STE. GENEVIEVE — This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s Dec. 17, 2024, Regular Meeting.
A district official stated. “This is an unofficial record. The official Board Minutes are posted on the district website and are located on BoardDocs, linked here. The video of the meeting can be found on the district’s Youtube Channel, SGDragonsTV.”
MSBA MONTHLY REPORT
The MSBA December Report includes: a look at how Artificial Intelligence continued its integration into classrooms in 2024; perspectives from a board member, a teacher, an administrator, and students on how to navigate this ever-changing landscape; and information about tools and resources available to help stay current on AI advancements, and dates on upcoming key events.
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 8, 2025, 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. Jamie Ballew and Mr. Josh Gettinger.
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. 10, 2024, at 8 a.m. and will end on Dec. 31, 2024, 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 4 p.m. Filing will not occur: Dec. 24 (noon to 4 p.m.) Dec. 25 (all day), Dec. 26 (all day), 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 2025-2026 school year will take place on the following dates and times.
- SGE – Saturday, March 1, 2025 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- BLE – Saturday, March 15, 2025, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, to schedule appointments.
Update on Elementary Tier II / III Program.
The new Elementary Tier II / III program focuses on structured interventions to assist students with behavioral challenges. This program is divided into Tier II and Tier III classrooms, providing targeted strategies, resources, and spaces to foster academic and social-emotional success.
Tier II Classes: Megan Williams at Ste. Genevieve Elementary and Stephanie Rayoum at Bloomsdale Elementary discussed how their Tier II classrooms focus on early intervention and scheduled supports to help students manage behavior. Areas of focus for these classrooms include practicing thoughtful decision-making, impulse control, and communication. Key features of these Tier II classrooms include:
- Reflection and Intervention Rooms: Quiet spaces for completing work, taking tests, or scheduled breaks.
- Scaffolding Support: Positive reinforcement strategies to help students transition back into the general education classroom full-time.
- Student Progress:
- 14 general education students and 3 special education students currently benefit from Tier II interventions.
- Significant improvement in social skills, peer connections, and self-regulation during unstructured times (e.g., lunch and recess).
- Decreased discipline referrals and escalations; scheduled breaks have increased.
- Teacher Support: Immediate assistance and additional resources provided to teachers. Regular collaboration with behavior coaches enhances overall effectiveness.
Tier III Class: Jennifer Est at Ste. Genevieve Elementary shared how her class operates as a close-knit, family-like environment that prioritizes safety, emotional regulation, and academic growth. Key features of these Tier III classroom includes:
- Student Success: Currently supporting 4 students, with 8 expected next semester. Three students have begun transitioning back into specials, lunch, recess, and academics with peers.
- Academic Improvement: Students participated in NWEA testing twice and demonstrated academic growth.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): SEL is integrated into daily routines, not treated as a separate curriculum. Activities include:
- “Breath of the Week,” focusing on mindfulness practices.
- Daily check-ins: “Bud and Thorn,” where students share challenges (thorns) and solutions, as well as positives to maintain an optimistic outlook.
- Weekly focuses on emotions and character traits to develop self-awareness and empathy.
- Physical and Organizational Skills: Daily movement breaks (e.g., yoga, trampoline) and end-of-day jobs foster focus and responsibility.
She shared that over this semester, some of the outcomes they have seen are an improved ability to attend special events, such as field trips and assemblies, and an enhanced academic and emotional growth through consistent SEL practices and supportive transitions.
Program Impact: The Tiered Support Program has successfully created structured, nurturing environments where students can build essential behavioral, social, and academic skills. By fostering strong connections, self-regulation, and positive decision-making, the program has led to fewer behavioral incidents and increased success both inside and outside the classroom.
Our elementary principals shared their support for the program, expressing gratitude for the backing provided by the Board. They emphasized the noticeable impact on classroom instruction, noting a reduction in disruptions caused by dysregulated students. They highlighted how the program effectively addresses varying student needs, helping some students re-regulate and return to class quickly while providing others with the higher level of support they require. Overall, the principals noted that the program has positively transformed the learning environment, allowing both teachers and students to focus on growth and success.
Principal Reports.
Building principals and students reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.
Standardized Test Score Review.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard discussed the recent release of the 2024 Annual Performance Report (APR), which introduces a significant shift in school performance reporting. While the traditional APR provides performance scores for most school districts, the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN) has launched an alternative APR for 20 proactive school districts, including Ste. Genevieve County R-II. This alternative model, approved by the State Board of Education, seeks to align assessment and accountability to promote personalizing learning and real world learning opportunities in ways that support every student in being high school, college, career and workplace ready.
Dr. McClard shared that as part of the 2024 alternate APR draft, each of these districts has created a descriptive dashboard that blends performance data with narrative content to explain results in detail. These alternate APRs are designed to provide a view of our district’s performance in the context of personalized learning and competency-based education. He provided an overview of our SG R-II dashboard.
Dr. McClard also explained the key differences between the traditional and alternative APR:
- Purpose and Approach:
- Traditional APR: Measures school districts’ performance primarily through numerical indicators.
- Alternative APR: Focuses on a personalized, competency-based learning system that includes both data and descriptive narratives. This model emphasizes context and interpretation for a comprehensive view of school districts/charter schools’ performance.
- Structure:
- Traditional APR: Presents a summary score that reflects school districts/charter schools compliance with state-set performance standards.
- S-RS Continuous Improvement System: Uses dashboards that combine performance data with narrative content to explain results in detail, making it easier for readers to understand school districts/charter schools specific strengths and growth areas.
- Impact on MSIP Design:
- The work by these 20 school districts will help shape the next Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) iteration.
- The reimagined alternative APR shifts its focus toward student-centered learning by prioritizing student growth and mastery of content over traditional presentations of performance metrics.
Dr. McClard wrapped up the presentation by explaining that although the districts within the SRSN have received the innovation waiver, we still administer the state tests and are still provided an APR; however, this waiver freezes our status and allows us to implement the alternative APR. He pointed out that SG R-II is above the state on every standardized test in the 2024 APR.
Safety Reports.
Safety drills from each building were reviewed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Prop SG Update.
Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects:
Plaques:
- The plaques for the BLE and SGMS additions have arrived and will be placed over break.
Ste. Genevieve Elementary:
- Crews have been working on exterior framing.
- Gymnasium:
- Most of the ductwork is in place in the gymnasium.
- Crews have been installing the rough-in for the gymnasium lights and units.
- The architects are finishing up plans for the gymnasium floor.
- The sprinkler system in the gymnasium is complete.
- Iron masters have been setting structural steel.
- The vestibule masonry is complete and ready for beams.
- Glass doors and windows are in and will be installed soon.
Early Childhood Center:
- Crews have begun polishing the floors in the clear-story hallway and classrooms.
- Crews are tying in sanitary, installing the drop ceiling, and laying tile and placing flooring.
- Casework for the classrooms is expected to arrive mid-December.
- Epoxy is being poured in the kitchen space and outside of the bathrooms.
Athletic / Wrestling Facility:
- A preliminary floor plan of the building can be viewed here. While this appears to be the most practical placement, challenges related to significant drop-offs in some areas are expected. This will likely require substantial dirt work and the construction of a retaining wall.
- The facility will consist of two buildings connected by a walkway or corridor. One building will house the turf area, and the other will include space for wrestling.
- The shot-put, discus, and pole vault areas will need to be relocated. After discussing with the track coaches and Dr. Jeff Nix, our Athletic Director, it has been determined that work will begin in January to avoid waiting until May.
- The pole vault area will be repositioned to run parallel with the long jump, while the shot-put and discus areas will be moved near the javelin location.
- Work on these updates is beginning now, with the goal of having them completed before the start of track season.
Instructional Program Presentation — High School Pride / Credit Recovery.
At-Risk teacher Jay Pope presented an overview of all of the learning activities offered to students through the PRIDE and Credit Recovery programming at SGHS. Students are referred for this program if they are struggling with classwork or are in need of an interventional support to get them on track. These referrals are made for students who do not qualify for special education services, and are made through grade level meetings. This program ensures that students who do not qualify for special education services but still require an intervention receive the support they need.
- PRIDE functions as a resource class where each student receives individualized support, whether it’s extra time, a quiet space to decompress, or specialized assistance in subjects like math. The goal is to address specific educational challenges while building essential life skills for the workplace and community. Teachers collaborate to monitor grades, identify areas of deficiency, and equip students with strategies to stay on track, such as managing assignments, communicating effectively with teachers, and fostering motivation.
- Credit Recovery and Basic Skills allow students to take two classes during the same hour, earning half a credit for each, to recover or gain credits they need to graduate on time. This program is especially valuable for students transferring from other states whose credits might not align with SGHS requirements. By providing this opportunity, the school ensures that students can graduate alongside their peers.
- Dragon Fire Leadership is another key initiative, designed to instill leadership skills in students. This program focuses on preparing seniors for life after high school by teaching marketable skills and exploring what leadership means to them.
MUSIC – Property, Liability & Workers Compensation Insurance.
The Board approved the renewal assessment rate with Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC) for $472,290. Dr. Taylor shared a MUSIC update, noting that the challenges posed by extreme weather events over the past year, along with nationwide pressures driving insurance rates upward, are being felt here in Missouri, as well. As a self-funded risk pool, MUSIC is directly impacted when claims rise, which ultimately affects all members.
In 2024, claims expenses are projected to reach $176 million—more than double what they were in 2018. MUSIC currently spends 98% of its budget directly on claims (different from a private insurer, which also has profit, shareholder and commission objectives to meet).
Given the extreme storm season and increasing claims, MUSIC’s Board set preliminary rates in early May. A district’s assessment is determined by two primary factors: the rates established by the Board and changes to each district’s exposures, including payroll, building values, the number of buses, and workers’ compensation. These exposures fluctuate annually, which in turn impacts assessments each year.
Looking ahead to 2025, district’s expect an average increase of approximately 29%, a figure slightly higher than the 26% overall increase experienced in 2024.
NEW BUSINESS
Annual Audit.
The Board of Education approved the Annual Audit for the 2024-2025 school year, which was presented by Mrs. Rheanna Greer from Beussink, Hey, Roe & Stroder, L.L.C. Mrs. Greer shared that the annual independent auditor’s report states that all financial statements reviewed, in all material respects, fairly represent the respective financial activities, and each major fund, of the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District as of June 30, 2024. The district received an “unmodified opinion,” or a clean opinion.
Bid – Fire Protection Services.
The Board approved the fire protection bid from Marmic Fire & Safety Co, Inc., for a 3-year contract beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Regularly Scheduled Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.