Board of Education Meeting - Thursday, August 22, 2024

Presentations to Board of Education

Tax Levy Hearing

Executive Director of Business & Finance, Chasity Daniels, presented to the board on the recommended Tax Levy.

The board approved the proposed tax rates for FY2025 which are as follows:

• Operating: 2.8586
• Debt Service: 1.2698
• TOTAL: 4.1284%

The tax rate is required to be set by September 1st each year and the process followed to calculate the tax rates is provided by the State Auditor's Office using data provided by Greene County. There is no tax change or increase for the public.

Summer Discovery

Summer Discovery Coordinator Jennifer Greenhaw presented a recap of Summer Discovery 2024. Over $3,000 was donated to the Summer Discovery Program through grants. Staff updates include balanced pay for certified positions and an added Counselor position to the program. Enrollment was 1,524 students.

All K-6 students went on two field trips and had two guest speakers. Field trips included Arris Pizza, the Dickerson Park Zoo, Wonders of Wildlife, Nature Center, Watershed and 1984 Arcade.

Administration Reports

Dr. Eric Wilken

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Eric Wilken, was under the weather and therefore did not attend the August 22, 2024 board meeting. Assistant Superintendent of Academics, Dr. Josh Ladd, presented Dr. Wilken's administration reports, which included a highlight of our annual Staff Convocation. Dr. Ladd mentioned that the annual audit will take place from Monday, August 26, to Wednesday, August 28th. The Annual Secretary of the Board Report (ASBR) was submitted August 15, 2024.

Dr. Josh Ladd

Assistant Superintendent of Academics, Dr. Josh Ladd, provided the board with an update on the kick off of year two of our Strategic Planning efforts. Dr. Ladd mentioned that our task force groups are all meeting to track progress from year one and plan ahead for year two. He provided some highlights on the Skilled Workforce task force, which he leads.

Cathy Shoup

Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Cathy Shoup, provided the board with an update on the RFQ process. We received six bids from Architecture Firms for our future ballot issue, all of which will be interviewed in the coming weeks.

She also provided an update on Summer projects and bond projects. The ribbon-cutting celebration at Central and South Elementary was successfully held during Meet the Teacher night. At Central, the playground area has been expanded by removing and repurposing the existing fence to accommodate the new classroom addition exit, with the fencing completed on August 16th. Several items remain pending, including the installation of entry panels, interior doors on the North entrance, connection to the generator, parking lot revisions, and HVAC system improvements. Despite these pending tasks, classrooms, safe rooms, and music rooms are now open and operational for the school year.

At South Elementary, the parking lot has been striped and is now open, and access to the administrative office, new classrooms, music, PE, restrooms, and gym was provided last week. A big thank you to Andy Robinson and the custodial crew for their work on the existing gym floor (new cafeteria), which was striped, painted, and waxed. The existing administrative office is now open for the social workers to move in. Completion of the new main entry and the installation of the safe room stage panels are still pending, and several items on the punch list are being addressed.

At the High School, progress continues with the installation of wall mats (August 19-21) and the preparation and painting of game lines on the floor (August 22-23). The final sealant and varnish on the floor are scheduled for late August through early September. Hand dryers will soon be installed in all restrooms, excluding the family restroom. Work on the main entrance is ongoing, with landscaping to follow its completion. The parking lot is open for use, and the tentative ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, September 5th, with the time to be determined.

Demolition began at North Elementary and the Middle School on August 12th. Wall partitions were installed at North Elementary last week. RE Smith’s crew focused on completing as much disruptive work as possible before the school year started, with areas such as the existing canopy entry, reception, administrative office, teacher copy room, and staff restroom already demoed. Ongoing work includes continued demolition of walls and ceilings, as well as trench work for a new water line due to unsuitable soil conditions under the existing canopy. Plumbing for the staff restroom is scheduled in the coming weeks.

The Middle School wall partitions have been installed at the main entry area and the crew has demolished the second set of doors, ceilings, lights, and flooring. A new door has been cut in the main entry area leading into an existing classroom. Classroom ceilings, lights, HVAC systems, flooring, and hallway lockers have also been demolished. Demo work is scheduled to continue throughout the week.

Program Updates

Maintenance Department

Maintenance Director, Wayne Arnold, presented the board an update on the Maintenance Department. Wayne mentioned that the department maintains 34 buildings with six people. Our maintenance crew has filled 251 work orders since the first of July, which doesn't even include all projects! The Maintenance Department has been extremely busy doing prep work for bond projects, preparing for the start of school, and more.

Grounds Department

Director of Grounds, Andrew Smith, presented the board an update of the Grounds Department. Our grounds crew maintains 250 acres across the district, including eight acres of athletic fields. Currently, the crew is mowing, trimming, and setting up for fall sports. The grounds crew laid 16,000 square feet of sod on the football field in late July and have it in great shape for the upcoming season. Upcoming projects include work on softball and baseball and continued work on trimming trees and removing dead limbs, and more.

Custodial Department

Director of Custodial Services, Phil Broyles, presented the board with an update of the Custodial Department. All 21 buildings were clean and ready to go for teachers return last week thanks to the hard work of our custodial crew. He mentioned that we did a line item bid for materials (gloves, paper, chemicals, etc.) which he will monitor for savings. We have 38 custodians on staff and are one away from being fully staffed!

Strategic Planning

We highlight one of our 11 Smart Goals at each Board Meeting throughout the school year. Dr. Ladd presented on the following SMART Goal and Strategies.

SMART Goal: The District will continue to promote teamwork, family involvement, community engagement and communications.

Strategies:

1. Welcoming Culture/TEAMWORK
2. School Board Professional Development Plan
3. Community Advisory Group
4. Build/Enhance Partnerships with the Community
5. Enhance Communications

Business Items

Local Special Education Compliance Plan

The board voted to approve DESE's Model of the Local Special Education Compliance Plan. This plan is approved annually. Two differences in the plan from previous years include the identification process for students and the purchase of instructional materials.

FY2025 Professional Learning Plan

The board voted to approve the FY2025 Professional Learning Plan. The primary update was the reallocation of the PD budget to match Missouri 1% guidelines. SB727 allowed our mentors to choose their compensation method (stipend or Career Ladder hours). Highlights of the Professional Learning Plan include:

• Goal 1: New Teacher Induction Program
• Goal 2: Professional Learning Programs Targeting Research-Based Learning Designs
• Goal 3: Address District Strategic Plan
• Updated to align with the 2020 Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning.

Lau Plan (English Learner Plan)

The board voted to approve the English Learner Plan. The Lau Plan is a working document that includes legal foundation, student assessments, instructional plan, parent involvement, qualified personnel, coordination plan, and other possible considerations for our English Language Learners.

District Contact Personnel 

The board voted to approve the following roles for Tier Monitoring Documentation.



• ASBR - Chasity Daniels
• Assessment - Shannon Cuff
• At Risk - Amy Stroder
• Certification - Sara Towry
• Core Data - Katrina Cox
• Curriculum - Shannon Cuff
• ECSE - Melissa Lewis
• ELL - Katie Spencer
• Enhancement Grants - Daniel Davis
• Evidence Based Reading - Shannon Cuff
• Federal Program - Amy Stroder
• Financial - Eric Wilken
• Foster Care - Amy Stroder
• Migrant - Amy Stroder
• MOSIS - Katrina Cox
• Special Education - Melissa Lewis

MSBA Policy Update 24B

The board conducted a first reading of several MSBA Board Policies at the August Study Session, including:



• Policy BDC: Closed Meetings, Records, and Votes
• Policy DFI-2: Setting Tuition for District Programs
• Policy FFA: Memorials on Facilities and Grounds
• Policy GBEBC: Criminal Background Check
• Policy IND: Ceremonies and Observances
• Policy JEC-1: School Admissions
• Policy JECA-2: Eligibility to Enroll
• Policy JO-1: Student Records
• Policy KH: Public Gifts to the School

The board voted to approve the above policies at the August 22, 2024 meeting.

The changes in this update are primarily based on recent changes in Missouri state law. Changes include adding two new grounds for closing meetings or records under the Sunshine Law, billing back districts for the enrollment of non-resident students, requirements for background checks for adults on school campus during school hours, and a provision on adult learners. New law calls for permanent retention of special education records, but it is unclear whether this includes all special education records or only the most recent records, so MSBA has recommended language that the district will preserve such records according to law. Other changes include a consolidated policy on gifts to the district, memorials, and crowdfunding.

Final Bond Project Payment

The board voted to approve the final reserves contribution for the bond project payment of up to $1.5 million.

Future Ballot Discussion

Cathy Shoup provided specifics regarding the dual ballot issue for April 1, 2025. The first question pertains to a proposed no tax increase 22-cent levy transfer, which would generate $1.24 million annually. The second question involves a bond issue, as outlined in the Facility Committee Report presented during last month's board meeting.

Top Priority Projects for Board of Education Review and Consideration for the next 1-5 years, as presented by the Facilities Committee include:

1. Willard East Safe Room Addition
2. Willard Middle School Renovation
3. Willard School Synthetic Athletic Fields
4. Willard Schools Roof Replacement
5. Willard North Elementary, intermediate North and South Elementary Updates/Improvements
6. Willard Schools Parking Lot and Road Improvements
7. Willard Schools Circulation Improvements
8. Fine Arts Theatre Updates

NJROTC Overnight Trip

The board voted to approve an overnight trip for NJROTC at Granada High School in Grenada, Mississippi October 4-6, 2024.

Surplus

The board voted to approve the following surplus items:



• Old books from the Middle School
• Old weight equipment

New Hires

The Board of Education voted to approve the following hires at the August 22nd meeting.

• Erin Trotter, Bus Driver
• Kirby Dehnel, Bus Driver
• Racheal McKnight, School Nurse at South
• Sarah Patin, Cross Categorical Paraprofessional at MS
• Guillermo Gourdin, Bus Driver
• Samathia Lewis, ECSE Paraprofessional at North
• Ashley Rohwer-Baird, ECSE Paraprofessional at Transportation
• Amanda Williams, Float Nurse
• Mary Newby, 2nd Grade Teacher at Central
• Amelia Hansen, 7 Hour Nutrition Services at East
• Amanda Olmsted, 2nd Shift Custodian at South
• MorissaLyn Allen, EBS Paraprofessional at WOHE
• Angela Dugger, ECSE Paraprofessional at North
• Brianne Krigbaum, Essential Skills Paraprofessional at HS
• Cayden Jarvis, ECSE Paraprofessional at North

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of our team!

Board Meeting Recording

To view a recording of the August 22, 2024 Board of Education meeting, click here.

Upcoming Meetings

The next board meeting will be a Study Session held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Open session will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the District Office Training Room.