STE. GENEVIEVE – This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s April 15, 2025, Reorganizational and Regular meetings. 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.
REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
Approval of County Clerk’s Certification of April 8, 2025 Municipal Election Results.
In accordance with §115.124, RSMo., the District did not hold an election because the number of candidates filing was equal to the number of open positions.
The following candidates have filed for a Board of Director position and will be sworn into office during this reorganization meeting: Mrs. Jamie Ballew and Mr. Josh Gettinger.
Reorganization of the Board.
Mrs. Ballew and Mr. Gettinger both took the Oath of Office and were sworn in as members of the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District Board of Education. The Board also elected the following Board officers at this time: President: Mr. David Bova; Vice President: Mr. Eric Basler; Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) delegate: Mrs. Martha Resinger; alternate MSBA delegate: Mr. Josh Gettinger.
MSBA MONTHLY REPORT
The April Board Report takes a look back at MSBA’s Advocacy Day event held in Jefferson City on March 11. Commissioner Karla Eslinger and Carter D. Ward Excellence in Advocacy Award winner Mary Groeper both stressed the importance of ongoing advocacy. In addition, the video includes a preview of the Summer Summit and important information for newly elected school board members.
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
Kindergarten Enrollment Results.
Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor presented the current enrollment numbers for incoming kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Genevieve Elementary Kindergarten Registration was held March 1, 2025. Currently, 76 students have been registered to attend kindergarten in the fall.
- Bloomsdale Elementary Kindergarten Registration was held on March 15, 2025. Currently, 38 students have been registered to attend kindergarten in the fall.
- Looking at projections for kindergarten this upcoming school year, Ste. Genevieve Elementary could have about 88 students, and Bloomsdale Elementary could have about 40 students.
- Families, if you missed the Kindergarten Registration & screening event for your child, please call 573-883-4500 and your elementary office extension to enroll your child for the 2025-2026 school year: SGE ext. 3, BLE ext. 4. Children age 5 prior to Aug. 1, 2025 are kindergarten eligible.
Last Day of School.
The last day of school (for pre-k through 11th grade) will be an early dismissal at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2025. The afternoon and evening of Friday, May 23, 2025, will be a work day and the summer check-out day for certified employees.
Ste. Genevieve High School Events.
- The Ste. Genevieve High School Prom was held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the Ste. Genevieve Elks Lodge.
- To ensure all of our seniors have the opportunity to participate, SGHS Graduation will return to its original time of 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, in the Peggy J. Johnson Gymnasium. This adjustment was made due to a scheduling conflict with an extracurricular activity.
2024-2025 Retirement & Recognition Banquet.
The 2024-2025 SG R-II Recognition & Retirement Banquet will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Ste. Genevieve Elks Lodge #2674.
Principal Reports.
Each building principal reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.
Safety Reports.
Safety drills from each building were reviewed.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Instructional Program Presentation – SGHS Social Studies.
The team of social studies teachers from Ste. Genevieve High School presented an overview of our social studies programming. This included an explanation of the core courses, as well as the electives offered, all of which include: Current Events, American History, Government, Modern America, American History, Western Civilization, Personal Finance, Economics, World History, Psychology, Sociology and Government. They presented the various units of study and projects focused upon throughout the courses, as well as some of the extracurricular activities, some of which include Constitution Team, Scholar Bowl, County Government Day, History Day (tour of Ste. Genevieve), and more!
Summer School.
The Board approved Summer School for 2025. The classes that will be offered this summer include: English I – IV, Algebra I, and Personal Finance. The schedule includes 60 hours both semesters. First semester will be from May 27 – June 12, and second semester will be from June 13 – July 2. Start times for the high school courses will be the same in order to provide consistency for the students.
Prop SG Update.
Dr. Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects.
- Genevieve Elementary:
- Crews ran out of brick and had to order more. One exterior window sill was broken and is being replaced.
- Sheet metal contractors have begun their work.
- The gym has been painted, and the office area is receiving coats of paint now.
- Bathrooms should be tiled starting next week.
- 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.
- Early Childhood:
- Crews are scheduled to start on asphalt and concrete work.
- Playground equipment installation is in progress, and we hope to have pour-in-place soon.
- 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).
- The new center is scheduled to open for the 2025-2026 school year, and is now taking preschool applications for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. Click here to apply.
- We’ll be looking at possible dates for a ribbon-cutting event and tours for this summer.
- The Superintendent’s Advisory Team held our meeting out there today.
- Tuition Rates for 2025-2026
- Bethany Koetting, Director of the Early Childhood Center, shared an overview with the Board regarding how tuition rates were determined for the upcoming school year. This process was a collaborative effort that involved Dr. Koetting, Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor, and Director of Student Services Dr. Jami Drury, who worked through several rounds of discussion before finalizing the recommendation.
- Koetting outlined several key factors that were considered:
- Market Research: The team contacted local childcare facilities and nearby school districts to review tuition structures, hours of operation, meal offerings, and overall program design to ensure rates would be both competitive and comparable.
- Budget and Cost Analysis: Tuition rates were reviewed in light of everyday operating expenses. While the center anticipates running at a deficit—similar to other programs across the state—the goal is to provide quality services at a reasonable rate, not to turn a profit.
- Program Quality: The Early Childhood Center offers certified teachers, licensed and accredited programs, and high-quality early learning experiences that are in strong demand within the community. These elements factored into the rate decision, recognizing the value the program brings to families.
- Tuition History: Rates have remained unchanged for several years, prompting a need to update them to reflect current service costs and sustain program operations.
- Enrollment and Program Overview
- The Early Childhood Center currently has 85 students enrolled, with additional applications still being submitted. Enrollment is expected to grow over the summer.
- Of the 85 enrolled, 18 students qualify for free or reduced-price services.
- Classrooms will include:
- 3 Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
- 2 three-year-old classrooms
- 2 four-year-old classrooms
- 1 preschool classroom remains at Bloomsdale Elementary, prioritized for students residing in the BLE attendance area.
- Services and Scheduling
- The center will host Parents as Teachers, enabling developmental screenings and group connections.
- Students qualifying through developmental screenings may receive speech, physical, or occupational therapy.
- School hours are 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., aligning with older siblings’ schedules where possible.
- Before and aftercare options will be available, which may help alleviate traffic congestion during standard pick-up times.
- Looking Ahead
- Taylor acknowledged potential traffic concerns, especially during initial weeks of operation. The district plans to monitor traffic flow closely and make adjustments if needed to support families and maintain community goodwill.
- While the program is not expected to generate revenue—and based on information from other ECC facilities, we anticipate operating at a deficit—Dr. Taylor emphasized the district’s focus on providing a high-quality, community-valued early childhood experience.
- 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.
- 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.
Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).
The Board of Education approved the 2025 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard provided the Board with a presentation of the annual review of the CSIP. The approved CSIP can be found here.
Annually, a group of 27 educators, parents, students and community members meet to review and update the CSIP. The group met on March 6, 2025. At this meeting, the group breaks into smaller cohorts, which then review a wide variety of data to determine the direction of any updates to the goals contained in the CSIP.
Dr. McClard shared that there were no major changes made to the CSIP this cycle, but the group reviewed and reorganized action steps for better clarity, offered input on potential evidence, and refined language throughout the plan. He also noted that components of Competency-Based Education (CBE) were already embedded in the CSIP, including strategies such as creating learning progressions, developing authentic assessments, and promoting student ownership, voice and choice, and goal setting.
NEW BUSINESS
MSBA Board of Directors.
The Board approved the nomination of Martha Resinger for the position of MSBA Board of Directors Representative. To be eligible to serve on the MSBA Board of Directors, a person must be a member of an Active Member Board and shall have served at least two years on the local Board of Education. Candidates for the Board of Directors position must be nominated and approved by action of their respective local Board of Education.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Regularly Scheduled Meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.