Tri-Lakes Education News

Local business donation helps Blue Eye Bulldogs start new school year prepared

BY JOELENE POWELL, Staff Writer

Community support is helping Blue Eye Bulldogs head back to the classroom prepared while providing additional help for students in need.

Anchor Construction recently donated school supplies to the Blue Eye School District and contributed $1,200 to the district’s Backpack Program as the district prepares for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

According to Blue Eye School District Superintendent Kelli Alumbaugh, Kandi and Scott Washington of Anchor Construction reached out after seeing a district Facebook post about the district providing school supplies to students.

Alumbaugh said the donation will help meet students’ back-to-school needs while providing some financial relief for local families.

“The donation from Anchor Construction is just another example of how supportive the Blue Eye Community is,” Alumbaugh said. “Their generosity will help to ensure that our students begin the school year with the supplies they need to be successful from day one.”

Alumbaugh said the impact of the donation also reaches families throughout the district.

“This eases the financial burden on many of our families while reinforcing the message that our community is invested in the success of every child,” Alumbaugh said.

The additional $1,200 will support the district’s Backpack Program, which provides food for students in need over the weekend. For more information about the Backpack Program or opportunities to support Blue Eye students, contact the Blue Eye School District.

Back to School Bash August 22

BY K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer

The Branson United Methodist Church is the site of a special back-to-school event, and they invite you to join them as they celebrate.

Set for August 22, the Third Annual Back to School Bash, hosted by Standing by the Door, is a fun-filled afternoon designed to prepare children and their families for a wonderful start to the new school year.

The Back to School Bash is set for Saturday, August 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is located at 1208 West 76 Country Boulevard.

College of the Ozarks hosts 32nd Camp Lookout for area youth

College of the Ozarks hosted its 32nd annual Camp Lookout this summer, providing a free camp experience for more than 300 children from the surrounding community. This year’s theme, “Out of This World,” encouraged campers to understand what it means to “hold fast” to their faith, just as astronauts are securely fastened before launching into space. The theme also taught campers that God’s love is not ordinary but extraordinary — so extraordinary it could be described as “out of this world.”

Camp Lookout is held at the College of the Ozarks campground, which includes housing, playgrounds and an activities field. During the summer of 2026, the camp offered 10 sessions from June 1 through Aug. 6. Approximately 50 campers, ages eight through 12, from surrounding counties attended each week.

Campers spent the week participating in community service projects, water activities, and swimming. They also visited Silver Dollar City. Evening worship services and cabin devotions were part of each day’s schedule and reinforced the camp’s theme.

A team of 40 College of the Ozarks student counselors guided and supervised camp activities throughout the summer. Before camp began, counselors completed training that included team-building activities, safety procedures, lesson preparation and campground preparation.

Galena Elementary PTSO Car Show revs up support for students

BY JOELENE POWELL, Staff Writer 

Engines will roar, grills will fire up and community spirit will take the wheel as the Galena PTSO hosts its Car Show fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 22.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Galena High School, 30925 Missouri 413 in Galena. Vehicle entry is $20, while admission is free for spectators. Along with an assortment of cars, the event will feature hamburger and hot dog meals, a duck toss game for children and boutique car shirts for sale. Attendees can also purchase $1 raffle tickets for a basket valued at $340.

PTSO President Sharon Smith said the car show is one of several fundraisers the PTSO holds throughout the year to provide additional resources and opportunities for Galena students and teachers.

“Funds raised help with classroom needs, scholarships for seniors, help cover costs for field trips to ensure each child has the opportunity to participate and more,” Smith said.

All proceeds from the car show will go to the Elementary PTSO. Throughout the year, the organization raises funds to support classroom needs, playground upgrades and scholarships.

Families, friends and car enthusiasts are invited to enjoy an afternoon of cars, food and fun while supporting Galena students. For more information, email galenaptsopresident@gmail.com.

Night of the Tiger prepares students, families for new school year

BY K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer

The Hollister School District helps make the beginning of the new school year as seamless and stress-free as possible for Hollister students and their parents. Each year Hollister Schools host Night of the Tiger, a unique back-to-school event designed to make sure all Hollister students have everything they need to begin an excellent school year. The event also gives the students and their families the opportunity to meet their teachers, visit classrooms and enjoy some fun prior to the first day of school.

Night of the Tiger 2026, will feature an open house and a family fair. The open house, held between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., allows students and their parents to visit with teachers, see their classrooms, receive class schedules and find answers to questions they might have.

The School’s Family Fair runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Family Fair will provide a number of vital services for families and students, such as physicals, immunizations, haircuts, college recruitment, information on community resources and much more. Families will be offered a dinner of hotdogs, chips and water, and enjoy a variety of games, activities, bounce houses and fun.

Additionally, each student in grades kindergarten through eighth grade will be given all school supplies needed for the new year and a backpack for those needing one, upon request. School supplies will be presented on the first day of school, and backpacks will be given out during the open house.  

The Night of the Tiger is only possible with help from community sponsors, including the Hollister Schools Foundation, Real Life Hollister, Central Bank and Hogan Land Title Company. The school district appreciates these sponsors and all who help ensure that students will enjoy a great school year.

The 12th Annual Night of the Tiger is set for Thursday, August 20, on campus of the Hollister Schools.

Stronger signal ahead as new cell tower comes to Reeds Spring schools

BY JOELENE POWELL, Staff Writer

Dropped calls and delayed texts may soon become less common around the Reeds Spring School District campus.

A new 160-foot cell phone tower is being installed near the district maintenance facility and away from school buildings to improve cellular coverage and emergency communication, according to the Reeds Spring School District.

Owned and operated by Horvath Communications, the tower will initially carry Verizon service with the capacity to accommodate additional major carriers in the future. The project is intended to address long-standing service gaps that have affected parents, staff and community members.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dr. Shane Dublin said stronger cellular coverage is expected to provide more dependable communication during severe weather, medical incidents and other emergencies.

“A stronger signal near the school improves communication in case of emergencies like severe weather or medical incidents,” Dublin said. “It should also improve 911 call reliability and location accuracy on campus and in the surrounding area.”

Safety and health were priorities throughout the planning process, according to the district, including placing the tower away from school buildings.

Dublin said the project will benefit students, staff, families and the surrounding community while providing infrastructure to support future growth.

“We are excited about the opportunity to enhance connectivity across our campus and improve service for students, staff, families and the broader community,” Dublin said. “This also provides infrastructure for future community growth.”

With the tower’s installation, the district hopes to close existing coverage gaps while creating a stronger communication connection for the campus and surrounding Reeds Spring community.

Reeds Spring schools prepare to welcome students back

BY JOELENE POWELL, Staff Writer 

Summer break is winding down, and Reeds Spring School District is preparing to welcome students and families back with open house events at all district schools on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The district wide open house gives families an opportunity to meet teachers, drop off school supplies and become familiar with their schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

Reeds Spring Primary School, Elementary School and Intermediate School will hold open house from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Reeds Spring Middle School will welcome families from 5 to 7 p.m.; Reeds Spring High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; and Table Rock Career Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

New this year, all Reeds Spring High School students and families should attend the High School Open House.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Travis Kite said open house helps establish connections between students, families and educators as the school year begins.

“As a district, we believe a shared partnership between school and home is vital to student success,” Kite said. “Our open houses build a strong connection between families, students and teachers from the very beginning. They create an opportunity to foster trust, helping every student start the year feeling supported.”

The first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 25. For more information, contact the Reeds Spring School District.

Nonprofit presents scholarships to area students

BY K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer

Each year the Junior Auxiliary of Taney County awards scholarships to area students who wish to further their education. The JATC is thrilled to be able to help nine students achieve their education goals this fall.

Three scholarships, in the amount of $1000 each, were presented to deserving students. The scholarships are awarded, based on the availability of funding, and recipients are selected based on the students’ demonstrated initiative and commitment to community volunteer opportunities. Each recipient must be a graduating senior from one of four Taney County Public High schools—Branson, Bradleyville, Forsyth or Hollister. 

Recipients of this year’s $1,000 scholarships were Makenzie Hudson of Branson, Molly Ann McAfee of Hollister and Hudson Russell of Forsyth.

Additionally, the JATC offers the Joan Anderson Memorial Scholarship to a student who plans to pursue a career in Accounting, Business or IT.  The recipient of this year’s Joan Anderson Memorial Scholarship is Dhruv Patel.  Patel will attend University of Missouri-Columbia this fall, where he will major in Computer Engineering.

The Junior Auxiliary’s Scholar Care program is designed to provide support and encouragement to a student who may be away from home for the first time. In addition to providing the students with a $1,000 scholarship, renewable each year based on satisfactory achievement in college, the student also receives notes, encouraging emails and small gifts throughout the year from JATC members. Recipients are chosen after submitting an essay that explains their need for continued support from JATC.

Those whose Scholar Care scholarships were renewed this year include Gemma Reding of Forsyth (Year four), Kierra Greco, Branson (Year three), Rajan Raghani of Branson (Year three), and Sylvie Barbour of Branson (Year two).

The newest recipient of the JATC Scholar Care Scholarship is Lynna Wolfe of Branson. Wolfe will attend Pittsburgh State University this fall.