RIS families,

It is both an honor and a privilege to serve as the inaugural principal of Republic Intermediate School. We are excited to build upon the strong academic foundations established at each of our five elementary schools, and to continue providing exceptional learning experiences for every student.

While this year will bring new challenges, it also brings an unmatched level of excitement and opportunity. Our mission at Republic Intermediate School is clear: Together, we belong, serve, and grow as Tigers. We are committed to fostering a positive school culture — one that makes RIS an outstanding place for both learning and teaching.

We are especially proud to open the doors to a developmentally appropriate learning environment designed to support a smooth and intentional transition between elementary and middle school. Affectionately known as "Tiger Town," our school will be a place where students can develop a strong sense of identity and pride as Republic Tigers. Although their time at the intermediate level is brief — just two years — our goal is for students to leave with a deep connection to our district and excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Guided by our vision of empowering Republic Tigers for the future by igniting passion, perseverance, and purpose, we look forward to welcoming you into our new building and partnering with families to provide the best educational experience possible. Together, we will make Republic Intermediate School a place where students thrive, grow, and truly love learning.

With appreciation,
Mr. Chris Stallings
Principal

Online registration will need to be completed online through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by Wednesday, August 6. Students who don’t have completed registration by this date will see delays in being listed on class rosters and being routed for bus transportation. 

The Infinite Campus Parent Portal is a tool that families can use throughout the school year to monitor items like meal balances, grades, attendance, etc. Details and instructions for using the portal are available here. 

ALL students (preschool through 12th grade) must have a parent/guardian in their primary household complete required forms in online registration. Please keep in mind, specific forms must be completed for students to participate in various activities, including technology usage and athletic/activity participation. 

For more Back to School details, including details about Accidental Damage Protection Plans, school meals, the Student/Parent Handbook and more, visit the district’s website at republicschools.org/backtoschool.

STRIPES 360 is looking forward to another great school year serving our families through before and after school care programs. Students must be registered by August 8th to begin on the first day of school. Enrollments received after August 8th will not be able to begin until August 25th. Registration information can be found on the STRIPES 360 webpage.

As part of a new state law (pages 62-64), all Missouri schools are required to adopt updated guidelines that prohibit student use of personal electronic devices at school. To align with that requirement, in the 2025-2026 school year, Republic students will not be permitted to use or display devices like cell phones or smartwatches during the school day – including during class, lunch, breaks, passing periods and study halls. This change is now listed in the Student/Parent Handbook parents will review during online registration. 

Exceptions may be made for:

• Emergency situations (such as threats of imminent danger)

• Approved educational use

• Students with specific needs outlined in IEPs or 504 Plans

In previous years, PK-8th grade students have not been allowed to use any electronic sending or receiving devices during class. Therefore, the updated procedures now listed in the Student/Parent Handbook will not cause changes for those grades. Students’ phones and watches will need to be kept in backpacks during the entire school day. 

If you need to speak with your student during school hours, please call their school’s main office. Our team will help connect you with your student when needed. Parents of students in grades 9-12 may also email their students directly. This feature is not available for lower grades. 

We appreciate your partnership in creating a focused and supportive learning environment.

We are excited to offer two different opportunities for RIS students and families to experience the new building and get to know our staff:

• T-Shirt will be available and printed on-site during our open house event for just $10

• A portion of the proceeds will go back to the RIS PTO!

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 19!

For the upcoming school year, Monday through Thursday school hours will be the following:

• EC: Class times vary, please refer to communication from EC regarding your student's schedule.

• Lyon, McCulloch, Price, Schofield and Sweeny: 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

• RIS: 7:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

• RMS: 7:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

• RHS: 7:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

EVERY Friday, students will be released one hour early to provide teachers time to collaborate for student learning. This impacts all day preschool students through 12th grade students. Partial day preschool students are not impacted. Click here for more information on Friday Early Release. On Friday Early Release days, start times will not change, but release times will be as follows:

• Lyon, McCulloch, Price, Schofield, Sweeny and All Day Preschool Classes: 2:40 p.m.

• RIS: 1:40 p.m.

• RMS: 1:50 p.m.

• RHS: 1:40 p.m. 

STRIPES 360 offers after school care for families who only need care on Friday Early Release. Learn more about that program here.

Drop-Off: 7:00-7:25 (Classes begin at 7:30)
Students who arrive after 7:25 must be signed in by a guardian at the front office. Any students who are late or tardy without an adult must wait for the office to phone a guardian to return to school and sign them in.

Pick-Up: 2:40 Mon.-Thurs., 1:40 Fri.
Please pick up your car sign during Open House and have it posted on your dash each day during pick-up. It is our goal to get students with families within 15 minutes of dismissal. If your child will have a change in their daily transportation plan, please contact the office at (417) 732-1504 by 2:15 M-Th and 1:15 Fri. If your child needs to be picked up early, they must be picked up by 2:15 M-Th and 1:15 Fri. Please have your ID ready.

A detailed traffic flow map with drop-off and pick-up procedures will be shared as soon as it's available. As families are preparing for their new routines of visiting our school, we want to share the information below related to how families will access the building to drop off and pick up students.

RIS will have two entrances to campus:

• Entrance 1 – Located off Farm Road 103/N. Commercial Avenue

  • Can be accessed from either:
    • The light at Farm Road 103 & Highway 60 (near BreakTime), or
    • Highway MM and Haile Street (near Eagle Stop)

• Entrance 2 – A right turn in/right turn out only entrance

  • Located on westbound Highway 60, just past the James River Freeway entrance light

  • Important: Entrance 2 will function as exit only during these times:
    • 6:45–7:30 a.m.
    • 2:30–3:00 p.m.

Car Line Flow

• All vehicles will follow the designated car line loop around the building.

• All car riders will be dropped off and picked up at the front entrance of the school.

RIS students who are riding the bus to and from school will be taken to Republic Middle School and will change buses before being transported to RIS or home. This shuttle process is designed for efficiency, while intentionally remaining as simple as possible for students to understand and navigate. We want to assure you that district leaders and School Police team members will be on site at RMS to help students transition from one bus to another. A map and additional details will be shared soon.

Republic School District is pleased to partner with Teacher Lists to simplify your school supply shopping. By following this link, you now have the option to use one-click online ordering or to print supply lists and go to the store directly for purchasing. Local vendors will also have these lists available, as in the past.  

Additional supplies for high school students will be presented the first week of classes in course syllabus documents. 

Visitors
Visitors are able to complete our onsite background check, Raptor, with a personal ID the day of their visit. Please note that RIS does not have parent seating in the cafeteria. If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please call the RIS Office at (417) 732-1504 to ensure space is available in the office.

Volunteers
Volunteers will need to complete the Missouri Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR). It provides a more extensive background check than our Raptor system, which is needed for volunteers who spend more individual time with students than our visitors.

See the graphic below for details about the differences between visitors and volunteers.

Volunteers must go through a two-step process each school year:

1. Register with the FCSR for the first time OR Update your current information with the FCSR if you have ever registered in the past.

2. Return the completed FCSR paper form (page 2) to your student's school.

The FCSR requires volunteers to complete an online registration process that involves a one-time, lifetime fee of $15.25. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to cover this one-time, lifetime fee. The online registration process can be found at FCSR-BSEES - MO.gov. (NOTE: This registration process CANNOT be completed on a mobile browser/device.)

If you have registered in the past, please ensure that all personal information is current with the Family Care Safety Registry by calling 1-866-422-6872 before submitting your paper form. Incorrect information in their system will delay clearance.

Once the online portion is complete, a paper FCSR form must be filled out and submitted to your student’s school each school year. This form can be found here. For extra resources, please check out our FCSR Frequently Asked Questions Page (FAQs). 

Take note, the wait time for the FCSR information to be processed at the state level and for the district to be notified can possibly take up to 30 days. We recommend completing this process as early as possible each school year. An email or letter from the FCSR will not be accepted as a cleared status. Republic School District will request a cleared status from MO-DHSS.

• Backpacks & Beyond School Resource Event: August 5, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

• August 11: Ribbon Cutting & Community Open House, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

• August 14: Meet the RIS Team Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

• August 15: Transportation information available on Infinite Campus Portal

• August 19: First Day of School

• September 1: Labor Day, District Closed

• Grandfriends’ Night: 

  • Tuesday, Sept. 9: EC, McCulloch, Lyon & RIS

  • Thursday, Sept. 11: Sweeny, Price & Schofield

• Week of October 27: Parent Teacher Conferences

Progress Reports and Grade Card Dates are available at https://www.republicschools.org/events.