STE. GENEVIEVE — This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s Sept. 23, 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: https://youtu.be/6ZcvaKPNquQ
MSBA MONTHLY REPORT
The MSBA September Board Report takes a look at what to watch for with district budgets during the first month of the new school year and how to plan not only for this year but for the long term. In addition, the report includes a preview of MSBA’s AI in Education Symposium and the 2025 MSBA Annual Conference.
The MSBA Board Report is a monthly five to seven-minute video program featuring the latest news from MSBA 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.
Before the comment period began, Board President David Bova thanked families for sharing their perspectives and emphasized the Board’s commitment to listening respectfully to all viewpoints. He affirmed support for teachers and administrators who carefully select age-appropriate materials aligned with Missouri Learning Standards and designed to foster critical thinking and respect for all. Mr. Bova noted that the district’s motto—Family. Tradition. Excellence.—reflects a dedication to celebrating both similarities and differences, and he highlighted the district’s ongoing review of curriculum to ensure it remains age-appropriate and reflects a broad range of perspectives.
The following patrons spoke on the topic of the kindergarten family lesson and one of the supporting materials, the book “Stella Brings the Family”: Hope Dougherty, parent; Stefanie Herzog, kindergarten teacher; Carrie Staffen, library media coordinator; and Christina Rudloff-Guilford, art teacher and president of SGNEA.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
Enrollment Count.
Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor presented the 2025-2026 Enrollment Count. For combined preschool and Early Childhood Special Education, there was an increase of 36 students (due to the launching of the Early Childhood Center this August); there was an increase of 8 students K – 5th, a decrease of 5 students 6th – 8th, and a decrease of 16 students 9th – 12th from the first day of school last year. Overall this year, K-12 enrollment was 13 fewer students for the first day of school than last year.
Technology Report.
Technology Director Nancy Toombs presented the annual Technology Report, where she gave an overview of the district’s technology goals, tools, resources and professional development.
Principal Reports.
Each building principal reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Prop SG Update. Superintendent Dr. Taylor provided an update on the ongoing Prop SG projects.
Tours of the New Areas:
Retirees:
- Toward the beginning of September, we welcomed familiar faces back on campus—a group of retirees toured the facilities, including the new Prop SG building additions and Early Childhood Center. They had the chance to talk with former co-workers and students and reminisce on their days working in the halls of SG R-II.
- At the newly-built Early Childhood Center, retirees observed new resources and features of the center including extended hallways, large classrooms, and the versatile multipurpose room, noting the atmosphere of the building was inviting and colorful.
- When speaking with some of the former employees about their return to Dragon Country, they shared positive thoughts of the enhanced protective measures of the new additions, the evident care and warmth throughout the classrooms and hallways, the resourceful use of space, and the cleanliness of the buildings, praising the custodial staff for their excellent work.
Chamber of Commerce:
- We also recently welcomed the Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce Leadership group for a daylong look at how students learn, lead, and create across all grade levels.
- Throughout the day, Chamber Leadership participants remarked on the strong sense of community, student leadership, and staff dedication evident in every building.
Wrestling:
- Bauman started sitework a few weeks ago, which should last about three weeks.
- Concrete foundations will follow, as well as the installation of a retaining wall.
- The floor plan includes a practice wrestling area, office and storage space, locker rooms and restrooms, and a golf simulation room. The building will be situated behind the PAC.
- The district still plans to renovate the current wrestling room and weight room to provide additional space and updated equipment to better support our student-athletes.
Field Lighting:
- As you all know, field lighting was added to the Prop SG budget earlier this year, due to pausing a larger athletic facility due to location restraints.
- Over the last few weeks, crews have begun installing the new lighting system down at the ball fields. We were excited to introduce our new lighting system during the first home football game against St. Vincent, where the field and spectators were awash in green during halftime.
- The previous football field lighting operated at 30 footcandles and was upgraded to 50 footcandles. Baseball and softball infields will also reach 50 footcandles, with outfields at 30.
- This investment not only modernizes the district’s facilities but also reflects a commitment to long-term sustainability and safety.
Instructional Program Presentation — High School Physical Education & Health.
Health and physical education teachers from Ste. Genevieve High School presented an overview of all of the learning activities offered to students throughout their curriculum. These courses include: Body Conditioning, 9th grade physical education, Team Sports, Adaptive PE, Health, and EMT Class. In addition, Coach Jess Fallert sponsors the Special Olympics team.
This is the second year that SGHS has offered the EMT course, providing hands-on training and a head start toward careers in emergency medicine and public service. The course is led by Education Officer Beth Ryan of the Ste. Genevieve County Ambulance District (SGCAD) and Mrs. Kristen Barnes. Six 2025 graduates completed the course and became the inaugural graduates of the SGCAD EMT Program Class 1. Through this program, students received practical instruction and prepared for the Missouri State EMT Practical Exam. A key part of the training includes clinical experience—students participate in ambulance ride-alongs, allowing them to apply classroom learning in real-world situations. These experiences are essential in evaluating their readiness to serve as entry-level EMTs.
Emergency Operations Plan.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard presented, and the Board approved, the updates to the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District Emergency Operations Plan for the 2025-2026 school year.
- The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to the District; therefore, this Emergency Operations Plan will not be made available for public viewing.
- District and building level emergency procedures for fire, tornado, earthquake and acts of violence have been updated to align with the most current information available.
- All plans maintain a consistent format and are updated with current faculty and staff information, as well as current facility layouts.
- Personnel roles and responsibilities have been updated.
- All plans are consistently reviewed and updated in accordance with updated guidance.
- Implementation procedures have also been reviewed.
- Effective plans with suitable techniques to address a variety of emergency situations are an ongoing process. Emergency procedures are subject to change as more efficient and effective techniques are developed.
- A copy of the School District Emergency Operations Plan has been made available for Board members to review. The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to the District; therefore, this Emergency Operations Plan will not be made available for public viewing.
- School Resource Officers Christy Clark and Nicola Cusanelli organized a meeting this fall with local emergency responders and personnel to discuss the plan, visit our campuses, and provide some insight into any adjustments that might need to be made.
NEW BUSINESS
Assessment Plan and Updated Assessment Schedule.
Dr. McClard presented, and the Board approved, the Assessment Plan and Updated Testing Schedule for the 2025-2026 year. Per Section 167.645 RSMo, “each school district and charter school shall assess all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three at the beginning and end of each school year for their level of reading or reading readiness on state-approved reading assessments.” Dr. McClard shared that for the most part, the plan and schedule have stayed the same. One difference will be transitioning to iReady as our new vendor for K-5 benchmarks. Our prior benchmark, NWEA Fluency, is no longer a DESE-approved vendor for a literacy portion of assessments. Last year, our elementary schools piloted iReady and made the decision to replace NWEA Fluency. This is specifically NWEA Fluency, not NWEA MAP Growth, which is utilized as a benchmark three times a year throughout the district.
Addition of Special Education Teacher.
The Board approved the addition of a Special Education Teacher. This new position will be split in the morning between the middle school and high school, and be assigned to Ste. Genevieve Elementary in the afternoon. A current split position assigned to both elementary schools will become a full-time position at Bloomsdale Elementary. Director of Student Services Dr. Jami Drury explained that she and her staff monitor caseloads and service hours throughout the school year, and that these needs have been identified and could be addressed with one new position and some movement in the current split position.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Regular Session Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Early Childhood Center’s Multipurpose Room (1200 Maple Drive, Ste. Genevi