STE. GENEVIEVE – This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s Dec. 19, 2023, Regular Meeting. This is an unofficial record.
The official Board Minutes are posted on the district website and are located on BoardDocs.
The video of the meeting can be found on the district’s Youtube Channel, SGDragonsTV.
MSBA MONTHLY REPORT
The MSBA December Report looks at some of the highlights of the 2023 MSBA Annual Conference. MSBA President Ruth Johnson, ABC News Veteran John Quinones, and 2024 Missouri Teacher of the Year Greg Kester all shared stories of the power of public education and the importance of school board service.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Board members and administrators listen to concerns and respond when appropriate by mail or telephone at a later date. The Board does not respond within the meeting to those who come to offer public comment. In order to speak during public participation, a Public Comment Form must be filled out and submitted to the Board President prior to the beginning of the meeting. See Policy BDDH-1: Public Participation at Board Meetings for guidelines and procedures.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
Annual School Board Election.
The annual Board of Education election to be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, to fill two three-year terms as directors of the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education. The expiring terms for Board members are Mrs. Geralyn Diesel and Mr. David Bova.
Qualified applicants for the Board may file a declaration of candidacy during regular business hours in the superintendent’s office. According to Board policy and state law, a candidate shall file their intent to become a candidate in person and in writing. Filing will begin on Dec. 5, 2023, at 8 a.m. and will end on Dec. 26, 2023, at 5 p.m. ln between these dates and times, candidates may file during regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Filing will not occur on Dec. 25, and on days the District Office is closed due to inclement weather.
Documents necessary to file as a candidate for the Board may be secured, in person, at the superintendent’s office, which is located at 375 North Fifth Street in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
The names of the qualified candidates shall be placed on the ballot in order of filing as identified in SG R-ll Board Policy BBB-1: School Board Elections. You can visit our website at www.sgdragons.org or call 573-883-4500 ext. 2004 for additional information. See MSBA Board Candidate Resources here.
Kindergarten Registration.
Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year will take place on the following dates and times.
● SGE – Saturday, March 2, 2024 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
● BLE – Saturday, March 23, 2024, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, to schedule appointments.
Backpacks for Friday Program.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard presented an overview of the Backpacks for Friday program for the 2023-2024 school year, an initiative that provides basic food staples to 50 needy families. The District partners with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank to organize the program, which is funded through donations from community organizations, local businesses and residents. These donations are a vital contribution, as these partnerships assist us in the fight against hunger here in our community. This year, the district maintained 55 backpacks at $280 apiece. One backpack provides 36 weeks of healthy, nutritious food.
Dr. McClard shared a special thanks to: the counselors, Mrs. Jesika Greminger, Mrs. Amy Rowland and Mrs. Audra Kingery, who help to determine the number of backpacks needed at their buildings and who help coordinate the program; the students in the STARS program, as well as Mr. Jon Robinson, Mr. Joseph Hull, and Mrs. Joann Grein, who help organize and transport the monthly shipments; and our Maintenance Department who help to coordinate delivery. This year, 21 backpacks were placed at Bloomsdale Elementary, which has an enrollment of 320 students, and 34 backpacks were placed at Ste. Genevieve Elementary, which has an enrollment of 535 students.
Ste. Genevieve County R-II would like to share a heartfelt thank you to the following donors: Alumni Group of 24th Judicial Circuit Treatment Court, American Legion Post 150, Basler Funeral Home, Ms. Elaine Belovich, Beta Rho, Bloomsdale Bank, Bloomsdale Excavating, Brockmiller Construction Inc., CE Contracting, Inc., Citizens Electric Corporation, Equipment Pro Inc., Fallert Bus Service, First Baptist Church of Ste. Genevieve, Flieg’s Equipment Inc., Holcim, the Kozy/Dew Drop Inn, L.J. Hart & Company, L’Hoist North America, Mr. & Mrs. Bobby & Rebecca Latempt, Lost Acres Antique Tractor Club Inc., Ms. Donna Marler, Mississippi Lime Company, MRV Bank, R & K Excavation, Inc., River Hills Thunderin’ Longbeards, Rotary Club of Ste. Genevieve, Mr. Rick Rudloff & Ms. Carol Steiger, Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Teresa Slough, S T Gear & Machine LLC, Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital – Medical Staff, Ste. Genevieve Eagles Aerie & Auxiliary 4336, Ste. Genevieve Elks Lodge 2674, Ste. Genevieve Vision Care, University of Missouri Extension Council, the Weingarten Jaycees, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve, Women’s Horseshoe Legion Team #1, and the Zell Area Jaycees.
Anyone who would like more information about the Backpacks for Friday program or learn how to make a contribution, please contact:
Dr. Lance McClard
SG R-II Assistant Superintendent
573-883-4500 ext. 2006
Principal Reports.
Building principals and students reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.
Review of Standardized Test Scores and Annual Performance Report.
On Dec. 18, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the statewide Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the 2022-23 school year. The APR is a component of the latest version of DESE’s school accountability system, the Missouri School Improvement Program 6. MSIP6 outlines expectations for schools regarding practices and outcomes, and sets the goal of having students graduate with a framework to be successful in college, career and life. These measures are then combined to create the APR, which measures students’ and school districts’ progress toward standards.
The 2023 APR is the second APR generated under the newest iteration of MSIP 6 and will be used for
accreditation purposes for school districts once the 2024 APR data is released and three years of data are available to support those determinations. However, because our district is a member of the Success-Ready Students Network, we have been approved for an innovation waiver that allows us to pilot an alternative, growth-based student assessment and ultimately, implement a better accountability system. This means that while we will still administer the MAP and EOCs, they will not affect our accreditation while the waiver is in effect.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard then reviewed the district’s standardized test scores. Dr. McClard pointed out that we will delve into the APR in-depth at the January Board of Education meeting. There are two categories within the APR: status, and growth. This month, Dr. McClard focused on the status portion and presented our ACT, MAP and EOC data. He pointed out that in every area, we outpaced the state, and in many subjects, we widened the gap between our scores and the state’s. He stressed that this is the second APR generated under MSIP6, and the measurements now include a rather ambiguous growth measure that was not present last year. As a result, our district’s overall APR percentage has decreased from last year, which is the case for a large percentage of high-performing school districts.
“As you can see from our test data below, we have shown tremendous growth when looking at our scores, so it is important to remember that you can tell a different story with the same data, and that is the case here,” Dr. McClard said. “The term “growth” within the new APR is really a comparison, a ranking system among districts, not what the average person would think as ‘you started here, you are now here, and we can see the growth.’ We see advancement of our scores from last year, we are above the state average in every category, and have widened the gap comparatively in most areas between our scores and the state scores. The important takeaway is that we are showing improvement in student scores and that what our teachers are doing is effective for students. They should be commended, because our scores are a result of the dedication, expertise and hard work of our faculty and staff.”
ACT Data:
● Overall, the ACT test scores have increased. The composite superscore for 2022-2023, which is the best score a student has earned at any point taking the ACT) is 20.1, up from 19.4 the previous year.
● The high school also offers the ACT WorkKeys, an alternative way to assess students who plan to enter a career tech field or other vocation following high school graduation. This test provides a type of industry standard for workforce readiness, and offers students a more meaningful assessment. This test means that students can strive to be more intentional in their fields of interest.
An overview of the MAP Performance Index Scores is below. On the whole, our scores were higher or slightly above the state averages. “In many areas, the distance between our scores and the state have increased, and state scores have been going up across the board, as well,” Dr. McClard said. “So that’s good news for Missouri and great news for the district.”
English Language Arts:
● Grades 3 through 8 all performed higher than the state average, with many grade levels outpacing the state more than the previous year.
● The high school English End of Course exam score was higher than the state average.
Math:
● Grades 3 through 8 all performed higher than the state average, and in each grade level, the scores are significantly higher than last year’s scores.
● The Algebra I and II End of Course exams both outpaced the state averages.
Science:
● Grades 5 and 8 both performed higher than the state average.
● The high school Biology End of Course exam score was slightly higher than the state average.
Social Studies:
● The high school Government End of Course exam score was slightly higher than the state average.
In addition to the annual MAP/EOC testing, our district also utilizes through-year NWEA testing in order to measure and assess student growth at multiple points during the school year. This provides our educators with the opportunity to impact student learning in real time. This supports our teachers and staff in helping students to take an active role in setting goals and working toward achieving them. The NWEA test aligns with the Missouri Learning Standards, as well as the district’s work in the Success-Ready Students Network.
There are several key considerations when reviewing the 2023 APR data in January: The 2023 APR can only be compared to the 2022 APR, as it is built upon a completely new metric system from years’ prior. The 2023 APR contains data from the 2022-2023 school year only, and it is only one of many data points — a snapshot— in evaluating a district’s programming at one given point in time. The new APR also does not measure the success and well-being of the whole child. Our district focuses on social-emotional learning, coping skills, prioritizing mental wellness, building confidence, and preparing students for success after graduation.
Safety Reports.
Safety drills from each building were reviewed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Prop SG Update.
Dr. Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects:
Ste. Genevieve Middle School: The construction of the elevator addition is coming along— the walls are up and covered, and crews have been working on HVAC installation.
Early Childhood Center:
● The footings and the foundations for the outer walls are being constructed.
● The district held the third and final bid opening for the Early Childhood Center on Thursday, Dec. 21.
This bid package is for the construction of the building. With this third bid opening, the total Early Childhood Center project is projected to cost just over $8 million, nearly $250,000 less than originally projected by the district’s Construction Manager At-Risk, (CMAR).
Instructional Program Presentation — Middle School Art.
Rebecca Keim, art teacher from Ste. Genevieve Middle School, presented an overview of the art programming at SGMS. This is Mrs. Keim’s fifth year teaching at SGMS, and she teaches four different art classes: Art I, Art II, Art III, and Play Production / Design. Each unit in her classes is designed similarly so that the students know what to expect: an ungraded pre-quiz, an interactive Google Slide presentation, and a post-quiz with the same questions asked in the pre-quiz to assess a student’s learning progress. Following is a project demonstration, where the students learn how to use the materials, or the actual project, where they apply what they have learned, or a combination of both.
● Her Art I class provides a fine motor skills baseline and includes an introduction to watercolors and color blending, as well as using lines to create movement.
● In Art II, students build upon the principles of Art I and then learn about motion, repetition, scale and proportion and more.
● By Art III, the students have built a foundation of principles and have applied what they have learned to various projects. During this course, Mrs. Keim helps them to submit projects for local art contests, some of which include Art Blooms, Inclusive Art Show, VFW Auxiliary Illustrating America Art Contest, The United States Courts Seventh and Eighth Circuits Constitution Day Art Contest, Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest, Wildlife Forever Songbird Art Contest, St. Louis Kaplan Holocaust Museum Art & Writing Contest, and the Mineral Area Art Show. She invited the Board members and the community to attend the upcoming Inclusive Art Show on Friday, March 22, from 6 – 9 p.m. The theme of this year’s show is Cosmic Kaleidoscope: Out of this World Inclusion.
● Mrs. Keim co-teaches Play Production / Design with Mrs. Carla Basler. This includes lighting design, sound design, costume, prop, set and playbill design. The students in Mrs. Keim’s class learn how to use the light board and its different channels and slides, as well as the soundboard. They are then in charge of doing light and sound during performances.
MUSIC – Property, Liability & Workers Compensation Insurance.
The Board approved the renewal assessment rate with Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC) for $350,763. MUSIC Executive Director Ron Orr shared a 2024 MUSIC update for members, explaining that over the past year, members suffered larger-than-normal losses, with MUSIC paying out approximately $41 million. About 13 of these losses were $500,000 or more, and were a result of extreme weather events, including spring storms, freezes and flash flooding. Mr. Orr explained that the 2024 budget is based on these recent losses, and that MUSIC is planning for the worst but remains hopeful that the weather events will return to normal levels.
These larger payouts from 2023 depleted a good portion of the fund balance, and MUSIC is revising its pricing for the first time in more than 15 years. Each year, rising payrolls and building values lead to a rate increase of about 6%, which is typical. In order to begin replenishing the fund balance, MUSIC is increasing the rate another 14%, for a total anticipated rate increase of 20%. Mr. Orr explained that these projections are built on conservative assumptions, but that MUSIC intends to be fully transparent, and these changes will protect members in the years to come.
NEW BUSINESS
No new business.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Regularly Scheduled Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2023, at 6:30 p.m