The Cuba R-2 District School Board approved its calendar for the 2026-27 school year during its Jan. 22 meeting.

The school year will begin on Aug. 25, and Labor Day takes place on Sept. 7. R-2 Superintendent Dr. Scott Davidson explained that the district can’t start more than 14 days prior to Labor Day due to state legislation. The calendar has the five built in snow days with three other days built in on Mondays in March, April and May to make up for potential snow days, which would ensure the district meets the inclement weather criteria.

The calendar includes Thanksgiving break, Christmas break and spring break. Students will have Nov. 25, Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 off for Thanksgiving and have Dec. 19 to Jan. 4 off for Christmas break. Spring break spans from March. 27 to April 5. Graduation will take place on May 22 and the last day of school for non graduates will be on May 27. Summer school will begin on June 1.

Cuba High School counselor Tonya Hulbert and Linda Kozlowski from Prevention Consultants of Missouri proposed a new program that would be taught in the district titled ‘Protecting Your Peace.’ The program would be taught to sixth- through twelfth-graders and touch on subjects like bullying, healthy relationships, and would also fulfill the statute requirement pertaining to the prevention of sexual abuse. This would replace the existing ‘Teen Safety Matters’ program.

Hulbert added that the program is age appropriate and will also focus on internet safety with an emphasis on the prevention of cyber bullying. Parents will have the opportunity to fill out an opt out form if they don’t want their child to participate. The board unanimously voted to approve the program.

Cuba Middle School principal Marie Shoemaker reported that 43 students had a perfect attendance so far this school year. Shoemaker said that number was the highest that her school has reported since pre-COVID.

Cuba High School principal Michael Clutts recognized the school’s newly formed student advisory board.

“When we came back in the first week in January, they had their first meeting where they recognized some issues in the building. And so they had all week planned for advisory when we came back, and it went really well,” Clutts said. “They did a really amazing job with it. The students were a little shy at first at some of the things they had to do, but as a week grew they came along. The teachers asked for their feedback, and they thought they did a phenomenal job. I absolutely loved it, because they got to see kids that they normally don’t get to see. And so it was all about kids getting to meet each other that normally don’t know each other.”

Student representative Allison Heads, who is a member of the advisory board said, “I think that having the student advisory board is a really big step in the right direction.”

Clutts added that the school’s fifth student this year graduated from the Missouri Options program.

“All five students who entered the program this year have now graduated, which is a good, positive thing for us,” he said.