KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Officials in the Hickman Mills School District expressed frustration Tuesday with a delay in releasing the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's annual performance report.
"As of today, DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) has not responded to our Oct. 31 open letter requesting a vote for accreditation reclassification during the Dec. 3 state board meeting, nor has DESE even responded acknowledging that they have received our letter," Hickman Mills School District Superintendent Yaw Obeng stated in a news release from the district.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said school districts will receive updated reports on Nov. 18.
An Oct. 31 news release from DESE stated a reporting issue was found in the 2024 Annual Performance Report, causing a delay in the timeline for the report's release.
The process of accrediting school districts is mandated by state law and the State Board of Education regulation.
"We fear that the new timing of this release could be used as a pretext to avoid discussing our accreditation status at the state board of education meeting scheduled for December 3, or DESE once again making changes to the scoring system, which would be a disservice to our students, staff, and community,” said Hickman Mills School District School Board President Irene Kendrick.
The district's news release states that it has worked with the state to the point where they are confident the district has earned full accreditation.
"We have consistently met with our DESE area supervisors over the past couple of years," Obeng stated in the district's news release. "They have given us direct feedback and guidance, leading to our improvement and overall success. This is as much of a DESE victory as an HMC-1 victory. We got here together, and we at HMC-1 are frustrated because we are eager to celebrate the accomplishments.”
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