Education

Keep up with Columbia public schools

Below the overview of the district are links to KBIA's coverage of Columbia 93 district schools, updated as more stories are published. Columbia 93 at a glanceThe Columbia 93 school district currently includes 32 different schools. In 2014, the district had a k-12 enrollment of 17,204 students, which is 2% of the total k-12 enrollment for the state. Enrollment has been slightly increasing in recent years, 2% since 2011. While a small percent, that amounts to almost 400 more students. There have also been major re-drawing of attendance areas with the addition of Battle High School. Middle school attendance areas shape high school boundaries 00000178-cc7d-da8b-a77d-ec7d2f9e0000The changes have affected all schools in the district, including causing high school attendance to increase and overcrowding at one middle school at least.

Mid-Missouri schools receive $95,000 to fund innovative programs

KBIA | By Lauren Langille

Published October 11, 2013 at 5:54 PM CDT

Teacher Denise Lasley uses an iPad at Benton Elementary School.

Assistance League Mid-Missouri has awarded more than $95,000 in funding for programs proposed by teachers. The programs -- designed by teachers -- emphasize new approaches to learning that could enrich the current curriculum.

Assistance League Mid-Missouri leads the Links to Learning awards as part of their community-based philanthropic efforts. Columbia Public Schools spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said the awards support activities teachers wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.

“It helps pay for those little things that can’t necessarily be covered out of pocket for a teacher or out of the school district operating budget, so it really does enhance the learning in the classroom” Baumstark said.

Teachers had to submit applications for the funds. Many of the submissions requested funding for technology said Links to Learning Chair Mary Humlicek. She said it’s something that is constantly expanding and changing so it’s very difficult to keep up with.

Second grade teacher Kristen Ventrillo received the maximum grant of seven hundred dollars to purchase iPods for her second graders. The students will use the iPods to increase vocabulary, improve reading comprehension and fluency.