Laclede County R-1
School Board
Board President
Robbie Letterman
710 Julieland Lane
Niangua, MO 65713
Vice President
Courtney Ann Gunter
343 Jones Creek Rd.
Conway, MO 65632
Brett Thompson
1041 State Road M
Conway, MO 65632
Jarid Jensen
Sara Richardson
15290 Miller Drive
Phillipsburg, MO 65722
Ricky Savage
Mathew Corle
1417 Orchid Rd.
Conway, MO 65632
LACLEDE COUNTY R-1 SCHOOL DISTRICT
Board of Education Meeting
July 13, 2026 6:00 p.m.
High School Library
LACLEDE COUNTY R-1 SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
June 8, 2026 – 6:00 pm
High School Library
Call to Order/Roll Call: Board President Robbie Letterman called the meeting to order with the following members present: Jarid Jensen, Courtney Gunter, Mathew Corle, Sara Richardson, Brett Thompson, and Ricky Savage.
Robbie Letterman made a motion to adjourn to closed session. Mathew Corle seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with the motion carrying 7-0. The time of adjournment was 6:00 p.m.
Courtney Gunter
Vice President
LACLEDE COUNTY R-1 SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING #2
June 8, 2026 – 6:30 pm
High School Library
Call to Order/Roll Call: Board President Robbie Letterman called the meeting to order with the following members present: Jarid Jensen, Mathew Corle, Brett Thompson, Courtney Gunter, Sara Richardson, and Ricky Savage.
Pledge of Allegiance: All present united in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approve Agenda: Courtney Gunter made a motion to approve the agenda. Sara Richardson seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
Consent Agenda: Mathew Corle made a motion to approve the consent agenda; Sara Richardson seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0-1. Items approved include payment of 2025-2026 bills, the May 2026, and May 21st Special Board meeting, minutes, the 2025-2026 finance reports, and the hiring of Avery Moore (Custodian) and Madison Thompson (RYA).
New Business:
B. 2025-2026 Budget (actual to equal budgeted): Superintendent Matt Searson updated the Board on the end of year budget totals and provided comparisons to the previous year. Robbie Letterman made a motion to cause actual revenues to equal budgeted revenues, actual expenditures to equal budgeted expenditures. Sara Richardson seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
C. Salary Schedule Approval: Mathew Corle made a motion to approve the salary schedules for both certified and classified employees, and for extra duties, for the 2026-2027 school year. Robbie Letterman seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-1.
D. Administrative Staff Raises: Robbie Letterman made a motion to increase administrator salaries by 3%, the same amount of increase received by both classified and certified employees. Courtney Gunter seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-2.
E. Transfer of Funds: Courtney Gunter made a motion to allow the yearly transfer of up to 7% from the Incidental Fund (F1) to the Capital Projects Fund (F4) for purposes of facilities improvement and acquisition of buses. Jarid Jensen seconded the motion The motion carried 7-0.
F. Bids for 2026-2027:
b. Propane Bid: Robbie Letterman made a motion to accept the bid placed from Ferrell Gas of $1.17 per gallon for transport loads and $1.63 per gallon for bobtail loads, for the 2026-2027 school year. Sara Richardson seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
c. Grease Trap Pumping Bid: Courtney Gunter made a motion to accept the bid placed by Stronghold Inspections and Septic Pumping of $200.00 per pump. Mathew Corle seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0-1.
d. Pest Control Services: Robbie Letterman made a motion to accept the bid placed by Essary Extermination for monthly general pest and rodent control at a price of $225 per month. Courtney Gunter seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
G. Food Service Bids (Hiland/Hillyard)
b. Food Supplies: Robbie Letterman made a motion to accept the bids placed by Springfield Grocer for grocery services and by Hiland for milk products for the 2026-2027 school year. Jarid Jensen seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
H. Registered Youth Apprenticeship: HS Principal Tracy Cottengim provided information to the Board regarding the Registered Youth Apprenticeship program. Ricky Savage made a motion to approve the district’s participation in the Registered Youth Apprenticeship program. Robbie Letterman seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
I. Compass Health MOU: Superintendent Matt Searson presented the Compass Health Memorandum of Understanding. Courtney Gunter made a motion to grant approval of the MOU as presented. Sara Richardson seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
J. Student Handbook Updates: Robbie Letterman made a motion to approve the changes to the student handbooks which includes page numbering, calendar and role updates, as well as amended consequences to the discipline matrix, and removing the section referencing JH graduation. Courtney Gunter seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
Old Business:
B. Bond Project Update: Superintendent Matt Searson updated the Board on the status of the current bond projects.
b. Pay App #3: Jarid Jensen made a motion to approve Pay App#3 in the amount of $167,892.41 for work completed to date and for stored materials as listed in the pay application. Ricky Savage seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
C. MSBA 2026A-Second Reading: The second and final reading of MSBA 2026A was held. Ricky Savage made a motion to approve the MSBA 2026A policy update as presented. Robbie Letterman seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0.
D. CSIP Meeting Update: Superintendent Matt Searson updated the Board on the most recent CSIP meeting and the information provided, including revisiting the District’s mission statement and goals.
Administrative Reports: Superintendent Dr. Matt Searson, HS Principal Tracy Cottengim, Elementary Principal Shelly Dill, and Student Services Director Amy Peterson, updated the Board on current information regarding the end of the school year.
Courtney Gunter made a motion to return to closed session. Robbie Letterman seconded the motion. The motion carried 7-0. The time of adjournment was 8:34 pm.
Kimberly Shelton
Board Secretary
LACLEDE COUNTY R-1 SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING #3
June 8 2026 - 9:16 pm
High School Library
Call to Order/Roll Call: Board President Robbie Letterman called the meeting to order with the following members present: Jarid Jensen, Courtney Gunter, Mathew Corle, Sara Richardson, Brett Thompson, and Ricky Savage.
With no further business before the Board, Mathew Corle made a motion to the monthly meeting. Jarid Jensen seconded the motion, with the motion carrying 7-0. The time of adjournment was 9:16 pm.
Courtney Gunter
Vice President