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Community leaders receive update in Branson School District Summit
BY K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer
A large number of community leaders took part in last week’s Community Summit, presented by the Branson Public Schools.
Held at the Branson Hilton Convention Center, the morning event featured a Presentation of Colors by the Branson High School Air Force Jr ROTC, followed by the National Anthem, performed by the Branson High School Pride of Branson Bands Jazz Band.
After the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, attendees enjoyed a delicious breakfast before hearing an informative district update, presented by Branson Superintendent Dr. Brad Swofford.
Swofford spoke of the new conference that Branson athletic teams will be a part of in the next school year. According to Swofford, six area high schools have formed a new conference. Beginning in the 20242025 school year, Branson, Bolivar, Carl Junction, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield and West Plains School Districts will compete in the new Ozark Mountain Conference. The newly formed conference includes school districts with similar enrollment numbers, shared values and common community beliefs. The proximity of the schools in the conference will also mean less travel-time for students.
“The formation of the new Ozark Mountain Conference enables Branson Schools to strengthen our activity and athletic programs while improving our student-athletes,” says Dr. Brad Swofford.
Swofford shared the Branson Public School’s Strategic Plan, which included goals and strategies for the district to focus on in the areas of Culture and Climate, Organizational Excellence and Student Success.
Swofford also shared several interesting statistics about the Branson School District, including the number of students enrolled—4,656, noting that the number was slightly lower than pre-Covid. Swofford explained that, following the pandemic, some families have chosen homeschooling, private schooling, or online learning to educate their children.
The district also has 694 full-time employees, including teachers, faculty and staff. Swofford noted that the Branson School District is not immune to staffing issues, stating that, in addition to the nationwide teacher shortage, other positions, such as food service, are often a challenge to fill.
Swofford spoke of school safety, noting that it is a priority in the Branson Schools, explaining that the district employs nine Resource Officers and Protection Officers, to ensure the safety of the students.
“That is something that I’m very proud of,” said Swofford. “We want our students, our staff and our parents to feel that whenever our kids come to school, we have people in place to keep them safe.”
The Branson School District is currently comprised of four campuses—a high school, junior high, and five elementary schools.
Said Swofford, “We are very proud of our facilities and our community is, as well. We certainly strive to keep them updated, and certainly strive to meet educational needs.”
“We are required to be in session for 1,044 hours,” said Swofford. “That’s the minimum amount of hours for our schools to be in session. We actually exceed that because we have snow days and things like that built in, but, by law, we are required to go 1,044 hours.”
Swofford noted that Branson High School had 344 graduates in May of 2023, and that the school district served 644,849 meals during the last school year.
Swofford also shared a variety of activities that students can become involved in, including Academic Team, Air Force JROTC, Band, Baseball, Chess, Choir, Color Guard, Cross Country, Dance, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, Go Caps and a variety of various other clubs, organizations or sports.
Said Swofford, “If they can link on to something, if they can attach to something, they will be successful. We’ve seen that time and time again, that if you connect to something and you belong to something or feel like you belong to something, you can be successful. I’ve seen this time and time again with our kids. Our kids have an opportunity to be involved in a lot of different things.”
Dr. Swofford’s update was followed by table discussions. Each table in the room included a mixture of Branson School District leaders and community members. Each table shared discussion on a number of topics, as the school district gained insight from those in the community.
The Branson School District offered their appreciation to all who made the Community Summit a success.
In a printed statement, the district noted, “Our thanks to the GOCAPS Business Associates and Alisa Cornelison; BHS AFJROTC, led by Master Sergeant Atwood and Major Gary Maki; BHS Jazz Band, directed by Daniel Jarrett; the Branson Convention Center; Liberty AV; Branson Schools Technology Department; Branson Schools Administration and all attendees.”
