Dear Licking R-8 Families,
You may soon hear about Missouri’s new A–F letter grades for public schools and districts. We want you to hear directly from us about what these ratings mean and how they fit into the broader picture of our schools.
Understanding the New Additional Letter Grade System
The current school performance measurement system is the Annual Performance Report, or APR, already provides a comprehensive look at school achievement, including academic achievement, student growth, high school outcomes, and school accountability. These APR reports can be found on the DESE data portal here: apps.dese.mo.gov/MCDS/Reports/SSRS_Print.aspx?Reportid=99747215-827e-4fb8-9a57-a017f1278233
*You will need to select Licking R-8 from the drop down bar.
The new A-F framework also measures academic achievement, student growth, and high school outcomes, but it does not capture the full picture of a school’s performance or its work to support students. The A-F grades for schools are set for public release in the coming weeks. The data that the school grades are based on comes from the 2024-2025 school year.
Missouri’s A–F grading framework was developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) following Governor Mike Kehoe’s January 2026 executive order, with implementation approved by the State Board of Education in September.
Understanding the Cost of the Additional Letter Grade System
DESE requested $518,000 of state taxpayer funds for initial implementation of the new A-F School Grading System in fiscal year 2027 and approximately $6.53 million for the program in fiscal year 2028. These amounts represent funding requests, not confirmed spending. As noted in our recently shared budget message, the state funding formula for education fell short by $199 million last year, and this year, the projected shortfall is over $300 million.
A Broader Look at Licking R-8
Our Licking R-8 Performance and Improvement Data Dashboard shows several measures of our district’s work:
· 100% scores in the reported categories of college and career readiness, advanced credits, graduation follow-up, and graduation rate.
· 96.6% in school improvement.
· 100% in school accountability, including audit, financial reporting, and data submission measures.
· 21 community service projects completed by students.
The graphic’s 2025 postsecondary data also show students pursuing a variety of paths after graduation: 56% entered trade school or college, and 44% entered the workforce or military. These pathways reflect our mission to help each student prepare for a meaningful future. (dashboard source: 2024-2025 APR data)
Recognizing Where We Must Improve
Excellence requires us to celebrate accomplishments and be honest about where we need to grow. Our most recent APR shows an academic performance score of 62%, identifying academic achievement as an area for improvement. We are working diligently toward increasing academic performance across the district in grades PreK-12.
Our Partnership With You
We value your questions and feedback as we work together to help your child succeed. Thank you to everyone who took time to complete our recent school improvement surveys to help us as we strive for excellence.
Licking R-8 serves students with different strengths, needs, circumstances, and starting points. Our responsibility is to maintain high expectations while providing the support each student needs to move forward.
Thank you for trusting us with your children and for being an essential part of our school community. Together, we will continue pursuing Excellence and Integrity Every Day.
Sincerely,
Telena Haneline, Superintendent, Licking R-8 School District