BISMARCK, Mo. (News First) – A lot of good things are happening this school year at Bismarck. High School Principal Abe Warren tells News First one of the programs he’s excited about.
“One of the big things that we’re seeing a lot of good things from is our rootEd program,” he says. “rootEd is a new program. I think we’re in year three in Missouri and we were one of the pilot schools for that. So we’ve been seeing the results from that for like three years now, like I said. And what that is, is it’s just an extra counselor in the high school that focuses on just seniors. We do things like getting them prepared for the FAFSA, college visits, work visits, and technical school information. Just whatever they might be doing after high school, they’re specifically dedicated to those seniors.”
Principal Warren rootEd is already showing great results.
“They help with scholarships, you name it, enrollment,” he adds. “We do everything we can to help them get to that next step through the Rood Ed program. And our advisor for that, Ms. Hillary Freeman, has done a phenomenal job. She’s in her second year with us here doing that. And we’re seeing a lot of good results from not only our seniors this year but seniors in the past. We keep track of them. And I feel like this has been a really good thing for Bismarck and any school that’s been able to get to be a part of that program. I think it’s a really good thing for the state of Missouri.”
rootEd is no longer a pilot program in Missouri. Around 135 high schools in the state are now eligible for the program. Local schools other than Bismarck that are eligible are Arcadia Valley, Bourbon, Cape Central, Clearwater in Piedmont, Farmington, Fredericktown, Grandview in rural Hillsboro, Greenville, Marquand-Zion, Meadow Heights in Patton, North County in Bonne Terre, Potosi, Scott City, Sikeston, Sullivan, Van Buren, Viburnum and Woodland High School in Marble Hill.
