Salem R-80 School District -

Please read the following letter from the school districts located in Dent County. If you have any questions, please email the superintendent(s) in your district(s).

We have been cleared by the fire department to reenter Upper Elementary, and all students have safely returned inside.

This morning we had a water heater catch fire in the Upper Elementary kitchen. Kitchen staff pulled the fire alarm, students and staff were immediately evacuated. All students have been accounted for and are safe. We currently have fans airing out the smoke that was present in the hallways. We will return students to the building once the fire department gives us the okay to return. We would like to thank the Dent County Fire Department, Salem Police Department, and Dent County Sheriffs Department for their response. Nate Wills Superintendent

Happy Bosses’ Day to our superintendent, Dr. Wills, and our assistant superintendent, Mr. Copeland!

You might find these two greeting students at one of our buildings each morning and cheering on the Tigers at a home game in the evening. Salem R-80 is fortunate to have these dedicated leaders who help our district run seamlessly.

Thank you both for your commitment to our students, staff, and community!

“Go Big Blue!” — Dr. Wills
“Thanks for coming to work today!” — Mr. Copeland

Please congratulate Dr. Rachel Green as the October 2026 Educator of the Month and Mr. Corey McCurdy as the October 2026 Staff Member of the Month.

In total, forty nine nominations were submitted throughout the district from other members, parents, students, and community members to highlight contributions made by nominees regarding the district mission and CSIP goals designed to support student learning in every aspect.

Thank you again for your dedication to "every child ensured a chance to become a safe, respectful, responsible learner for the 21st Century."

Happy National Coaches Day to all of our various coaches throughout the district! Thank you for inspiring our students to be more than participants but true team players by teaching them valuable skills through every practice, meeting, and game. We appreciate the dedication you pour into our students!

Reminder: There will be no school on Monday, October 5, 2026, for Salem R80's professional development day.

Happy National School Custodial Workers Day! Thank you to our custodial staff for keeping our schools clean and safe each day so that students may come ready to learn!

Congratulations to Heather Johnson and Dalton Sanders on receiving the Missouri FFA Foundation Grant!

This award is part of a grant program called Horizon and Rising Sun Grants, which the Missouri FFA Foundation created to help address critical gaps in agriculture education across Missouri. The grant will provide students in our agricultural education program with valuable hands-on experiences in animal science. Through these opportunities, students will build technical and practical skills, explore careers in animal agriculture, and gain firsthand experience with current livestock production practices.

Thank you, Missouri FFA Foundation Grant, for this opportunity to strengthen our agricultural education!

We’re giving a shoutout to our tech department for keeping Salem R-80 connected and supported. Thank you for being our troubleshooters and tech experts! Happy IT Professionals Day!

Please congratulate Mrs. Destiny Hill as the September 2026 Teacher of the Month and Mrs. Shelly Karr as the September 2026 Staff Member of the Month.

In total, forty five nominations were submitted throughout the district from other members, parents, students, and community members to highlight contributions made by nominees regarding the district mission and CSIP goals designed to support student learning in every aspect.

Thank you again for your dedication to "every child ensured a chance to become a safe, respectful, responsible learner for the 21st Century."

Reminder, there will be no school on Monday, September 7th due to Labor Day. Enjoy your weekend!

Dear Salem R-80 Families, I am writing to inform you of a traffic accident involving one of our school buses this afternoon. The bus was struck from behind by another vehicle. All students on the bus are safe and the bus driver is safe. Students were transported home, and no medical treatment was required for the students on the bus or bus driver. Local law enforcement responded to the scene and is investigating. The District is cooperating fully with that investigation. Because the matter is under investigation and involves student privacy considerations, we are not able to share further details at this time. We will provide additional information as it becomes available and as we are permitted to do so. The safety of our students is our highest priority, and I am grateful for the professionalism of our transportation staff and first responders. If you have questions, please contact the District office. Nate Wills Superintendent Salem R80 School District

We’re excited to roll out a new tool that will simplify how we communicate with you: Connect! Connect offers a secure, safe, two-way messaging platform that makes it easier to stay connected with Salem R-80 staff. You will also be added to Rooms, where staff members can share announcements and important updates.

Sign in today! Parents and students can access Connect through the Salem R-80 app or by visiting salemr80.org and clicking the “Sign In” button in the upper-right corner. Students will sign in using Google Single Sign-On, while parents can sign in using their cell phone number or email address.

You can also receive notifications when a new message is sent to you via text message from 27806, even if you haven’t downloaded the Salem R-80 app.

Please note, Connect will become our primary method of communication for interactions between staff, coaches, teachers, students, and families.

Visit https://www.salemr80.org/page/connect-rooms-communication-info for more information.

#GoBigBlue

Through the Campus Parent Portal, you can now easily deposit money into your student’s food account.

As a reminder, all students in the district are eligible to receive free meals. Funds deposited into your student's account will only be used for a la carte items.

Please note: A processing fee applies to deposits made by credit card or e-check.

The Salem R-80 School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026–2027 school year!

All students in the district will receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge throughout the school year!

SalemR80.org #GoBigBlue

Due to a severed fiber line, Salem R-80's Central Office will be closed for the rest of the day and tomorrow, Friday, August 14th. Phones and internet are currently down and should be repaired by tomorrow afternoon. If you need assistance, please contact your student's school building office.

We will be holding another walk-in registration day on Thursday, August 6th, 2026, for anyone needing a device or internet connection to complete their online registration for the upcoming school year. This will be held from 8 AM until 3 PM. Please enter the High School library's doors.

If you have already done registration, or plan to do registration on your own device at your own time, you do not need to attend.

Walk-in registration will be held on Wednesday, July 29th, 2026, for anyone needing a device or internet connection to complete their online registration for the upcoming school year. This will be held from 8 AM until 6 PM. Please enter the High School library's doors.

If you have already done registration, or plan to do registration on your own device at your own time, you do not need to attend.