COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education is expected to vote Monday on a three-year contract for a new superintendent. The board will also decide whether to make shortening the length of superintendent contracts a legislative priority. The contract, if approved, will pay Jeff Klein $255,000 in its first year. He could get an
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools made an internal hire — a recent addition to the district — the new superintendent Thursday. Jeff Klein, the current chief academic officer at CPS, will be the head of the district in the 2025-26 academic year. He will replace Chris Belcher, a retired former CPS superintendent who returned
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education’s Long Range Planning Committee will hear updates regarding the district’s new bus service on Wednesday. The board approved a contract with DS Bus Line to provide transportation for the district earlier this month, and now the bus line is providing an update on its transition. According to
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) While cold weather may have moved out of Mid-Missouri, the lingering effects of last week’s snowfall will affect Columbia Public Schools. On Feb. 17, CPS used its last-of-six allotted alternative methods of instruction days. The next day, CPS was forced to use a “traditional snow day” which will force the district to
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Editor’s Note: The lede has been corrected. A proposed water tower will not be built by Beulah Ralph Elementary School in Columbia. According to an email from Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark, the Columbia Board of Education decided not to sell the land near the schools to the City of Columbia.
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools will not be in session on Tuesday. A district spokesperson wrote on social media that Tuesday will be a day for alternative methods of instruction for students. Tuesday is the last AMI day that can be used by the school district before having to make up class hours over
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools will not be in session Wednesday with a snowstorm expected to dump several inches of snow on Mid-Missouri. CPS sent out alerts to parents at about 4:30 p.m. saying classes would be canceled and students would be expected to study “alternative methods of instruction.” CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools was among several Mid-Missouri districts to announce a shift to remote learning or class cancellations due to forecasted snowfall for Wednesday. After Wednesday, CPS will have just one remaining Alternative Method of Instruction day before it would need to extend the school year. Missouri law requires public school districts
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools employee salaries are considered “above market and highly competitive,” a Gallagher benchmarking study found. The study was done to ensure competitiveness within the external market, according to a presentation from the district. Gallagher worked with CPS to identify a group of comparator organizations based uponorganization size, budget size, location
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education on Monday night voted on a name for its new elementary school. Eagle Bluffs Elementary School was the name that was unanimously picked by the board. The school will be built near John Warner Middle School on Sinclair Road. Officials have said that the school is expected
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) No injuries were reported Thursday afternoon after a Columbia Public Schools bus was involved in a multi-vehicle crash. The crash occurred on Highway 40 near Rollingwood Boulevard in the Midway area. Gale Blomenkamp, of the Boone County Fire Protection District, and CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News that there were
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A student at Columbia’s West Middle School brought a loaded handgun into the building Monday morning. West Principal Courtney Lewis wrote in a letter to families that a student brought a loaded handgun into the school. Another student reported that the gun and school officials “took immediate action to investigate,” the letter
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education will be holding a meeting Thursday morning to discuss the effectiveness of Alternate Methods of Instruction. The board will be going over the feedback collected from students, staff and families after multiple AMI days due to extreme winter weather. The feedback was gathered through surveys and community
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Former Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood was a finalist to lead another school district. Garden City Public Schools in Garden City, Kansas, shared on its Facebook page on Sunday that Yearwood is one-of-two candidates up for the superintendent job. A short description on its page does not directly mention Columbia Public
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Dangerously cold temperatures have led to a number of area schools to either call off classes on Tuesday or have a late start. Overnight wind chills in parts of Mid-Missouri are expected to hit minus-20 degrees, according to the ABC 17 News Stormtrack Weather Team, who issued a Weather Alert Day for
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia Public Schools bus was involved in a crash Friday near the intersection of East Broadway and Old 63, near Stephens Lake Park. Multiple vehicles appeared to be involved in the crash. CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News in a text message that 11 students are on the bus.
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education unanimously approved a representative from the board to vote in favor of a tax abatement project for an electric plant during Monday night’s meeting. Prior to the meeting, the district’s financial committee recommended that the board vote in favor of a Chapter 100 bond project, for Schneider
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) There are 22 applicants for the open superintendent position at Columbia Public Schools, the Missouri Schools Boards’ Association shared during a presentation at Monday Night’s Board of Education meeting. CPS has been in search of a new superintendent since the district announced in November that Brian Yearwood would step down. The district
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A candidate in the Columbia Board of Education race has withdrawn her candidacy. Jessica Chambers, who filed to run on Dec. 31, withdrew her application after the deadline, according to an email from Columbia Public Schools spokesperson Michelle Baumstark. Candidates can withdraw until the Board votes on the ballot language. Three candidates
Continue Reading
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Mid-Missouri schools were impacted this week by winter weather and poor road conditions. A number of schools called off class, while others chose to partake in alternative methods. Missouri law requires public school districts and charter schools to provide a minimum of 1,044 instructional hours each school year, but with winter weather
Continue Reading