Grain Valley to Join Suburban Conference in 2018

The Grain Valley School District was notified earlier today of being accepted into the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference by the Suburban Conference Executive Committee, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year. This change affects middle school and high school activities.

The District wrote to the Suburban Conference Executive Committee in February requesting consideration to be admitted. The Suburban Conference currently has 25 member high schools that are organized into four color-coded divisions. Grain Valley can expect to be placed with similar-sized schools in the Blue Division, which currently includes Belton, Grandview, Kearney, Platte County, Raytown South, and Winnetonka.

Grain Valley High School has experienced rapid growth in recent years, which led to the decision to request admission into the Suburban Conference. Grain Valley High School has 1150 students at this time, up from 636 students in 2005 and 450 in 2000. 

Grain Valley has become the largest high school in the Missouri River Valley Conference (MRVC) since joining in 2004. Prior to the MRVC, Grain Valley was in the Show-Me West Conference.

Grain Valley Activities Director Mike Tarrants says transitioning to the Suburban Conference is the next natural step for the growing school district. "As we grow, we become more like the suburban conference schools. We already play many of these schools as non-conference scheduling opponents now.” Tarrants adds, “the ability to change conferences at this time reflects the support of our community in making necessary facility upgrades in recent years."

Suburban Conference Executive Director Bob Glasgow says there is much enthusiasm around the inclusion of Grain Valley into the Suburban Conference. "Grain Valley is a natural fit for us in bringing their competitive and progressive programs into the conference. This move is a win-win."

Admitting Grain Valley contributes to the goal of the Suburban Conference to expand. 

Superintendent of Schools for Grain Valley, Dr. Roy Moss, affirms that this is a win for all schools involved. "We appreciate the MRVC for the many years of working so closely and for understanding our need to seek a change. We look forward to the new opportunities this change holds."

Planning for a change that is two years away will allow all districts impacted by the change to plan accordingly.

Letter from Dr. Moss on the Passage of the Bond Issue

Grain Valley Parents, Community, and District Employees,

We are pleased to report that yesterday’s bond issue passed with 81.46% “yes” vote and we thank you for your support! We appreciate this endorsement by our community to continue the work to ultimately double the size of the high school, as well as expand activity space and parking, to accommodate the larger class sizes that are coming up through the grades.

Equipment will begin moving dirt from the area northeast of the building in a few weeks and much of the project will be completed before school begins in the fall. Due to the scope of this phase, it will be later in the fall before the seven new classrooms are available for student use.

This is the third of several phases of work to transform our high school into a larger and more modern facility. We will continue to provide you updates on construction progress and on plans for future phases along the way.

The responsibility we feel as a result of the passage of this bond issue is something we take very seriously. We are committed to working with you to continue to provide for the needs of our children. Thank you!

Blessings to you and your family,

Roy Moss

Superintendent of Schools

Bond Issue for Feb 2, 2016 to Support Next Phase of High School Expansion & Renovation

The next phase of the high school facing west from the current tennis courts features seven new classrooms, plus restrooms, collaboration spaces and the renovation of existing classrooms. This new entrance will serve students who ride buses to and from school.

Our district continues to grow. We currently have 4200 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grades, including nearly 1200 students in our high school.  This is twice as many students in our district as we had just 11 years ago.

Prior to 2012, our high school building had a capacity of 850 students.  In 2012 the school district hosted public forums to address the needs of a much-overcrowded Grain Valley High School. Based on the input from stakeholders in these sessions, the School Board approved a long-range plan to double the square footage of the high school building and renovate the existing structure to provide the infrastructure, instructional space, and activity space needed to accommodate as many as 1600 high school students. This long-range plan has led to the passage of school bond issues in 2013 and 2014, resulting in additions and renovations to the southeast corner of the school. Improvements have also been made to the entrance and north plaza of the stadium. The next phase of the long range plan shifts attention to the northeast corner of the school.

The School Board has approved the placement of a $9.5 Million bond issue on the ballot for February 2, 2016 to allow for the next phase of work to our high school. Passage of this bond issue does not require raising the district tax levy rate.

This year’s bond issue for $9.5 Million will allow us to:

1. Add seven classrooms to the northeast corner of the high school, north of the science rooms added in 2013. Five of these will be larger classroom spaces for business labs, video broadcasting, and computer science. Smaller existing classrooms will be combined or expanded and renovated to create new larger classrooms for family and consumer science lab classrooms. New collaboration spaces and student restrooms are also included in the base bid.
2. Renovate approximately one-half of the classrooms and hallway spaces between these new business classrooms and the science classrooms that were constructed in 2013.

3.  Add a greenhouse to the southeast corner of the school, the outline of which was defined when new science classrooms were added in 2013.

4. Re-purpose the former transportation building into student activity space.

5. Add eight new tennis courts south of the school, west of the baseball and softball fields.
6. Add a plaza area with restrooms, concession stand, press box, and storage to support baseball, softball, and tennis.
7. Add 200 parking spaces south of the building for use as school and activity parking.
8. Renovations to the remainder of classrooms and hallways connecting this business classroom addition to previous phases, the addition of a practice field, a concrete hitting wall for tennis, the complete renovation of existing restrooms near the school office and commons area, plus additional parking (beyond the base bid 200 spaces) are included as alternative bids with this bond issue.

The work to transform our high school campus to meet our students’ needs into the future is going to take more phases over multiple years.  This phase continues the work of our long-range plan to have the classrooms and other facilities needed to meet the demand of a growing school district.

The election is Tuesday, February 2, 2016.

The bond issue on the ballot for Feb 2, 2016 will cover the classroom addition and renovation work shown in medium blue along the east (pictured right) side of the high school, as well as the new tennis courts and plaza/concessions/restroom/storage near the baseball and softball fields. Two hundred additional parking spaces are included in the base bid. The classroom renovations shown in dark blue are included as one of the alternate bids. Other alternate bid projects include: additional parking beyond the 200 in the base bid, a practice field (lower/center of image), concrete hitting wall for tennis, and renovations to restrooms near the office and commons.

A new plaza area supporting baseball, softball, and tennis is included in the base bid of the Feb 2, 2016 bond issue. This plaza will include concession stand, press box, restrooms, and storage.

The bond issue that passed in Feb 2013 led to the addition of new science lab classrooms to the SE corner of the school and provided a preview of how Grain Valley High School will look and function as a modern high school.

The bond issue that passed in Feb of 2014 funded engineering and industrial arts classrooms on the SE section of the school. With passage of the Feb 2016 bond issue, attention moves to the NE corner of the school.

A concept drawing of what the new main entrance of the high school could look like when it is eventually added to the northeast corner of the building. The addition supported by the Feb 2, 2016 bond issue extends the school north to just behind this future phase. What is pictured here is NOT associated with the Feb 2, 2016 bond issue.

Veterans Invited to Schools on Veterans Day

All Grain Valley Schools will take time on Wednesday, November 11 to celebrate Veterans Day.

On Veterans Day we honor those who have served their country in any military capacity. The day was originally proclaimed as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to honor World War I veterans.

Our area veterans are invited to Veterans Day celebrations at any of the schools listed below.  All host schools will feature students in leadership or performance roles.  Special features are listed with the schools and start times:

• South Middle School, 901 SW Ryan Rd, at 7:15 am. Breakfast will be served to any Veteran in our community.
• Prairie Branch Elementary, 2100 Dillingham Rd, at 9:30 am.
• North Middle School, 31608 NE Pink Hill Rd, at 9:45 am.
• Matthews Elementary, 144 McQuerry Rd, at 10:30 am.
• Stony Point Elementary, 1001 Ryan Rd, at 2:30 pm.
• Sni-A-Bar Elementary, 701 SW Eagles Pkwy, at 2:30 pm.

Thank you, veterans, for your service to our great country!

School District Families Must Prove Residency Annually

Our school district is introducing a new process for families to provide proof of residency and to verify emergency contact information, two things all families are asked to each year. Our annual residency requirement helps ensure that only children living in our school district are attending our schools. Verifying contact information helps ensure that we are able to reach a parent, guardian, or other designated contact person in the event of an emergency. This year we are introducing an online process so families can do both from home. We expect this new system to improve the accuracy of contact information and to give parents more direct control over contact information on their child. Parents will access their child's contact information through the PowerSchool parent portal. Instructions for getting started are listed on the back of a letters being mailed to all families this week.

If parents prefer to prove residency in person or to have us help with the new online process for verifying emergency contact information, representatives from all schools will be on hand at Grain Valley South Middle School on Tuesday, July 28th, from 2:00-8:00 PM and on Wednesday, July 29th, from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, to answer questions and accept proof of residency documents. We will have computers available for parent use to update the emergency contact information for their child.

Students become eligible to receive a class placement and/or a class schedule only after proof of residency is provided.

Residency can be verified with one of the following:

1.      Utility bill in the resident's name may be uploaded online or shown in person. Instructions for uploading a utility bill are included in the parent letter.

a.      Gas bill, electric bill, or water bill accepted.

* Water bill must include portion with the resident’s address.

* June or July statements only and no final or disconnect notices will be accepted.

2.      Rental lease agreement including names of occupants, date of agreement, landlord’s name, address, phone number, and signatures, must be shown in person and are not accepted online.

Again, instructions for verifying emergency contact information and to submit proof of residency online are included in a letters being mailed to all families.

Call our district office at (816) 847-5006 with any questions about the process for proving residency or updating emergency contact information on your child.


The first day of school is Wednesday, August 19.

New Transportation Facility is Completed

Board President Chris Bamman and Transportation Director Shawn Brady
cut the ribbon as Board members and guests look on.

Nearly 60 community members and district personnel were on-hand for a ribbon-cutting and open house at the district's new Transportation Center last night. The 10,627 square foot building includes department offices, a meeting room for bus drivers, and work bays for four buses.  The secured parking lot holds 56 buses. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roy Moss told those in attendance that both the building and the parking lot can be expanded as the district continues to grow.

Dr. Moss reminded guests that the $3.8 million project was paid for by setting aside funds over the past few years specifically for this project. "The final bills have been paid," reported Moss.

Many community members and district personnel
were on-hand for Thursday night's open house.

The new facility is on the north end of a 17-acre property located on the northeast corner of Eagles Parkway and Sni-A-Bar Boulevard, three-quarters of a mile west of Grain Valley High School.  The south half of the property, along Eagles Parkway, will remain undeveloped at this time.

Moving the transportation operation from behind the high school secures the buses and makes room for the next phases of the ongoing expansion of the high school. Additions to the high school began in 2013 and are expected to continue for several years as part of the district's long-range plan to expand and renovate the high school facility.

The transportation department can begin moving in any time. The buses will make the move before the start of the new school year.

School Board Receives Governance Team Award

Pictured left to right are MSBA Executive Director
Dr. Carter Ward, Board Secretary Ms. Jan Reding,
Board Member Mr. Michael Hackett, and Board
Vice President Mr. Eddie Saffell. 

The Grain Valley School Board has received the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s 2015 Governance Team Award. Grain Valley is one of twenty-three Missouri school boards who received this prestigious award. Recipient school boards have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to ongoing professional development in areas such as student achievement, school law and finance, board operations and contemporary issues in education. The award also recognizes a commitment to regional and statewide leadership and to active participation in legislative advocacy for public schools and the students they serve.

School boards in the Kansas City metro receiving the award include: Grain Valley R-V, Independence, Park Hill, and Raymore-Peculiar R-II.

The 2015 Governance Team Award winners were recognized at MSBA’s Leadership Summit at the Lake of the Ozarks on June 13.