/project-shine/. Walk-ups are also welcome.

“We always welcome more volunteers, the more the merrier,” Bolger said, adding there is more need for volunteers at the Procter and William Southern elementary schools.

Registered volunteers receive a free T-shirt, and breakfast will be provided.

Project Shine started in 2008, after Independence Schools transferred several school buildings in western Independence from the Kansas City School District – a move that required voters’ approval. Those schools had to be quickly repaired and brought up to code that summer before school started.

A communitywide volunteer effort made that possible, and every year since then except for 2020, volunteers have gathered at a handful of schools to tackle painting, landscaping and cleaning. Sponsors donate or pay for many of the supplies – there are 11 sponsors listed this year – and church and civic groups and a handful of high school teams or groups provide sizable numbers of volunteers. Those volunteers use hundreds of gallons of paint and thousands of pounds of mulch at the sites.

The district has 30 school buildings, and Project Shine generally rotates through them, except for significant construction work that might bump a school back one year or require some cleanup the next year.

https://www.examiner.net/project-shine-still-taking-volunteers-for-saturdays-independence-school-spruce-up/

Volunteers are still welcome for Project Shine, the annual community spruce-up event in the Independence School District which takes place Saturday morning at three schools.

13/06/2025

Here is this month's Board meeting.

11/06/2025

Outgoing Independence superintendent keeps same salary in final year as adviser
JUNE 11, 2025NEWS
By Mike Genet
[email protected]
After he retires as superintendent of the Independence School District at the end of June, Dale Herl will make the same salary in a one-year role as financial analyst and adviser as he had been scheduled to make as superintendent.

That salary is $303,891, according to public records requested by The Examiner.

Deputy Superintendent Cindy Grant, whom the Board of Education tabbed as interim superintendent starting July 1, signed a contract in April for the 2025-26 school year for $225,437. That figure can continue for successive years if the board extends that contract. A new contract, if any, for Grant was not available when The Examiner made the records request.

Herl announced last month that he would retire as superintendent and stay on for one year to help with the transition. Board President Carrie Dixon said the board asked Herl to stay on in the financial advisory role.

His current superintendent contract lasted through the 2027-28 school year, with the same salary for three years. According to that contract, signed in March, a decision to add a year to the superintendent’s current contract happens at a December board meeting.

The board interviewed a mix of five internal and external candidates before it selected Grant, who has been with the district since 1997, as superintendent a few days after Herl’s announcement. The board has not announced a timetable on when it hopes to select a new superintendent other than that it will “begin a comprehensive search process later this year.”

After he retires as superintendent of the Independence School District at the end of June, Dale Herl will make the same salary in a one-year role as financial analyst and adviser as he had been scheduled to make as superintendent.