STE. GENEVIEVE — This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve R-II Board of Education’s Jan. 18, 2022, Regular Meeting.
This is an unofficial record.
The official Board News is posted on the district website and will be located on BoardDocs, linked here.
The video of the meeting can be found on the district’s You Tube Channel, SGDragonsTV: https://youtu.be/mupC9w4cxZA
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
Kindergarten Registration for the 2022-2023 school year will take place the following dates and times:
- Ste. Genevieve Elementary: Saturday, March 19, 2022, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Bloomsdale Elementary: Saturday, April 2, 2022, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, to schedule appointments:
- Ste. Genevieve Elementary: 573-883-4500 ext. 3
- Bloomsdale Elementary: 573-883-4500 ext. 4
Annual School Board Election — April 5, 2022.
Two positions, each with a three-year term, will be available for the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education in the Tuesday, April 5, 2022 election. The expiring terms for Board members are Mr. Terry McDaniel and Mr. Richard Rudloff. Filing ended on Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. Six applicants have filed a declaration of candidacy for the Board of Education. In the order of filing, they include: Jamie (Naeger) Ballew, Michael Stoll, Larry Pfaff, Joshua Gettinger, Samuel Barbagallo, and Bradley “Brad” Arnold.
Review Standardized Test Scores & Annual Performance Report.
Assistant Superintendent Paul Taylor and reviewed the district’s standardized test scores. During the 2020-2021 school year, the state conducted testing in order to: gather data for a baseline for school districts, gain insight into how the pandemic has impacted education, and to see where students statewide are in terms of their learning. This data from the 2020-2021 standardized tests will not be used for state or federal accountability purposes.
Before the presentation, Dr. Taylor pointed out that traditionally, SG R-II performs very well on state standardized tests, often scoring high above the state average. However, with disruptions in learning due to school closures, virtual learning, and then blended learning, our district expected to see lower-than-typical scores from the 2020-2021 data.
ACT Data: From 2020 to 2021, the number of students who took the ACT dropped from 129 to 65. Dr. Taylor discussed how the high school is striving to find alternative ways to assess students who plan to enter a career tech field or other vocation following high school graduation. The district’s average ACT score increased from 19.2 to 20.9 between 2020 and 2021, which is just above the state average.
An overview of the MAP Performance Index Scores is below:
English Language Arts:
- Grades 3 through 8 all performed higher than the state average.
- 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.
- The Algebra End of Course exam score was lower than the state average, which was expected, as concepts became more difficult and various learning options were utilized during the pandemic.
Science:
- Grades 5 and 8 both performed higher than the state average.
- The high school Biology End of Course exam score was higher than the state average. Social Studies:
- The high school Government End of Course exam score was lower than the state average.
Dr. Taylor also discussed the timeline of transitioning between MSIP 5 and MSIP 6.
The MSIP is the state’s continuous improvement measure for all public schools. This is the last year that MSIP 5 would have been in place if the school had produced APRs for school districts. This school year, we are in a transition year with MSIP 6. Students will test in March and April, and that data will be gathered as a baseline for MSIP 6. The state will give districts a transitional status.
The new accountability system for MSIP 6 includes two accountability standards:
- Performance Standards (~70%) ○ Components include: status, growth, success ready, graduation rate, follow-up
- Continuous Improvement Standards (~30%) ○ Improvement planning “What should we celebrate? We should celebrate having our students back, first and foremost,” he said. “We should celebrate being able to feed our students, and being able to take care of each other. Our faculty and staff do a fantastic job of supporting each other and supporting our students… Our hope is that at some point, we will be able to turn a corner and return to some kind of normal educational process. We need to take what we’ve been through and learn what we can, because we did have many positives that have come from the last few years.”
Dr. Taylor pointed out that overall, MAP scores and exams are pretty solid, while they are lower than what we have scored traditionally. He also discussed how the NWEA test is providing our educators with real-time data, as those tests are given to students three times a year. The NWEA test correlates to the Missouri Learning Standards. Safety Reports. Safety drills from each building were reviewed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Instructional Program Presentation — Fourth Grade. The team of fourth grade teachers from both Bloomsdale Elementary and Ste. Genevieve Elementary presented the educational programming and learning opportunities that make up a year of fourth grade!
Some of these included: an overview of collaborative, hands-on learning opportunities in science that incorporate STEM activities; examples of new concepts and deeper skills taught in mathematics, including work with fractions; an overview of reading and writing skills, including a focus on personal narrative and nonfiction writing; an explanation of social studies’ content areas, from beginning civilizations through the revolutionary period of 1799; and a presentation of the intervention block for students who struggle with reading, and photos and videos of fun around the school.
Reopening Plan.
The Board of Education approved updates to the 2021-2022 Reopening Plan, including the strongly encouraged continued use of face coverings for students, employees, and visitors on the campuses of the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District during school hours.
Other changes include updated protocols recommended by the CDC regarding isolation periods for individuals who test positive for COVID-19.
Per the CDC:
- Students, teachers and staff who test positive for COVID-19 and never develop symptoms should isolate and not come to school/work for at least 5 days.
- If they continue to remain asymptomatic, they can end isolation and return to school/work after at least 5 days, but should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others until day 10. If they are unable to wear a mask when around others, they should not come to school or work for the full 10 days.
- If they develop symptoms after testing positive, the 5-day isolation period should start over. The health and safety processes and procedures included in this Reopening Plan have been crafted with the recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are subject to adjustment as local conditions change.
We will continually evaluate this plan and integrate updates to reflect changing local conditions and evolving recommendations from the state and federal level. We will continue to monitor local conditions, including positivity rates, and may return to a more strict stance if circumstances warrant such a decision.
In addition, the district’s COVID-19 webpage will now link to the Ste. Genevieve County Health Department’s dashboard. While the district continues to monitor students and employees who test positive for COVID-19 or who are identified as close contacts, consistently sharing the current number of positive cases could more easily identify those individuals with these new isolation protocols in place. We want to do all that we can to protect our students’ and employees’ personally identifiable health information.
Proposed Calendar for 2022-2023. Dr. Flieg presented a draft copy of the 2022-2023 School Calendar. The members of the Calendar Committee will present a final copy of the calendar to the Board of Education for approval at the Regularly Scheduled Meeting in February.
Below are a few bulleted highlights from the draft calendar:
- First Day of School – Monday, Aug. 22, 2022
- End of First Semester – Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022
- Two Full Weeks for Christmas Break
- Classes Resume after Christmas Break – Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023
- Last Day of School – Friday, May 19, 2023
- 5 Scheduled Make Up Days – May 22 through May 26, 2023
- Graduation – Saturday, May 20, 2023
Addition of a Deputy Superintendent of Schools Position for the 2022-2023 School Year.
Dr. Flieg announced her decision to retire with an effective date of June 30, 2023 (a year and a half from now). She shared that her decision is primarily based on her need to focus on spending more time with her family: her husband, four children, their parents, and her new granddaughter.
To ensure a seamless transition to a new superintendent, the Board created a Deputy Superintendent of Schools position for one year.
The purpose of the Deputy Superintendent position will be to provide an effective training and transition period. The individual in this position will work closely with Dr. Flieg, other area superintendents and state organizations to learn the various roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent position.
The Deputy Superintendent position will also manage all aspects of the April 5, 2022, bond issue if, or when, it passes, to ensure the district’s new superintendent is prepared to effectively manage bond issues and new construction moving forward.
Throughout the training and transition period, the Deputy Superintendent will, over time, assume the responsibilities of the Superintendent.
The Deputy Superintendent will serve as the Superintendent in the absence of the Superintendent; provide leadership and direction to all departments to ensure alignment and attainment of the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan goals and strategies; represent the Superintendent, as appropriate, at official school and community functions; communicate with the School Board and the community regarding district programs; ensures compliance with state and federal regulations; administer the school district’s budget; provide effective administration of all schools and departments; and provide educational leadership throughout the school system and community.
This temporary position is necessary at this time, as nationwide, statewide, and locally, the landscape of public education has changed drastically over the last several years, and SG R-II has several fronts where we must direct focus, some of which include:
- bond issue (if passed in April);
- the district’s ongoing planning for and response to COVID-19;
- navigating the district’s financial positioning given the uncertainty of Holcim’s taxes;
- the possibility of changes to state legislation regarding public education; and
- the large number of retirements that have taken place in the district office within the last year and a half. The Deputy Superintendent position offers an opportunity for us to plan proactively for the future of the school district. It is an approach that other districts in surrounding communities are also implementing in order to ensure a seamless transition for district leadership.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Regularly Scheduled Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2021, at 7 p.m.
The minutes of the January 18, 2022 Ste. Genevieve R-II Board of Education meeting: