Ste. Gen R-II releases ‘Board Briefs’ from recent school board meeting

STE, GENEVIEVE – The Ste. Genevieve County School District R-II has released this report of its school board meeting held May 20.

This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s May 20, 2025, Regular meeting. 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 May Board Report takes a look at the upcoming MSBA training opportunities available to members of all experience levels. In addition, this includes a preview of the Summer Summit and a sneak peek of an exciting event in Neosho.

The MSBA Board Report is a short monthly video featuring the latest news from MSBA and about public education in Missouri. The program is designed to be shown during local school board meetings.

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

SGHS Graduation — Class of 2025

Graduation was held on Saturday, May 10, at 8 p.m. in the Peggy J. Johnson Gymnasium. Approximately 122 students participated in the Graduation Ceremony, and 125 out of 127 students received their diplomas. Two remaining seniors are scheduled to earn their final credits this summer.

Scholarship Recipient — MSBA FutureBuilders Student Scholarship.

Each year, the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s FutureBuilders Foundation awards $18,500 in scholarships to students around the state. The goal is to celebrate the successes of our public schools and to recognize the achievements of both students and school leaders in Missouri. Students are nominated by their district based on their community involvement, academic achievement, and leadership.

Congratulations to 2025 graduate Ainsley McClard, who was the 2024-2025 SG R-II nominee and was chosen as a recipient of this $1,000 scholarship. This year, more than 200 districts submitted nominations for the scholarship and regional winners had one of the most competitive scholarship fields MSBA has ever judged. Dr. John Boyd pointed out that every year, SGHS nominates a student for the scholarship, but this is the first time in at least seven years that an SGHS student has been chosen for this recognition.

Principal Reports.

Each building principal reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

MSBA Full Maintenance Service Agreement.

The Board approved the annual School Boards’ Association (MSBA) Full Maintenance Service Agreement, effective May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026. This annual membership includes an online system for the Board’s policies and administrative procedures.

Prop SG Update.

Superintendent Dr. Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects.

Early Childhood:

The Early Childhood Center is under construction, with a floor plan of 10 classrooms, as well as a kitchen, multipurpose room, and more.
See some recent construction progress photos here.
Asphalt and concrete work are nearing completion, and curbs are finished.
Playground equipment installation is complete, with pour-in-place to follow.
Training has been completed on the kitchen appliances and equipment.
Water damage from the leak has been fixed.
To address any potential runoff associated with the Center on the district-owned property, crews will be installing a detention basin that would accommodate the current center (and possible future expansion).
Classroom furniture is in! Each classroom teacher was able to choose pieces from a given selection, making each classroom unique while all keeping a unified feel.
Taylor mentioned that questions have popped up regarding additional traffic from the Early Childhood Center on the narrow streets near the drop-off and pick-up times for Ste. Genevieve Elementary. He mentioned that the parking lot was configured in order to alleviate as much traffic from the road as possible during drop-off and pick-up times, as well as to keep the personal vehicles in an area away from the Early Childhood Special Education bus loading and unloading area. In addition, many families will utilize the aftercare service and won’t be picking up their child around the same time as school lets out. He also reminded everyone that the first few weeks of school are always a challenge with timing, drop-off and pick-up. Families are excited for their students and want to see their kids off to school, and this year will be no different. However, families and bus routes start to get into a routine a few weeks in, and the district will address any issues as they arise.
See this bird’s-eye view of the parking lot and building.
The new center is scheduled to open for the 2025-2026 school year, and continues to accept preschool applications for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. Click here to apply.
Summer school for Early Childhood will begin June 17.
The July 22, 2025 Board of Education Regular meeting will be the first meeting to be held at the Early Childhood Center.
We’ll be looking at possible dates for a ribbon-cutting event and tours for this summer.

Ste. Genevieve Elementary:

The design of Ste. Genevieve Elementary’s new gym and on-grade, ADA-accessible entrance with offices can be seen here.

Measurements have been made for the green metal panel installations at the entrance.
Flooring systems are underway with tile in the bathrooms and vinyl for the office floors. Epoxy floors have been installed in the bathrooms.
Flooring in the new gym addition has commenced, with the sub floor being installed.
Crews are working on lighting in the corridor area and vestibule.
Renovation of the old gymnasium has begun, and this area will become two classrooms for the upcoming school year.
Kenzie Wolk will be designing and installing a mural in this space! More info to come.
This project is anticipated to be completed sometime in June.

Wrestling:

The most recent floor plan for the wrestling facility can be seen here, and includes a practice wrestling area, office and storage space, locker rooms and restrooms, and a golf simulation room, as well.
Plans are underway, with discussions among Taylor Engineering, KRJ Architects and Brockmiller about a retaining wall along the edge of the existing parking, the height of the foundation walls, fill and dirt, sloping along the back, etc.
The building will be situated parallel to the parking behind the PAC.
This project will go out to bid in the beginning of June.
The Ste. Genevieve Elementary addition is slated to be finished in June, when crews will hit the ground running on breaking ground on the wrestling facility.

Track & Field Lighting:

Pausing the athletic facility project until a large-enough alternative location could be identified has also allowed us to address additional Prop SG improvements. This includes investing in field lighting updates for both the downtown ball fields and the football field.

Over the last few weeks, the new lighting system from Musco has been installed along the football field. This purchase includes a 25-year warranty, and the inclusion of remote LED drivers, which allow for easier maintenance since the driver is housed at the bottom of the pole rather than at the top.
Previously, the football field lighting operated at 30 footcandles and is now upgraded to 50 footcandles. This significant improvement addressed the outdated and unreliable lighting systems, which include warped poles, aged wiring, and expensive bulb replacement and operational costs. The new lights come from the factory pre-aimed, based on our field’s specs and the measurements taken initially. Using a laser, installation crews point the lights to the 50-yard-line to dial them in. The result is an evenly illuminated field— no dark spots or inconsistent lighting.
This investment not only modernizes the district’s facilities but also reflects a commitment to long-term sustainability and safety.
Director of Athletics Dr. Jeff Nix and members of our Technology Department recently met to run through the lighting system’s capabilities (color changes, timed to music, etc.). We’re excited to get our activities rolling in the fall!

NEW BUSINESS

A+ Partnership Plan.

The Board approved the A+ Partnership Plan as presented. Ste. Genevieve High School Assistant Principal Mr. Dustin Schnable provided an overview of the A+ Partnership Program. This school year, 70 students were a part of the A+ program (up another 30 students from the previous year), with 11 of those students involved as cadets and interested in teaching. Thanks to programs like Dragons Den and Freshmen Mentors, and events like Kindergarten Registration, students work toward reaching their tutoring goals. This year, out of 127 students in the senior class, 56 seniors were involved in the A+ program, and 40 of those students graduated with A+ honors. This year, 41 juniors, 29 sophomores and 49 freshmen were involved, for a total of 175 students in the A+ program.

Food Service Price Adjustment for 2024-2025.

This year, following an onsite review, we were informed that we were calculating our adult meal prices incorrectly. For context, the school district provides our staff members with free breakfast and lunch. The cost of the adult meals are incurred by the district, and a one-time payment is made at the end of the school year. The finding mentioned does not impact the adult breakfast pricing— only the lunch pricing.

The District was operating with the understanding that we could only increase the adult meals by 10 cents per year, the same parameter as is in place for student meals. However, according to DESE, the commodities the district receives are only discounted for students, not for adults. In essence, the district must raise our adult meal prices based on the number of meals served to adults that school year. So, the district must adjust the adult lunch meal price for the previous school year, as well as the current school year below:

2023-2024 Adult Lunch Price: $3.60 up to $4.34
2024-2025 Adult Lunch Price: $3.70 up to $4.37

The added cost to the district is included below:

2023-2024 Adult Lunch Price Total: $92,537 up to $112,445; added cost of $15,778
2024-2025 Adult Lunch Price Total Through April: $87,133 up to $105,116; added cost of $13,359

*Again, this is a cost incurred by the district, not our staff members.

*The 2024-2025 cost is only through April.

In addition, we do not yet have the information from DESE to calculate student meal prices for the upcoming school year. We will share that information once we receive it.

Addition of a Special Education Teacher.

The Board approved the addition of a Special Education Teacher to be shared between our two elementary schools for the 2025-2026 school year. Director of Student Services Dr. Jami Drury explained that staff begin monitoring possible caseloads for the upcoming school year as early as February and March. In April, it was determined that there would be some staffing needs for the 2025-2026 school year looking at the number of students qualifying for services.

Budget Discussion.

Dr. Taylor prepared a high-level review of the 2024-2025 Budget, as well as considerations for the upcoming 205-2026 Budget.

2024-2025 Review:

TRANSPORTATION

At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, SG R-II integrated Transportation Services into district operations, taking on all associated expenses.
The prior contract with Fallert Bus Service was set to be $1,683,240 for 2024-2025, with a set increase to $1,723,800 in 2025-2026.

Our Transportation Department continues to work on efficiency and service. Transportation Director Ken Jones has jumped into his role this past year with enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of the transportation sector. At this point, two routes have been reduced by attrition.
It is the district’s hope that our budget for Transportation Services comes in near or under the prior contract amount. At the beginning of the school year, the original estimate was that the budget would be about $500,000 over, due to operational expenses.
Jones will provide a comprehensive update at the June Board of Education meeting, and the district will have final budget numbers for this school year’s Transportation Services at that time.

BASE SALARY INCREASES

Certified Staff:
- Base Salary increased to $44,000 for the 2024-2025 school year (a $1,500 increase)
Classified Staff:
- $1.00 increase to all classifications for the 2024-2025 school year (a minimum of $15.81)

WELLNESS

SG R-II Wellness Expo (New Initiative)
- 283 / 318 employees met the criteria to receive the Wellness Incentive (89%)
- District Investment through Wellness Incentive: $147,261
Motion Connected App Benchmarks
- Qualifying employees earned a monetary incentive via the app depending on their results at the end of the school year, which the district then matched.
- District Investment through Motion Connected Match: $40,300
Total District Investment in Wellness for 2024-2025: $187,561
Taylor pointed out that from the feedback we have received, as well as the engagement we saw from staff, the Wellness initiatives were well worth the investment, and we hope to continue these efforts next school year.

2025-2026 Considerations:

ADDITIONAL POSITIONS:

Special Education Teacher (split position between two elementary schools)
Additional Elementary Teacher (Bloomsdale Elementary)
Core Data / Food Service Position Split
- Core Data / Registrar
- Food Service Assistant
Launch of Early Childhood Center:
- 5 Classified Staff Members – Secretary, Parents as Teachers, Cook, Paraprofessional (2)
- 6 Certified – Director, Teacher (3), Process Coordinator / Psych Examiner, Nurse

TRANSPORTATION:

In the district’s 44-bus fleet, the oldest models are 2008 models, and the newest buses are 2014 models. Due to the age of the fleet, the district must begin the process of developing a new bus purchase plan and allocate for the purchase of several new buses each year.
For the 2025-2026 school year, the district plans to purchase four new buses (about $140,000 each).
Older models can be sold as surplus property, for approximately $27,500.
The district will explore the possibility of making this purchase as a lease-purchase over a five-year time period, and make a purchase of a few buses over the next few years to eventually update the entire fleet.

HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS

HSA 3300 – District Paid Health Plan will cost $612 per month per employee, or $7344 per year per employee.
This is a district-incurred expense, and an increase of about $100 per person per month over last year’s District Paid Health Plan.
This represents an increase of $380,000 over the prior year.

FOOD SERVICE COSTS

District-paid Breakfast & Lunch — The district must adjust the adult lunch meal price for the previous school year, as well as the current school year to align with DESE requirements. This represents a district investment of $120,000+ for the 2025-2026 school year (see above for more information.)

PROTESTED TAXES – FUNDS HELD IN ESCROW

Over the last several years, local mining entities (LafargeHolcim, MLC (previously Mississippi Lime) and Lhoist) have filed ongoing tax protests, where a large portion of tax minutes are being held in escrow rather than disbursed to the district and other taxing entities. See the breakdown of funds that would be received by Ste. Genevieve County R-II that are currently held in escrow below:

“We would be able to lower our tax rate for every taxpayer in our community,” Dr. Taylor said. “This is something significant that we haven’t been able to do because of these tax protests by these mining entities.” Dr. Taylor mentioned that he has been working with County Collector Lisa Marschel and Assessor Linda Wagner to ensure that these figures are updated as they are calculated each year. Over the last several years, district administrators have worked to increase our fund balances in anticipation of future financial challenges, in light of these ongoing tax protests. In addition, the district’s approach must again remain conservative as we plan for ongoing and potential additional costs associated with these protests.

Legal Fees: In addition, the district receives approximately 75% of local taxes. If the appeal makes its way through the court system, the legal fees for the district could be in the $3 to $4.5 million range. The legal fees the district has paid to date regarding these tax protests totals approximately $716,762. See the breakdown by fiscal year below:

FY24 – $176,534
FY23 – $226,653
FY22 – $242,064
FY21 – $57,130
FY20 – $14,381
Total: $716,762

**NOTE: These totals are only the funds that would be received by Ste. Genevieve County R-II— they do not include the portion of the taxes being held in escrow for the other public taxing entities.

UNKNOWNS

Dr. Taylor also presented a variety of “unknowns”— items from either the state or federal level that lend uncertainty to next year’s budget. Some of these include:

whether the Missouri governor will decide to keep the Foundation Formula fully funded (a move the legislature has included in their budget this past session);
whether transportation will continue to be fully funded (as this is the area that is first to lose funding if another area falls short in the state budget); and
whether the legislature will fully fund SB727 (an omnibus education bill passed at the end of the 2024 Missouri Legislative Session).

Also included in this discussion was uncertainty regarding SB190 (tax freeze on property values of those 62 years and older), state appropriation and federal funding.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The next three Board of Education Monthly Regular Meetings will be held one week later than usual, at 6:30 p.m. in the Projection Room: Tuesday, June 24, 2025; Tuesday, July 22, 2025; and Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025