The Odessa R-VII School District is proud to recognize West Central Electric Cooperative (WCE) as our November 2026 Community Champion!

West Central Electric has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting our students, schools, and community through educational programs, scholarships, grants, and community partnerships. Their generosity and dedication have made a lasting impact on the Odessa R-VII School District.

One of the many ways WCE supports our students is through its electrical safety education programs, offered to students from preschool through high school. Each spring, WCE visits Odessa Upper Elementary with its bucket truck, providing third-grade students with a hands-on learning experience about electrical safety.

Through its Operation RoundUp program, WCE has awarded more than $36,000 in grants to the Odessa community, including nearly $8,000 directly to the Odessa R-VII School District. Additionally, WCE has provided more than $114,000 in scholarships to Odessa High School seniors, helping students pursue their educational goals beyond graduation.

WCE also encourages student leadership through its Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., and the Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience in Jefferson City. To date, seven Odessa High School students have participated in the Washington, D.C., program, while four have attended the leadership experience in Jefferson City.

Their commitment extends to our educators as well. Through the Energy in Today's Classroom program, WCE sponsors a two-day professional development opportunity focused on energy education. Participating teachers receive 15 hours of professional development credit and a $500 classroom grant.

Beyond the classroom, WCE generously supports district programs and activities, including Stuff the Bus, FFA, Project Graduation, and the school yearbook. Their involvement also extends throughout the Odessa community through participation in local events, Chamber activities, and educational partnerships such as CHOICES and Reality Check.

West Central Electric's continued investment in education, leadership, and community service reflects the true spirit of partnership. Their support reaches far beyond financial contributions, creating meaningful opportunities for our students, staff, and families.

The Odessa R-VII School District sincerely thanks West Central Electric Cooperative for its generosity, dedication, and continued commitment to making a difference in our schools and community. We are honored to recognize WCE as our November 2026 Community Champion!
 

Joy has taken care of many children through the years here at Odessa child care center. They all remember her as "miss Joy". Joy has a heart of gold and would do anything asked of her plus she is a very hard worker as a custodian. She deserves to be recognized for her 20 plus years of dedication.

In addition to her longtime dedication to the kids at the childcare center, Joy also works as a custodian during the summer to get McQuerry ready for the next school year.  She is often one of the first to volunteer to help with weekend custodial coverage of events that go beyond the expected work time.  She has worked many HS dances, Saturday volleyball and wrestling tournaments (both school and little league events), and OMI events through the years.

The Odessa R-VII Public Foundation Board of Directors presented teacher grants on Friday, October 2, 2026. Twelve grant applications were approved. Grants (totaling $8,484.73) were distributed to the following staff members by the Odessa R-VII Foundation Board of Directors.