School board approves 'Spanks' film shoot at Rock Bridge High while students are gone

When a punk girl invades Lenny's small town high school, he falls hard.

That's the start of a movie synopsis on IMDB, Internet Movie Data Base, for a film in pre-production under the working title "Spanks."

Rock Bridge High School as movie set

The Columbia Board of Education on Monday approved an agreement giving permissions for filmmakers to use Rock Bridge High School as a setting for the film on Tuesday, July 11, and Wednesday, July 17.

It was on the board's consent agenda, with no discussion during the meeting, held at the Boone Electric Cooperative community building

Under the agreement, the producer has liability for any damage and agrees to hold the school district harmless for any damage to its equipment.

The IMDB synopsis calls the film at coming-of-age college fund heist.

"Challenged to a fight, Lenny must learn to defend himself in three days or be humiliated in front of the whole school," the synopsis continues.

Adam Boster is listed as the writer and producer. He's a Columbia resident and a CPS parent, said district spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark.

The policy states that district facilities may not be used for for-profit entities, but gives the school board the final decision.

Jaidyn Franz, from Fayette, is cast as Spanks, with Ryan Errol playing Lenny Stooge.

Carlee Hull, from Jefferson City, is another Missouri cast member.

There is no cost to the school district. The filmmaker will pay fees of $1,710 for the two-day shoot, said Heather McArthur, CPS chief financial officer.

"The film is a coming-of-age story of redemption and overcoming self-image and going for life," McArthur wrote in an email. "It is positive to build relationships with our patrons and this is a positive message for students who can grow into young filmmakers and go on to great things. School is not in session and the facility rental does not conflict with any CPS or other group wanting to use the premises during this time."

Debt collection for unpaid school lunches

A contract to collect debts from unpaid school lunches was sent back to administration for more consideration after some school board members balked at a contract they saw as potentially allowing legal action to be taken without school district consent.

The school district's direction of any legal action was part of the request for proposals, but it wasn't referenced in the contract, said board member Paul Harper. The item was removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration by Harper.

The amount of the parent debt is $200,000, McArthur said.

It's debt from paid meals, not from students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, she said.

There is only one vendor and it's not something the school district can undertake itself, McArthur said.

Nutrition is a barrier to education, said board member John Lyman, adding he's opposed to the idea of the school district being in the business of debt collection.

"I don't like the prospect of putting something like that on someone's credit," Lyman said.

A collection agency will always abide by what the client wants, said board member Blake Willoughby, who said he worked for a year for a law firm that performed debt collection.

"It was always at the discretion of the client," Willoughby said.

It's a practice the school district has used for several years, but the district's previous vendor went out of business McArthur said.

"This is a huge issue," McArthur said. "This $200,000 will be paid by our operating fund if we don't do something."

Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture Agreement

In another consent agenda item, approved with no discussion, the board approved an agreement with the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. The agreement creates a work-based learning opportunity for students with educational disabilities.

Under the agreement, CPS will inform CCUA of training and professional development opportunities that focus on working with students with learning disabilities. Participant outcome data will be collected each semester.

There is no financial impact to the district for the agreement.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Actors to replace students at Rock Bridge High School for film shoot