Transparency Portal

As we prepare for the 2025–26 school year, we want to ensure you’re aware of important updates to cell phone usage policies for junior high and high school students. By limiting cell phone use during the school day, we aim to minimize distractions and encourage healthier, more meaningful interactions.

High School Policy 

To create a learning-focused environment, students are required to turn off their phones and put them “out of sight” between  7:00 AM and 2:50 PM.

If a device is visible or in use during the school day:

• First offense: Device is held in the main office until the end of the day.
• Second offense: Device is held; student receives two lunch detentions.
• Third offense: Device is held; student receives three days of In-School Suspension (ISS).

Refusal to hand over a device when asked by a staff member will result in one day of Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) in addition to the standard consequence.

Smartwatches may be worn, but if used to text, call, or stream, they will be treated like a phone and subject to the same consequences.

We encourage students to use the office phone when needed and remind parents to contact the main office for messages during school hours.

Read full policy in student handbook.

CLICK HERE

Junior High Policy 

To minimize distractions and support student engagement, we are asking that students keep cell phones and electronic devices turned off and put away from the time they arrive at school until dismissal. While students are discouraged from bringing devices to school, those who choose to do so will be expected to follow these guidelines:

• Devices must remain off and stored throughout the school day.
• The school is not responsible for lost or damaged devices.

If a student does not follow this policy:

• First offense: Student receives a verbal reminder.
• Second offense: Device is confiscated and turned into the office; parents may be contacted.
• Additional violations: Consequences may include detentions, In-School Suspension (ISS), or Out-of-School Suspension (OSS).

Students who refuse to hand over a device may face further disciplinary action. Our staff and administrative team will work together to ensure consistent and fair enforcement of this policy.

Read full policy in student handbook. 

CLICK HERE
 

As we prepare for a great school year ahead, we want to ensure students and families are aware of our updated Dress Code Policy for our middle, junior, and high school students. These guidelines are designed to reflect our commitment to a learning environment that is safe and respectful while allowing for individual expression.

Dress Code Expectations
To help each student engage confidently in school activities, the following expectations will be in place:

• Clothing must fully cover private body parts and undergarments while standing, sitting, or moving.
• Midriff-baring, backless, sheer, or excessively tight or baggy clothing is not permitted.
• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must offer appropriate coverage for all school activities.
• Shoes must be worn at all times; footwear must be safe for school use.
• Hats, hoods, and sunglasses are not allowed indoors unless for medical, religious, or approved spirit day reasons.
• Costume items, face paint, or accessories that pose a safety risk (e.g., sharp jewelry) are not allowed.
• Clothing must not include profanity, drug/alcohol references, or content promoting hate, violence, or gang affiliation.

If a student violates the dress code:

• They will be asked to change clothes or call home for a change.
• Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action, including detentions or suspension.

Read full policy in student handbooks. 

Ozark Middle School   |   Ozark Junior High  |  Ozark High School 

Ozark AI Procedure 
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to advanced computer systems that simulate human intelligence, enabling them to perform complex tasks such as problem-solving, learning, reasoning, and understanding natural language. These technologies are becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives and are particularly impactful in education, where they enhance learning experiences and streamline administrative processes.

The District recognizes the potential of AI to support and expand classroom instruction while providing valuable resources for staff and teachers. Therefore, the District authorizes the ethical and legal use of AI as a tool to increase learning opportunities, subject to the limitations outlined in this procedure and other applicable Board Policies.

The use of Artificial Intelligence falls within the Ozark School District Acceptable Use Policy.

Ozark Guidelines For Staff Use of AI 

1. Before allowing students to use a specific AI platform in the classroom and before using an AI tool as a resource, employees should ensure that the AI system has been vetted and approved by the District and otherwise meets the District’s safety standards. Evaluation of an AI tool may include whether it: 

a. is an open or closed environment for purposes of data collection;
b. has a privacy setting where data resharing can be limited or blocked;
c. meets current student data privacy standards;
d. can be offered in an equitable manner;
e. can minimize or eliminate any inherent bias (ensure the human in the loop); and
f. has safeguards in place to attempt to assure accurate and factually correct information can be provided.

2. When applicable, the District should attain parental consent before offering certain open AI services to students.

3. Any use of AI in the classroom or on class assignments must align with the teachers’ instructions and expectations. Teachers will:

a. clarify whether students are permitted to use AI in an assignment;
b. have students cite the use of AI as a source and communicate with students on how to avoid plagiarism;
c. guide and monitor student use of AI, ensuring that it aligns with the District’s guidelines and policies, including the District’s Acceptable Use Policy; and
d. communicate to students how the use of AI will impact competency marks or grades.

4. Use of an AI system must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99.)

5. Users should not solely rely on AI as a fact-checker to confirm their work or research as it may not always provide accurate or up-to-date information.

Ozark Students

1. Use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments, when explicitly permitted and instructed. Use of AI without explicit permission is considered a violation of the academic integrity rules found in the student handbook.
2. Give credit (at age/grade appropriate level) to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations, using the instructors’ citation rules.
3. May employ AI detection tools and originality checks prior to submission, ensuring that their submitted work is not mistakenly flagged.
4. Use AI tools wisely and intelligently, aiming to deepen understanding of subject matter and to support learning.
5. Practice good information literacy skills, some content generated by AI tools may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. Users should not solely rely on AI as a fact-checker to confirm their work or research as it may not always provide accurate or up-to-date information.
6. Avoid overuse as it can stifle independent thinking and creativity.
7. Use only district approved AI tools.

Users Are Prohibited From

1. Using any AI system to access, create, or display harmful or inappropriate matter that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit, or that could be construed as harassment or disparagement of others or to interact with the AI in a manner that supports any of the above.
2. Sharing confidential information or personally identifiable information (PII) with the AI system of another student, staff member, or other person. AI information should not be shared with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, or ridicule that person. PII includes, but is not limited to, a person’s name, address, email address, telephone number, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information.

Violation of these provisions (District Board Policy, Procedures, or the District’s Acceptable Use Agreement) shall result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to suspension or revocation of my access to district technology, and suspension or expulsion from school (Policy JG-R1)

Communicating Acceptable Use of AI
There are three levels of acceptable use of AI within a classroom. In addition to the guidelines above, Ozark staff will communicate student usage on assignments, assessments, and projects with the AI Stoplight. AI is not permitted unless an instructor shares how AI may be used within the course or on a particular assignment / project.

Internet Safety
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that all District computers or devices with access to AI have protection measures to protect against access to materials that are obscene, contain child pornography, or are harmful to minors. The AI procedures shall follow all applicable state and federal laws and shall comply and fall within the board of education technology policy EHB.

Resources used for this procedure include the MSBA AI Toolkit, the Republic R-III, Lee's Summit R-VII, Common Sense Media, and Perplexity. A huge thank you to the AI Taskforce for their contribution of work, time, and talent to create this district procedure. (Presented to the Ozark Board, 2/2025)

The Ozark R-VI School District has no authority to “reconsider” the rules that govern filing for and election to the Board of Education. That process is governed entirely by state statutory and case law:

1. Missouri law requires the Board of Education to publish notice of the election on or before the 17^th Tuesday preceding the election. That deadline for the April 2025 election was December 10, 2024.
2. Missouri law also requires the Board to include the following information in the published notice:  (1) the opening filing date, (2) the office or offices to be filled, (3) the place for filing, and (4) the closing date for filing.
3. As required by law, the district published timely notice that (1) two seats would be open for the April 2025 election; (2) the first date for filing would be December 10, 2024; (3) the location for filing was the district office; and (4) the closing date for filing would be December 31, 2024.
4. Once that notice was published and the filing period had begun, the number of seats to be filled by election in April was final.  Additional vacancies could not be added because the statutory notice requirement for any additional seat could not be fulfilled.
5. There is no method by which an individual can file for a vacancy that did not exist and was not published prior to the filing period. 
6. Therefore, there is no mechanism by which an individual’s name can appear on the ballot in April of 2025 for the unexpired term.
7. The fact that an appointee can serve until April 2026 under the current circumstances is solely a result of the requirement that candidates file for office in the manner prescribed by the General Assembly for each April election.
8. These requirements are part of a larger statutory framework adopted by the General Assembly that is intended to protect the integrity of all elections. These requirements are mandatory, not merely directory, and must be honored.

Therefore, an individual may not request to file for a vacancy that did not exist when the notice of election was published. Additionally, a person may not request to be placed on the ballot for a vacancy that will not exist until after filing has closed. For example, in this case, the resignation was not effective until December 31, 2024. The notice of resignation was provided on December 19, but the effective date was December 31. The Board has no authority to declare a date of resignation earlier than the effective date in the notice.

In summary, the school district is not bypassing the April 2025 election. It is just following the notification and filing requirements established under the election laws adopted by the Missouri General Assembly. The district was required by law to publish a notice of election on or before December 10, 2024. That notice, as required by law, listed the number of open seats to be filled in the April 2025 election, as that number existed when the notice was published – specifically, two seats. The district cannot accept candidate filings for a vacancy that did not exist and was not included in the election notice that preceded the filing period. And in this case, the vacancy will not even exist until after the filing period has closed.  Therefore, there is no mechanism to place the vacancy on the April 2025 ballot. That is the only reason that a person appointed to fill the new vacancy would serve until April 2026. The district is not excluding voters from the process. It is just following the law. The Board had no authority previously and has no authority now to declare and accept filing for a third open seat for the April 2025 election.

With respect to the residency issue, the board also has no authority to remove or expel a board member for residency or any other reason. That action must be taken by a court.  However, Missouri law concerning residency and removal of elected officials favors the officials -- and it is very difficult to prevail in such actions (which are long, drawn out, time-consuming, and expensive for the plaintiff).  For example, some will remember that the Missouri Supreme Court found that former Governor Kit Bond was found eligible to run for governor in 1972 (which office had and has a ten-year, in-state residency requirement) – although he had been absent from the state for the majority of the immediately preceding ten years and all of the typical factors regarding residency (voting, job locations, marriage license, vehicle registrations, physical residence locations, etc.), indicated that he was not eligible to run. Subsequent cases regarding officeholder and candidate residency, including cases directly involving school board members, have resulted in similar decisions. 

As explained above, the district is just following the law. However, it is also making an effort to include interested individuals in the process. The law requires the Board to appoint a replacement. But the law neither prohibits nor requires an application process. That process is optional under Board policy.  Nevertheless, the Board has adopted and published on its website a process by which interested individuals may submit an application for appointment to the vacancy and provide as much information as they wish in support of the application. We encourage all interested persons to engage in the application process.

Inclement Weather Procedures

2024 Audit Results

Section 307.375, RSMo. requires that school buses be safety inspected annually by an official motor vehicle safety inspection station. The Missouri State Highway Patrol conducts annual bus inspections at school districts across the state each spring. The Patrol then releases the results on its website. 

The Ozark School District Transportation Department includes more than 70 employees who all have a passion for students. On average, the department runs 60 buses and transports 3,100+ students daily, totaling about 780,000 annual miles.

2025 Annual Bus Inspections         2024 Annual Bus Inspections

For questions, contact the Ozark School District Transportation Department at (417) 582-4735.
 

The Christian County Health Department inspects Ozark School District’s kitchen in each school building at least twice each school year. Ozark School District Nutrition Services has approximately 60 employees who strive to remain in compliance with state and local food handling safety regulations, all while building relationships with students. 

Christian County Health Department Food Inspections

For questions, contact the Ozark School District Nutrition Services Department at (417) 582-5967.  
 

In 2022, the Missouri legislature passed the Get the Lead out of School Drinking Water Act (RSMo 160.077), which sets standards for lead concentrations in school drinking water. The law requires schools to conduct inventory, sampling, remediation and monitoring at all potable drinking water outlets used or potentially used for drinking, food preparation, and cooking or cleaning utensils. Under the law, the deadline to complete initial testing is August 2024. 

In April 2024, Ozark School District, through Terracon Consultants, Inc., tested 1,097 outlets across the District, including drinking fountains, bathroom and kitchen sinks, classroom faucets, and bottle fillers. Terracon presented the District with the drinking water testing results on June 11, 2024. 

Complete Testing Results

If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dr. Curtis Chesick at curtischesick@ozarktigers.org.