Highlights of MARE's '20 year' History
1994-1998
Launch the media gallery 1 player1994
January -The second MARE Scholarships went to Linda Clevenger of California and Tracy Riegle of Bolivar.
July - Executive Board endorses Ruhl and Cone Consultant Services as an option for rural districts.
Proposal is made to include Missouri Elementary School Association (MESA) under the umbrella group of MARE.
September - Executive Board extends invitation to Missouri Telephone Association to appoint member representative to the advisory board.
November - Mr. Ray Doerhoff was named to be the MARE Executive Director. Mr. Doerhoff was a retired Superintendent of Schools with over 40 years of experience. MARE office moves to St. Elizabeth.
1995
January - Three $1,000 scholarships were presented to Joan Whitman from Southwest Missouri, Nicole Miller from North Missouri, and Tammy Luster from Cooper County.
March - The Missouri Association of Rural Education and the Missouri Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development develop plans to sponsor a joint conference in October to be held at Tan-Tar-A.
May - Board of Education representative added as voting member of the executive board.
September - Southwestern Bell Telephone Company contributes $3,000 to MARE Scholarship Fund.
December - In order to serve the needs of schools in Rural Missouri, MARE has, (1) Contracted to provide simplified Policy Manuals for Boards of Education and Administrators to member schools at a reasonable cost. (2) Contracted to provide legal advise to member schools at a reasonable cost. (3) Established a committee to implement a school board training program that is meaningful for rural board members. (4) Moved the fall MASCD/MARE conference to a Friday afternoon and all day Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Lake Ozark, MO.
1996
January - The MARE Executive Board endorses the 'Superintendency Search' searches of Ruhl and Cone to provide assistance in locating superintendent candidates.
February - The MARE Executive Board approves a school board training program that will consist of both live presentations and videotapes. A complete 16-hour program will be available on videotapes for those school districts that prefer such a program.
Three MARE Scholarships are presented to Cheryl Massey of Granby, Sarah Carrico of Farmington, and Judy England of Macon.
May - Second Board of Education representative added as a voting member of the Executive Board.
October - A group of 5 Missouri educators representing MARE were invited to attend a two day conference, sponsored by Phil Delta Kappa International, dealing with issues affecting small rural schools.
December - The State Board of Education asked that a committee make recommendations to them on more specific guidelines regarding board member training. Both MARE and MSBA will be represented on the committee.
1997
January - It was reported to the MARE Executive Board that the State Board of Education declined to approve the MARE School Board Training Program.
February - Three MARE Scholarships were presented to Courtney Cole of Glasgow, Judy Myers of Palmyra, and Kimmie Yarnell of Versailles.
March - MARE on behalf of its member schools filed legal action against the State Board of Education, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Commissioner of Education. The action was filed in the Circuit Court of Cole County by attorney, Dale C. Doerhoff. The action requested a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the January decision of the State Board of Education.
The SHOW-ME Interactive Classroom - Two-way Interactive Television services receives MARE endorsement.
The MARE Executive Board announces that Mr. Mike Lord has been employed as the Executive Director beginning on July 1.
May - Budget Plus Software, a completely automated budget program, receives the MARE endorsement.
July - MARE executive offices moves to Montgomery City.
September - Associated Electric Cooperative of Springfield, through a special agreement with MARE, will support the Board Training program with a financial contribution, when any Missouri school or homeowner purchases a ground source heat pump during the month.
November- The annual Fall Conference returned this year to a MARE only conference.
1998
January - Scholarship recipients are Tammy Burrus of Holts Summit, Christine Grubbs of Mansfield, and Kyle Gibbs of Davisville.
July - Judge Byron Kinder decreed that the training program offered by MARE does NOT require the approval of the State Board of Education nor can the State Board take any adverse action against school districts whose new board members had been trained with the MARE program.
October - MARE introduces its first home page on the internet through the assistance of Innovative Technology of Mexico, MO.
December - The Executive Board announces that the 1998-99 membership currently exceeds 250 school districts, a 25% increase over the previous year.
Discussions held on changing the organization's name to Missouri Association of Community Schools (MACS).