COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A school safety package that Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law this year requires students to participate in active school shooter drills starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Before Senate Bill 68 took effect in August, school district staff were only required to participate in active shooter drills. While the new law
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools is considering how to use a one-time $9 million payment it received from Boone County after a property-tax settlement with Ameren Missouri. Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick said the county reached a resolution earlier this year in a long-running dispute before the Missouri State Tax Commission. The agreement resolved
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools will no longer use alternative methods of instruction for inclement weather days following recent changes to state law. The Columbia Board of Education addressed the recent changes during its meeting on Monday. The district announced the change in an email to families on Oct. 10, stating that new state
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Law enforcement responded to a “non-threatening incident” on Monday at the New Franklin School District, according to a social media post from the district. “Earlier today, a non-threatening incident occurred at school that required a response from local law enforcement. Police were called out of an abundance of caution, and the situation
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Blair Oaks school district went on a “soft lockdown” on Friday after the district received a “suspicious” phone call. Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler told ABC 17 News that the school received a “vague” phone call around 2 p.m. Law enforcement determined the threat was not credible and school continued as
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ROLLA, Mo. (KMIZ) Six months after an EF-2 tornado swept through the city of Rolla, signs of the destruction remain. Three Rolla Public Schools buildings, along with other RPS properties like the softball complex, were damaged in the storm. “We took four days off right after the tornado, and then that second week was our
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A shooting led to Morgan County R-II schools in Versailles being placed on lockdown Monday morning, even though students were not in class, and left a woman in critical condition. The district posted about the lockdown on its Facebook page, referencing a “shooting that occurred in town” earlier Monday in a statement
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A new goal post in the south end zone at Southern Boone High School’s football field was installed on Friday morning, according to a school district spokesman. The goal post broke on Monday from high winds after thunderstorms entered the area. Photos from the district showed the uprights and cross bar were
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two Hallsville School District employees who were put on leave last week for sharing social media posts about Charlie Kirk after his death remain employed and suspended after a school board meeting. The Hallsville Board of Education met Wednesday night for the first time since Anthony Plogger and Kayla Lewis were suspended
Continue Reading HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) The Hallsville Board of Education held a pair of closed sessions before and after its 6 p.m. public meeting to discuss “personnel matters” after two teachers were placed on paid administrative leave following backlash over social media posts about Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The roof of the gymnasium at North Callaway Middle School in Auxvasse took “significant damage,” after storms came through the area on Monday night. North Callaway Assistant Superintendent Nicole Buschmann shared photographs with ABC 17 News on Wednesday that showed a hole in the roof, as well as damage to the gym
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Attribution to a Charlie Kirk quote has been added. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Two employees of the Hallsville School District have been placed on paid administrative leave following public pushback over social media posts about political commentator Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a divisive figure who was the founder of Turning Point USA – a group
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The goal post in the south end zone of Southern Boone High School’s football field was damaged Monday afternoon after storms rolled through the area. District spokesman Matt Sharp wrote in an email that that the goal post was damaged after 5 p.m. “The school district is in the process of evaluating
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education on Monday evening approved the calendar for next school year. The first day of the 2026-27 school year will be Tuesday, Aug. 25. Winter break for students begins on Dec. 23, 2026, and students would return to class on Jan. 5, 2027, the calendar shows. Spring break
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Columbia Public Schools is adapting to the evolution of artificial intelligence and its use throughout the district. CPS spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said the district has a group working to learn more about various aspects of AI. This effort is being led by Beth Winton under the direction of Adam Taylor, the district’s
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Board of Education approved Thursday a decrease in property tax rate for Columbia Public Schools. For the 2025-26 school year, the tax rate is dropping by nearly 16 cent, meaning property owners will pay CPS $5.55 for every $1,000 of assessed value in property taxes for the year. However, due
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FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ) Fulton Public School students were back in the classroom today to kick off the 2025 school year. Safety is top of mind for the district, which has more than 2,300 students across its six schools. This will be the start of the district’s student resource officer’s first full year. Officer Mackenzie Elmore
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) With classes officially underway across Missouri, schools are bracing for changes to the sports and extracurricular landscape The Missouri State High School Activities Association is finalizing bylaw changes to comply with Senate Bill 63, which expands eligibility for homeschool, Family Paced Education and full-time virtual students to participate in public and charter
Continue Reading JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Fulton Public Schools is adding its name to a suit challenging a state law to provide subsidies for pro sports teams. The Fulton Board of Education voted last week to join the lawsuit filed by state Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove), state Rep. Bryant Wolfin (R-Ste. Genevieve) and a Maries County
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) K-12 students were leaving the Armory Sports and Recreation Center and Cosmo Park with backpacks, sharp pencils, and even sharper hairstyles Sunday after two local Columbia businesses hosted two back-to-school events. This year marked the 5th annual Renz Blendz Barbershop event at the rec center and the first-ever Broadway Hair Company event
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