Linda Dougherty, a member of the Nixa Board of Education, opened a December board meeting with a district recap that combined student program highlights, awards and routine board business. The board approved its priorities for 2025 and agreed to add class options at Nixa Junior High; the transcript does not include motion text, mover/second or vote tallies.

The board’s approved 2025 priorities include teacher recruitment and retention, school safety, behavioral, mental and physical health resources, school accountability, local control and finance. The board also approved the consent agenda, which covered paying bills, approving grant applications and employment recommendations; specific dollar amounts and vote counts were not provided in the transcript.

During the superintendent’s comments, Dr. Jared Webster reported strong academic performance across the district. According to his update, Nixa ranks in the top 1% in the state on the annual performance report; multiple schools placed within the top 20% statewide and several were in the top 3%. Nixa Junior High was reported as 7th among Missouri middle schools and second in the Springfield metro behind Central High School’s magnet program; Matthews Elementary was described as the top elementary school in the Springfield metro. The transcript presented these figures as the district’s reported outcomes; it did not include the underlying data or the full performance report text.

Student programs and extracurriculars were highlighted: Nixa Junior High described a student ambassador program that pairs incoming students with student leaders to ease transition anxiety, and Nixa High School’s esports program was noted for growth and opportunities that can include college scholarships. The district’s communications team also reported multiple honors, including MarCom and dotCOMM awards for photography and advertising entries and a gold award for the ITOS website homepage.

Facilities updates included a progress report from Dr. Kevin Kopp on the Apex activities center: exterior covering and interior lining have been installed and the concrete floor placed, and the project is expected to be completed by the start of the 2025–2026 school year. The transcript directs readers to www.nixabondissue.net for ongoing updates.

Representatives and constituent groups provided brief updates: Avon Goodnight summarized student-council activities focused on thankfulness and kindness at Nixa High School; Sarah Mancusi delivered a Nixa Teachers Association update with teacher feedback and items of appreciation; and the board president, Josh Roberts, highlighted student activities and staff work from the fall.

Board staff previewed the 2025–2026 district calendar; the board will review and vote on the calendar at its January meeting per the transcript. Linda Dougherty also summarized the district’s work with the Missouri School Boards Association on advocacy with community members and legislators.

What the transcript does not show: the meeting text did not include specific vote tallies, exact calendar dates for the 2025–2026 year, dollar amounts for grants or the audit, nor formal motions or named movers/seconders for the recorded approvals. Those details are either recorded elsewhere in official minutes or will be provided at a future meeting.

The board directed routine district business forward and scheduled calendar review in January; links for upcoming meetings are posted at www.nixapublicschools.net/schoolboard.