By Annabeth Miller, ShowMe Times Editor

A long-serving educator in the Dexter Schools will retire next month at the end of the academic year.

Kaye Blankenship will retire next month after 39 years in education. The board approved her retirement.

A Dexter native and graduate of Dexter High School, Blankenship taught in the Parma and Dexter district as well as four years in Nebraska. She has taught EMH at T.S. Hill Middle School in Dexter for the last 26 years

The board approved the appointment of two of its members to the Dexter Public School Foundation board.

Betty Keirsey will continue on the Foundation’s board of directors for a three-year term, and Herman Morse will continue serving in a one-year term. Both school board members were appointed last year when the school foundation was revived.

The Foundation’s bylaws state that three members of the Board of Education and two members from the community will serve. The third board member is Rick Williams and community members are County Clerk Joe Watson and local banker Mark Becker.

CTA representative Jeannie Cato reported that a group from Dexter Schools attended the March 17 Southeast Regional Teachers Association meeting in Cape Girardeau.

“We attended the Southeast regional teachers meeting on March 17 where MaryRuth Boone was honored for meritorious service to education,” Cato said. “It was a very nice evening and we were very proud that MaryRuth received that honor.”

In addition, Cato reported she was elected vice president of the Southeast Region at the meeting last month.

Cato also announced that a group of Dexter students will soon be traveling to St. Louis to perform at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.

The Songmakers choral group at Central Elementary will travel on Saturday, April 23 and will be singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch at the Cardinals-Reds game.

The group was originally set to sing at a 12:30 p.m. game. However the game time has been changed to accommodate broadcast of the game. The first pitch will be thrown at 3:10 that afternoon.

Tickets for the game are available by contacting Central Elementary at 614-1020.

The board approved the admission fees to be charged next year for athletic events at the middle school and high school. The fees will remain the same that they have been for the last two years.

Dr. Bobby Jibben of Dexter has been providing his volunteer services as athletic physician for the last five years. Jibben has agreed to continue his service as athletic physician at events when he is in attendance, and the Board unanimously agreed.

“I think we are fortunate to have Dr. Jibben,” Herman Morse said.

Morse was elected board president at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting. He and other board members recalled how the Dr. Tom Henderson and late Dr. Ron Hill, as well as Dr. Jibben’s late father, Dr. Robert Jibben, used to serve the district in the same capacity.

Assistant Supt. Bryce Matthews reported the district bus fleet passed inspection from the Missouri State Highway Patrol recently. The only infraction found was a very small brake fluid leak in one bus.

Matthews had high praise for Bus Supervisor Larry McKay for the success of the state inspection.

“I give him the credit,” Matthews said. He noted that McKay had all the buses ready for a pre-inspection inspection for the patrol officers arrived. Every part of every bus was reviewed with a fine-tooth comb. But Matthews noted that the patrol inspectors are equally “picky.”

“This year they inspected the first aid kits,” he said. “They even opened brand-new first aid kits that still had the plastic packaging to make sure everything required was there.” Board committees established for the next year include:

· Activities Committee: Mark Nea and Kenny Pope
· Public Relations Committee: Nancy Mayer and Kevin Bishop
· Building and Grounds Committee: Betty Keirsey and Rick Williams

During Executive Session the board accepted the resignation of several from the district:

• Christin Stone resigned effective the 2010-2011 academic year. Stone teaches English, history and personal finance at DHS;
• Corey Bennett resigned as a paraprofessional and assistant freshman football coast effect at the conclusion of the school year;
• Linda Mitchell and Penny Hall resigned as kitchen assistants.

In other Executive Session action, the board re-employed all classified staff and adopted the 20112012 certified staff salary schedule.

Upcoming Dates:

Saturday, April 23: Songmakers from Central Elementary will sing at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game in St. Louis·
May 12: CTA Retirement Tea
· Friday, May 20: DHS Commencement Ceremonies at the Bearcat Event Center ·
Monday, May 27: Next regular meeting of the Board of Education.