Reporters and news personnel should direct all media inquiries to the District Communications Office at communications@mexico.k12.mo.us or (573) 567-7418.

As Mid-Missourians, we understand how unpredictable weather can be. A top district priority is the safety of our students, staff, and families. And regarding inclement weather, everyone’s health and well-being are at the center of the district’s decisions. 

Make a plan with your family. A canceled school day or early out changes our routine and can be disruptive and challenging for our families. The district considers the ripple effect a “snow day” has on the entire community: not only for our nearly 2,400 students and approximately 400 employees, but for thousands of parents and family members, many of whom must go to work no matter the weather.

Whatever decision is made, and we realize any decision will have those who disagree, it is made based on the best information available and in the best interest of our students and staff. With this in mind, create a plan for your family in case of a school cancellation or early dismissal. 

How does the school decide on an inclement weather day? Our school administration works closely with the transportation department to make weather-related decisions. Regardless of what is taken into consideration, we realize that sometimes the decision made is supported and sometimes opposed. Our decision cannot please everyone, but please understand what helps guide our district’s choice of what’s best for our students and families. 

When extreme weather is imminent, our district personnel are actively investigating and monitoring precipitation, temperature, wind chill, road conditions, and more. Additionally, we stay in contact with neighboring districts and get information from the National Weather Service and other sources to ensure I have the most comprehensive information available to inform my decision. As a safety precaution, our local roads are driven before the decision. When the information supports it, we make the decision we feel is best for Mexico, which means it may differ from some of our neighboring districts.

There are a number of reasons for decisions, including: 

• the number of rural miles that buses need to travel
• the number of students who walk to school
  
• coordination with our bus maintenance supervisor
• drivers’ experience in certain road/weather conditions
• coordination of our food service operation (the only warm meal of the day for some students)

How will the community know if school is canceled or released early?

• A phone call and an email will be sent from the district. Please ensure your contact information is correct in Infinite Campus.
• Our Facebook pages will be updated. KXEO/KWWR and The Mexico Ledger will be notified. 
• Notifications will also be sent to other local media: ABC17/KMIZ, KOMU8-TV, KRCG13-TV, KFRU AM, KRES, and Zimmer Radio Stations.
• A banner will be placed on the school website.

What time will the district make the inclement weather decision? The district will strive to make an early decision so our families can make a plan. School families will likely hear from the district by 6:00 a.m. on the inclement weather day. Due to the volatility of the weather, this may not always be possible, but we will try our best. Additionally, the district will only communicate if school is not in session. 

Thank you for supporting the Mexico School District and for your flexibility as we endure Missouri winters.

Climate & Culture Surveys: Winter 2024

The Mexico School District collected feedback through a climate and culture survey in December 2024. Stakeholders included: all staff, all parents, and students in grades 4-12.

DESE requires a survey as part of the school's Annual Performance Report (APR), which is used to inform accreditation and classification decisions. The APR is part of MSIP6, the state's accountability system for reviewing and accrediting Missouri schools and outlines expectations for school practices and student outcomes with the goal of each student graduating ready for success in college, career, and life. 

Our district strategic plan is aligned with MSIP6; the surveys are a part of our strategic planning process.The district will use the results to see how we are performing well, what areas arise of concern, and howto continuously improve to meet the goals of our district’s strategic plan.

• 2024 Climate & Culture Results Overview
• Support Staff Survey
• Certificated Staff Survey
• Parent Survey
• Grades 4-5 Student Survey
• Grades 6-12 Student Survey

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2023 Climate & Culture Surveys

Comprehensive Communications Plan

Board approved in November 2023

The mission of the Communications Program is to support Mexico School District’s journey with continuous improvement and excellence by promoting transparent and strategic communication, fostering parent and community connections, and extending our reach to hear the voices of all stakeholders to have a positive impact on all Mexico students. The program will present the school accurately to stakeholders while striving to eliminate rumors and misinformation, observe confidentiality, and other restrictions imposed by law and Board policy.

*Communication is a primary function of leadership and a responsibility of all employees of the district.

*Effective communication supports teaching and learning and increases student achievement. 

*Well-informed employees and citizens are effective ambassadors for developing broad community support. 

*Open, ongoing two-way communication is critical to maintaining public relationships.

*District communication strategies must reflect the District’s mission and vision. 

*Using various sources and strategies enhances the District’s communication ability effectively and thoroughly.

View the Comprehensive Communication Plan. 

EVENT DETAILS

Name of your event: 

Date: 

Location:  

Time: 

Create a short description of your event: 

Building reservations? Check your building office or with Brandon Schafer at MHS. 

Food services?  Email Joyce Fenner or Hayden Foreman.

Transportation? Email Jennifer Fowler or Ivy Stathem. 

Communications? Let Marci know it’s happening.

MESSAGING/ADVERTISING: Work inside out - staff first, then community.

Do you need a flyer? Probably not - only if you’re printing it. Are you printing it? If not, skip to Graphic below. (The rules are changing…)

• Use your free school Canva account to create the flyer. (Or phone a friend - or student - who is talented at this.)
• Use the “Flyer” for print.
• Include the who, what, when, where in the info.
• Make sure you’re using the Bulldog Branding options or logos. You can match the color to the logo in Canva or use Red (#ca0809), Dark Gray (#5b5658), Light Gray (#bfc7ca), and-or black/white.

You probably need a graphic. This will go online, in PSQ, etc. 

• Use your free school Canva account to create the graphic. (Or phone a friend - or student - who is talented at this.)
• Use the  “Instagram Post” option for online, 1080x1350 pixels - not the 8x10 inch.
• DO NOT put much text on the graphic, only basic information. You should put all the details in the post, email, text - not on the graphic. DO NOT put the entire description on the graphic. This becomes an accessibility issue. 
• Download the graphic in Canva as a PNG image. 

Building-level Comms: Send an email to your building-level administrative assistants and principals so they know about the event. Ask them to add it to the building-level calendar so it shows up on the website and in the PSQ app calendar. 

Staff Newsletter: Send Marci an email with your event description, the PNG, and the PDF, so it can be added to the staff newsletter, which goes to all staff, the board of education, the City of Mexico, the Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, and the local media.

Local Media: Marci will also notify The Mexico Ledger and KXEO/KWWR of your event, with your contact information for the media. 

​​​​​​​Mexico Ledger On-Air Interview: Let Marci know if you’d like to visit before your event. We may be able to get you on the Ledger show with Matt.

​​​​​​​ParentSquare: Send a message to all pertinent audiences. If it goes to more than one building (like all elementary schools) send to Marci for dissemination. Who is the audience?  Staff, Parents, Students? Can they get the same message?

• Do you have appropriate access to send the PSQ message to the intended audience? If not, have your building-level administrative assistant or Marci send the message. 
• Use a hook in the title/subject of the PSQ post for the event.
• In the “post as” field, does this need to be your name or a department, like PTO, Mexico Communications, Bulldog Activities, your building name, etc?
• In the PSQ post, should you add an RSVP, a volunteer sign-up, a permission form, or an option to ask for donation items? (If you use the “RSVP” component, you can set up an auto-reminder to be sent.)

​​​​​​​Print: Do you need to print flyers for backpacks, to hang in the building, or deliver to local businesses? Sometimes Hart Career Center can help with large print jobs. Email Carley Ezell.

Facebook Post: Unless this is a community activity, it is not recommended to share your event on Facebook, unless you’re creating a Facebook event (below). A ParentSquare post will reach your intended audience so there’s no need to do a post. (Instead share photos of the event on Facebook later.)

​​​​​​​Facebook Event

• Will this event be created on your classroom/activity page or on the building-level page?
• Create a cover photo for the event in Canva. The cover photo should be 1920x1005 pixels. OR choose a photo of students/event from the past and use the photo as the cover photo. 
• Share the event on other pages. Share on your personal page, and ask five friends to share it to their personal pages. 
• “Invite Friends” to the event from your personal page. 

​​​​​​​Designate a picture-taker. This can be you, a student, or another staff member. Pictures on a phone are great! Be sure to let the picture-taker know the agenda of the event so he/she can know what to look for. It’s recommended to take one-four GOOD photos; you don’t need 20!

Survey. Will you need a survey to follow up the event? 

• Will you print the survey for participants at the event or email it after? 
• If you need help writing a survey, ChatGPT is a great resource! Ask Marci to help with the AI part, or here’s an example of a prompt for ChatGPT: I am hosting a classroom literacy event for third graders. We will be giving away a book, creating bookmarks, and having snacks. Can you help me write an exit survey for parents who attend the event? 

AFTER THE EVENT

Share photos from the event on your classroom/activity Facebook page. 

Recommended: Post one - four GOOD photos.

• Ask the building office to share your post to the building page. (If this is an MHS event, it may also be shared to the Activities page.)
• Make sure you add a description of the images and alt text on the photos in the post for ADA compliance. 

​​​​​​​Survey Follow-up, if needed.