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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Some favorite leisure time activities in Missouri could become high school sports.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced Thursday that member schools voted to allow schools to sponsor teams in bass fishing, chess, bowling and target shooting, beginning next year.

The association says it could eventually hold state championships in the events. First, at least 50 schools in at least three of the state's eight districts would have to have teams in the sports. Then member schools would decide whether to add the state championships

The Springfield News-Leader reports if the championships are approved, they would be added to the next two-year cycle.

Schools also voted to allow softball championships in the fall or spring. And track and field will add a fifth class next spring.

 

St. Louis Public School officials have placed a high school teacher on leave after he allegedly had sex with a student.

Court documents say David Marler had sex with a male student at Soldan High School. Marler also allegedly gave the same student an inhalant that made him dizzy and lightheaded. Marler faces eleven charges, including sodomy, sexual contact with a student, and endangering the welfare of a child.

The school placed Marler on leave on Monday.

St. Louis Police are asking any parents who believe their kids may have been victimized by Marler to call the Child Abuse unit at 314.444.5385.

 

A St. Louis high school is on the list of the Top 200 in the country.

The list is created by the US News and World Report and considers over 21,000 public high schools when making the list. Metro Academic and Classical came in at number 135 an earned a gold medal from the publication.

The list uses data like state assessment test results, AP test scores, and enrollment to assign a college readiness score. 

The full top 10 for Missouri high schools:

1. Metro Academic and Classical High School, St. Louis (St. Louis Public School District) 

2. Clayton High School, Clayton (Clayton District) 

3. Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood (Kirkwood R-VII District) 

4. Marquette High School, Chesterfield (Rockwood School District) 

5. Eureka Sr. High, Eureka (Rockwood School District) 

6. Park Hill High School, Kansas City (Park Hill District) 

7. Lindbergh High School, St. Louis (Lindbergh School District) 

8. Rock Bridge Sr. High, Columbia (Columbia 93 District) 

9. South High, Ballwin (Parkway C-2 District) 

10. Lee's Summit West High, Lee's Summit (Lee's Summit R-VII District)

   The F.B.I. has taken over the investigation after metro-east authorities allegedly found bomb-making materials at a rural O'Fallon home.  

   The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department searched the home of an O'Fallon Township High School student using bomb sniffing dogs Wednesday afternoon.  There's no word what led to the search at the home in the 900 block of Scott Troy Road.  

   O’Fallon Township High School was locked down for about an hour and a half while the school was searched.  Police say the action was precautionary because there had been no threat against the school.  

   O'Fallon Police questioned a student who lives in the home where the bomb-making materials were allegedly found, along with several of his friends.  The student who lives in the home was arrested.  There's no word yet on charges.

Messages in a high school bathroom prompted the evacuation of Bourbon High School.

The high school students were moved to the nearby middle school while Crawford County deputies investigate the threat. District officials contacted parents about the incident and no students at the middle school were being released.