Hickman Mills C-1 Schools has formed a task force to discuss what school re-entry should look like for the 2020-21 school year. The task force is made up of parents, community members, teachers, staff and district leaders. The plan should be completed by mid-July, keeping in mind that it is contingent on local and state guidelines that may change at any time.

Return to Play: In conjunction with the schools in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference, Ruskin High School will implement a two-phase reopening plan of athletic facilities for use by activity groups and athletic teams. Detailed information can be found here. 

SUMMER SCHOOL DEVICE DROP-OFF: All summer school devices will need to be dropped off at Ruskin High School between 7:00 am - 4:00 pm, June 29 or 30. Use the drive-thru drop-off at the gymnasium entrance in the back parking lot.

2020-2021 REGISTRATION: Enroll now for next school year by completing our online application. Visit our Enrollment site for step-by-step instructions. The deadline to enroll is July 10. 

DEVICE DROP-OFF (LAST DAYS): All students who have not yet returned their technology devices must do so this week. The exception is any student currently enrolled in summer school. Device return will be at Ruskin High School between 8:00 am - 11:00 am, June 2-4. Enter by the gym. There will be a tent set up in the back parking lot where you will find staff to assist you.

MAY NEWSLETTER: Our May newsletter honors seniors, announces the top 3 finalists in our superintendent search, and more.

HMC-1 Superintendent Search: The Hickman Mills C-1 Board of Education has narrowed down the superintendent search to three finalists. The candidates are James Henderson, Ed.D., Yaw Obeng and Darrin Slade, Ed.D. Click here to learn more about each candidate. 

NEXT BURKE ACADEMY PRINCIPAL: The HMC-1 Board of Education has named Ryan Beatty, Ed.S., the next principal of Burke Academy for the 2020-2021 school year. Beatty is currently in his third year as assistant principal at Ruskin High School and has 20 years of experience as an educator.

DEVICE DROP-OFF & BELONGINGS PICK-UP: HMC-1 students with district-issued hot spots, iPads, and MacBooks must return those items to Smith-Hale or Ruskin during designated times May 27-30. 

During this time you may also retrieve student belongings and return library books, etc. at the student's home school. See our flyer (PDF) or the website calendar for details.

SUMMER SCHOOL JUNE 1-25: Applications for summer school are now available online. Summer school will run June 1-25, Monday through Thursday and will be 100% online. The last day to submit student applications is May 15. More details are on our Summer School page.

UPDATED MEAL LOCATIONS: Grab & Go meals will be available at all current distribution sites on Tuesday, May 5th. Starting on Thursday, May 7th, meals will only be distributed at Ruskin, Smith-Hale and Ervin. These three locations will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays for meals.

Fresh Harvest Multi-Meal boxes will still be available to families on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ruskin, Smith-Hale and Ervin. These boxes include enough food for 30 meals. You must reserve your box two days in advance at https://hmc1food.org. 

COVID-19 TESTING MAY 8: There will be free COVID-19 (Coronavirus) testing at Ruskin High School on Friday, May 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Call (816) 404-2273 to schedule a test. Please bring a valid ID and a phone number where you can be reached. Tests will be provided by Truman Medical Center.

NEW CHOICE BOARDS: Choice boards for April 27-May 22 are available in our Flexible Learning Plan section. These will take students through the last day of school (May 22).

FLEX LEARNING SURVEY: ​We want to hear from parents and guardians about their experience thus far with the Flexible Learning Plan. Please take a few minutes to complete this ​short survey​. T​he survey includes a question about possibly moving to a 4-day school week beginning May 1. The survey will be open through Thursday, April 23. 

UPDATE ON SCHOOL CLOSURES: Govenor Mike Parsons has mandated that schools remain closed through the end of the academic year. HMC-1 will continue supporting our students. Please watch for additional information from HMC-1 in the coming days.

SCHEDULED NETWORK OUTAGE: On Friday, April 10, there will be a scheduled network outage to allow for planned network maintenance. This means that district iPads and MacBooks will not be able to connect on Friday, and possibly into Saturday, until the network work is completed. Please plan to have no network connection to the district until Monday, April 13.

FORUM RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE: In our April 2 virtual forum, Justin Durham with Hollis + Miller discussed results from the recent facilities survey and presented options for no tax increase bond projects. A recording of the forum is available to view. Learn more about the no tax increase bond. 

MEALS: HMC-1 is committed to providing meals to students as we navigate through this challenging time. Beginning Tuesday, March 31st, Grab & Go meal distribution will change. Meals will only be available at school sites, including the Johnson and Symington Elementary buildings, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be no meal distribution on Monday, March 30. See our Meals page for more information.

iPAD PICKUP: If you are still needing an iPad for your K-8th grade student, you may pick up a device by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday-Thursday between 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. Email Dr. Constance Smith (constances@hickmanmills.org) for an appointment. (Devices are not available for pre-K students.)

Printed packets are available for families without WiFi. Please call (816) 316-7000 or email pio@hickmanmills.org for a packet.

VIEW BOARD MEETING VIRTUALLY: HMC-1's Board of Education meeting on March 25 will be broadcast live through Zoom. The regular session meeting begins at 6:30 pm. Viewing information is on the calendar event.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING PLAN: Due to the mandate of school closures announced by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, HMC-1 is closing all school buildings and suspending all activities through April 24. This includes in-person instruction, extra-curricular activities, and LINC programming.

Starting Tuesday, March 24, all instruction will take place through a Flexible Learning Plan (i.e. virtual learning). There will be printed packets available for families without WiFi. Packets will be distributed March 24 between 7:00-10:00 am. and 4:00-6:00 pm at the Administration Center (5401 E. 103rd St.).

Details about Flexible Learning, meals, and technology are available in our COVID-19 web section.

INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT NAMED: The HMC-1 Board of Education has selected Carl Skinner, Ed.D to serve as interim superintendent. Dr. Skinner currently serves as HMC-1’s deputy superintendent of student services. He will take over following Dr. Cargile’s last day March 31, 2020. See the full online story for more information.

CORONAVIRUS & HEALTH UPDATE: A March 9th letter to parents and guardians details precautions and plans HMC-1 has made to help prevent the spread of illness. It also includes important practices our families should be taking. Read the full letter.

February Newsletter: Read up on the latest HMC-1 news in our February 2020 newsletter. It includes details on Family Summit, important surveys & forums for our potential no tax increase bond, and feedback on what you are looking for in our next superintendent. Read more.

DOBBS ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL: The Board of Education has named La’Toya Ragan, Ed.S. the next principal of Dobbs Elementary. Mrs. Ragan grew up in Kansas City and has worked in HMC-1 since 2017. She will take over for Principal Adrain Howard who is retiring at the end of the school year. Read the full story.

COMMUNICATION AUDIT: This past fall, the National School Public Relations Association performed a audit of HMC-1's communication at both district and school levels. A copy of the communication audit is now available.

The Board of Education's Facilities Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 2020 is canceled due to the extreme weather conditions. 

On February 6, Superintendent Yolanda Cargile, Ed.D. announced her resignation after three years leading the district. For more information, read Dr. Cargile's letter and a letter from the Board of Directors.

PARENT SURVEY: As part of HMC-1's Title I program, we invite all our parents and guardians to complete the annual Title I Parent Evaluation Survey. Your responses will be used to help each school and the district improve instruction and programs. Surveys are available in English and Spanish and will close March 13, 2020.

SURVEY OVER SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: The ACLU of Missouri is interested in learning more about when and why suspensions occur in pre-K through 3rd grade. They are asking parents and staff to provide feedback about their experience and what they think would be helpful to reducing suspensions. An online survey is available and should take no longer than 5 minutes.

COMMUNITY FORUMS: HMC-1 is seeking the community's input about potential projects related to a 2020 bond. The first forum will be 6:00 pm, February 6 at Ruskin High School. Parents, staff, students, residents, and business leaders in the district are encouraged to attend. A second forum will be March 5 at Millennium. For more information, visit our Bond 2020 webpage.

JANUARY NEWSLETTER: We're highlighting Ruskin's BIG award, laundry and legal aid services that are free for HMC-1 families, championship titles earned by Boys Basketball, and more. Read the full January 2020 newsletter.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are seeking 75 volunteers for the award-winning resource fair Family Summit (March 7, 2020). Help is needed in a variety of roles, plus you'll gain access to over 60 local organizations. See our Family Summit page for more information and sign up online.

FREE LEGAL SERVICES: HMC-1 is partnering with LINC and Legal Aid to provide legal services for HMC-1 families through "Justice in Schools." Learn more about Attorney Garrett Christensen, intern Tamika Ross, and how they can help.

Justice In The Schools - Hickman Mills School District from LINC on Vimeo.

NEW LOCATION: Enrollment & Residency, Records, and ELL/ELD services are now located at 9000 Old Santa Fe Rd (previously the administration center). Newly offered legal services will also be located in the building. See our letter to parents for more details.

FREE LEGAL SERVICES: Struggling families now have a legal ally when facing eviction, foreclosure, domestic violence or other dangers that turn children’s lives inside-out, thanks to a new partnership with LINC. See the full story.

HMC-1 NEWS: The December newsletter highlights the Ruskin band director, a $10,000 grant, a donation to the basketball team, and more. Read the newsletter.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: There will be no school December 23, 2019 through January 6, 2020 for winter break. District offices will be closed December 23 - January 3. (The Administration Center will be open for Board of Education filings 8:00 am - 12:00 pm for Board of Education filings). We look forward to seeing students back on January 7, 2020!

FILING TO RUN FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION: HMC-1 encourages qualified persons interested in running for a position on the School Board to file to be a candidate in the April 7, 2020, election. There are (3) three-year term positions available. Filing begins December 24 and closes January 21, 2020. For more information, see the full public notice.

NOVEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER: This month we highlight the math relay championship, the Foundation Gala raising $25,000, an ESOL celebration, Honeywell's first HOPE hire, and much more. Read the newsletter.

MATH RELAY DISTRICT CHAMPS: Ruskin High School and Smith-Hale Middle School students competed against fellow PrepKC school districts and charter schools in the 10th Annual PrepKC Math Relays on November 9, 2019. They came home with the district championship trophy in tow. Read the full story.

FOUNDATION RAISES $25,000: The Hickman Mills Educational Foundation raised approximately $25,000 during their annual Gala and Silent Auction on November 8. Over 250 people participated in the evening that featured an auction and Distinguished Alumni awards. Read the full story.

FALL MUSICAL NOV. 21-23: Ruskin High School's Theatre Department will present “The Color Purple” November 21-23 at 7:00 pm in the Ruskin Auditorium. Featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life. Tickets are $7.00 each and can be purchased at the box office on the evening of the show. All Hickman Mills C-1 family, friends, staff and students are invited and strongly encouraged to attend this fabulous production.

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER: Hot off the press - It's HMC-1's October 2019 newsletter. This month's edition highlights Ruskin's 1821 special education program, virtual author talks, free eye exams and glasses for over 100 students, and much more.

WINTER WEATHER IS COMING!  Please review HMC-1's policy for closing or delaying school due to snow and inclement weather. The policy explains when we decide if school closes, where information will be posted, and more. It also includes details about potential 2-hour late starts.

PARENTS & GUARDIANS: It is time for our annual parent/guardian survey. This is your opportunity to provide important feedback on your child’s classroom environment, school/district leadership, safety, and more. We value your opinion and strongly encourage you to complete the survey by November 8.

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT: HMC-1 continues to see growth in academic achievement on Missouri’s Annual Performance Report (APR). The district is committed to building on that growth while focusing on opportunities for more student success. See the full story for details.

HONORING VETERANS: Past and present military personnel are invited to a special Veterans Breakfast on Friday, November 8, 2019 at Ruskin High School. The event is hosted by the Ruskin's Marine Corps JROTC, who annually honors the sacrifices veterans have contributed to the United States of America. For more information, read the full article.

HONORING PRINCIPALS: October is National Principals month. It is our honor to recognize the hard-working, dedicated principals of HMC-1. Throughout October, we will post videos highlighting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow us and catch your favorite principal's feature. #ThankAPrincipal

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER: Read about upcoming attendance rewards, students presenting at a state conference, a look back at alumni weekend, and our new "Applauding Student Achievement" feature.

AUGUST 2019 NEWSLETTER: Read the latest news from HMC-1, including how alum Chris Goode (Ruby Jean's Juicery) inspired staff, KCATA's free bus pass program, Compass' new principal, an alumni charity basketball game, and more. See the full newsletter.