Board of Education Meeting - Thursday, June 20, 2024

Presentations to Board of Education

Baseball - State Champions

Activities Director Colt Blair, Head Baseball Coach Scott McGee, and several baseball players represented our Willard Baseball Team as they were recognize for their accomplishments in the 2023-2024 season. Our Willard Baseball Tigers are the Class 5 State Champions for the second time in four years! The Tigers finished the year 34-5, which breaks the school record for most wins in a season. We are so proud!

Facilities Committee

At the beginning of the school year, the Willard School District formed a facilities committee to develop a comprehensive ten-year long-range report for district facilities. To gather initial feedback, a survey was distributed to staff, students, families, and the Willard community, asking for their insights and identifying their needs. This committee, which consists of 25 members—including staff, board members, parents, and community representatives—spent the school year conducting site visits at all district buildings and facilities.  

After completing these visits, committee members completed surveys to share their observations and suggestions. From this feedback, a list of common themes emerged, highlighting key projects. The projects were outlined in a survey that was shared with staff and community members seeking input on which projects should be prioritized over the next 10 years, based on available resources and bonding capacity.

Several members represented the facilities committee to present the report to the board for future planning.

Administration Reports

Dr. Eric Wilken

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Eric Wilken, provided an update to the board regarding Health Insurance. Twelve of the 14 schools in the consortium are running at over 100% loss ratio. The Willard District is running at 131% loss ratio. Show Me Benefits Consortium is charging each district an Administration Fee to build up reserves, which will cost the district $18,000 month.

Dr. Wilken mentioned that Missouri Senator Jill Carter is conducting a Summer Jobs Tour and visited one of our Summer Discovery elementary classes last week.

Lastly, Dr. Wilken provided a financial update. He presented the board with the four potential levy transfer options, which are pictured below. The board will continue discuss over the next few months.

Dr. Josh Ladd

Assistant Superintendent of Academics, Dr. Josh Ladd, provided the board with an update on the PLC Lead Forward Conference. The district sent 27 participants to sessions focused on developing instructional toolkits, intervention strategies, formative assessments, climate and culture, and more!

Dr. Ladd also presented district-wide discipline data. Overall student discipline is down 21% district-wide, in large part due to MTSS procedures.

Cathy Shoup

Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Cathy Shoup, informed the board that the district was awarded a Bobbi Allison Foundation Grant in which the district will receive $66,000 to hire a new School Resource Officer. WCCF was awarded $55,000 from the grant as well, which will cover playground improvements.

Cathy also updated the board on bus inspections. The district Transportation Department scored above the state average on bus inspections. The district received an approval rate of 95.8%, above the statewide average, which is 88.5%. Only 4.2% of district buses were defective, below the statewide average of 7.9%. None of the district's buses were out of service, which is below the statewide average of 3.6%.

Cathy provided an update on current bond projects. The district received bids for North Elementary and the Middle School, which were over budget. District administration is working with Paragon to adjust the blueprints to get closer to the bond budget.

The High School safe room addition is progressing well, with flooring installation underway. The flooring in the restrooms has been completed, and work is ongoing in the locker rooms, where lockers are being installed.

At Central, the project is moving quickly towards an end-of-July completion. The classroom additions are nearing completion, and preparations are being made to move things into the classrooms. The boys' and girls' restrooms are now complete.



At South, the administrative office construction is advancing, with substantial completion targeted for August. The stage area is awaiting acoustic panels, and the classroom addition is making excellent progress.

Program Updates

Activities

Activities Director, Colt Blair, came back to present the board with an overview of our second semester activities and athletics programs. Willard Public Schools offers 19 different MSHSAA activities for our students. Colt shared an overview of the Central Ozark Conference realignment, which will go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year. Below is a breakdown of the conference:

Colt also shared some interesting statistics surrounding students who participated in activities/athletics in the 2023-2024 School Year:

• 751 students participated in MSHSAA Athletics/Activities at WHS (533 students did not participate)
• Average GPA of students who participated in athletics/activities is 3.28 vs 2.64 of those who did not participate
• Average attendance of students who participated in athletics/activities was 96.7% vs 93.8% of those who did not participate
• 67 total discipline events of students who participated in athletics/activities vs 178 discipline events of students who did not participate

Colt provided highlights from each of our Spring athletics and activities, including Baseball, Track & Field, Boys Tennis, Theatre, Boys Golf, Tigerettes, Girls Soccer, Speech & Debate, Choir, Jazz Bands, and Archery.

Our Willard Baseball team were COC, District, and State Champions! Boys Wrestling, Theatre, Softball, and Speech & Debate were District Champions. Our Theatre Department are State Champions as well! Congratulations to these students and coaches for an incredible year. You represent us well!

MTSS/Success

Dr. Ladd presented the board an update on the MTSS/Success program. He went over the three tiers of support and discussed goals of the program moving forward, which include the possibility of integrating Tier 2 supports at the High School level.

Strategic Planning

We highlight one of our 11 Smart Goals at each Board Meeting throughout the school year. Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Shannon Cuff, presented on the following SMART Goal and Strategies.

SMART Goal: The Superintendent’s designee will create a task force to collaboratively develop a Portrait of a Graduate (POG) with multiple stakeholder groups throughout the district.

Strategies:

1. Review goals, stakeholder feedback and vision for Portrait of a Graduate.
2. Develop a timeline of meetings with agenda.
3. Develop a written plan of action and implementation.
4. Explore POG work of local districts.
5. Research 21st Century competencies and future-ready workforce skills.
6. Develop the Willard School District’s Portrait of a Graduate.

Business Items

FY24 - Adjust Budget to Actual



Executive Director of Business and Finance, Chasity Daniels, presented the projected 2023-2024 balances, and the board voted to approve.

*Amounts listed above are projected year-end actuals with ending balances for June 30, 2024. Fiscal year 2024 financials will be finalized for the annual ASBR submission to DESE in August 2024 and audited financials will be presented by December 31, 2024. 

2024-2025 Budget



Executive Director of Business and Finance, Chasity Daniels, presented the board with budget plans for FY24-25. The proposed budget adoption calls for total revenues of $63,364,656 and total expenditures of $63,194,559, excluding bond.

Local Funding

Local funding supports approximately 54% of the total budget. Assessed Valuation for FY24 is $558,686,919. Estimated FY25 Assessed Valuation is $572,654,092, for a net change of $13,967,173 (2.5%). FY2025 estimated assessed valuation is based on 2.5% increase for Real Estate and Personal Property. Final assessed valuation data is received from Greene County in August to set the District Levy by September 1st each year.

The total levy for FY24 is 4.1284, which includes an Operating Levy at 2.8563 and a Debt Service Levy at 1.2721. The projected FY25 levy is 4.1284 (no change), which includes an Operating levy at 2.8569 ( + .0006) and a Debt Service Levy at 1.2715 ( - .0006)

State Funding

State funding supports approximately 39% of the total budget. The state formula indicators include State Adequacy Target, Proposition C, and the Classroom Trust Fund. Transportation is expected to be fully funded.

Federal Funding

Federal funding supports approximately 7% of the total budget. This includes:

• School Nutrition Services
• Title Programs
• Title I
• Title II.A
• Title III
• Title IV.A
• ROTC
• Special Education
• IDEA
• ECSE
• Medicaid
• High Needs Fund
• Assistive Technology

The budget has been constructed under the assumption that the Board of Education will elect to set the Operating Levy at $2.8569 and the Debt Service Levy at $1.2715. This would keep the total levy unchanged from the previous year at $4.1284. Levies will be officially set by the Board at the August 2023 Tax Levy Hearing.

The board voted to approve the proposed budget.

2024-2025 Meal Prices

The board voted to approve the 2024-2025 Meal Prices, pictured below:

2024-2025 Student Handbooks

The board was presented the 2024-2025 Student Handbooks. The board had a few clarifying questions and will vote to approve the handbooks at the July meeting.

2024-2025 Certified & Classified Staff Handbooks

The board was presented and voted to approve the 2024-2025 Certified and Classified Handbooks.

MSBA Policy Update

The board was presented two updated board policies which include:

• EHBD Artificial Intelligence Use
• JFCI:2 Student Alcohol and Drug Testing

MSBA spearheaded the policy updates and the Willard District formulated committees to recommend the adoption of both policies to the board. The policies will be up for approval at the July meeting.

Job Description Update

The board voted to approve the updated TigerTALES administrative assistant position to include Communication Specialist duties.

Surplus

The board voted to approve the following surplus items:



• Climbing Wall
• 5 Chairs
• Table and Chairs
• Old Cheer Uniforms
• Curriculum - Calkins and Linda Hoyt Read Alouds
• Tables
• Water Fountain

2024-2025 District Calendar

Missouri lawmakers recently passed legislation that will impact our school calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Senate Bill 727, effective August 28, mandates that, "school districts in charter counties or cities with over 30,000 residents must hold a school term of at least 169 days." While our local population does not meet this threshold, our district boundaries extend into Springfield, which does. Consequently, under the new law, the Willard School District must adhere to a 169-day school year. 

Our previously approved 2024-2025 school calendar already meets this requirement with 169 school days for students. However, our plans were to not make up any canceled days due to inclement weather. With the new legislation, all days will either need to be made up or treated as an Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI) day. 

In case of inclement weather, the current plan is to first use all available AMI days. If closures extend beyond nine days, the district will then begin using designated makeup days.

The first day of school remains unchanged for August 19, 2024, and building start times will remain consistent with the 2023-2024 school year. These updates are reflected in the revised 2024-2025 school calendar, approved by the Board of Education on June 20, accessible here.

We will continue to seek guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as we navigate the ongoing implications of this legislation. Further details will be shared as they become available.

New Hires

The Board of Education voted to approve the following hires at the May 16th meeting.

• Brandon Emmert, PE/Health Teacher at MS
• Candis Shaw, MS Speech and Debate Sponsor
• Judy Marble, 2nd Shift Custodian at North
• Chanda Thomas, 2nd Shift Custodian at MS
• Sarah Reynolds, 6th Grade ELS/SS Teacher at WIS-N
• Amanda George, Secretary at East
• Brandon Emmert, MS Assistant Track Coach, and MS 8th Grade Girls Assistant Basketball Coach
• Madilyne Page, 7th Grade Volleyball Coach
• Midge Gauntt, Cross Categorical Teacher at Central
• Brandon Ridder, Spring Conditioning
• Karah Compton, Cross Categorical Paraprofessional at WIS-N
• Tyler Gardner, PC Technician
• Robin Taylor, Secretary at MS

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

Board Meeting Recording

To view a recording of the June 20, 2024 Board of Education meeting, click here.

Upcoming Meetings

The next board meeting will be a Study Session held on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Open session will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the District Office Training Room.