HANNIBAL, MO—On Wednesday night, Ritchie Kracht, the new superintendent of Hannibal School District #60, called the first meeting of the Board of Education without former superintendent Susan Johnson in almost ten years.
Kracht formerly worked as the superintendent of the Clark County R-1 School District in Kahoka from 2006 until July 1, when Lyndel Whittle succeeded him. Kracht now joins the district.
The creation of a 30-year facilities plan, the successful approval of two bond measures, and the building of an early childcare facility are some of Kracht’s noteworthy achievements. Additionally, he was instrumental in bringing three K–8 school districts together to become Clark County R-1.
In addition to his accomplishments in the workplace, Kracht supports community involvement. In addition to mentoring prospective superintendents, he has volunteered as a child sports coach. He holds a number of leadership positions in the Missouri Association of School Administrators.
In June, Johnson announced his retirement from the district after 33 years. The Hannibal School Board decided in January 2024 to appoint Roy Webb, a former Quincy superintendent, to succeed her when she had intended to retire at the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year.
But in early March 2024, Webb had second thoughts and resigned from the role, citing issues with the Hannibal School Board’s atmosphere and the district’s financial situation.
In April 2024, the Hannibal School Board approved Johnson’s continuation as superintendent for the 2024–2025 academic year by a vote of 5-2.Jeff Evans and Scott Hawes, members of the School Board, voted against Johnson’s rehire on the grounds that she acted insubordinately.
No evidence of fraud or corruption was found during the Missouri State Auditor’s Office’s examination of the Hannibal School District, which was concluded on October 18. The assessment did point out that the district’s financial situation is weak.
January saw the announcement of Kracht’s hiring, and on July 1st, he began work.
The board decided to lower the general tax rate by 13 cents from the previous year to $3.36 per $100 in property taxes for the next year. Kracht clarified that the rate is based on the rate of inflation and the assessed property values. The tax rate must be lowered in accordance with state legislation, which caps the revenue increase from existing property at the rate of inflation when property values rise faster than inflation.
For every $100 in property taxes, the debt service rate was set at $1.12.
Additionally, the board authorized the increase in substitute teacher pay from $100 per day during the 2024–2025 school year to $112.50 per day. The rate is still lower than that of nearby school districts notwithstanding the increase. When the district’s financial situation improves, the board intends to raise the rate once more in the future to a more competitive amount.
The district’s assessment scores were updated by curriculum and instruction director Michele McCoy. With the exception of seventh grade arithmetic, where McCoy stated that efforts are already in progress to improve, students in the district either met or above state averages in every category.
The board also established the tuition fee at $8,487 and authorized the school handbooks for this year.Public school districts are required by state statute to establish a tuition rate for students who reside outside of the district. According to Kracht’s memo, it is calculated based on the per-pupil expenses from the previous school year and is meant to make up for the loss of state and local revenue that an in-district student would have produced.
In the spring, Kracht discussed the potential for funding reductions in the event that the U.S. Department of Education was destroyed in an interview with Muddy River News.He stated on Wednesday evening that although the district had received most of its Title I funds—federal funds allotted to low-income student grants—the federal government was still withholding certain items.
A preliminary injunction issued in May by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for the department’s closure, stating that “Congressional approval is required to eliminate the department, but its workforce was cut in half in March, making it effectively impossible for the Department to carry out its statutory functions.”
In July, the Supreme Court decided that the Trump Administration may keep trying to shut down the department.
On Wednesday, September 17, at 6 p.m., the board will meet again at the Hannibal Middle School auditorium, which is situated at 4700 McMasters Avenue in Hannibal.
You may find a copy of the board’s complete information packet for the August 2025 meeting here.
