STE GENEVIEVE — The Board Briefs from Nov. 21, 2023, Regular Meeting of the Ste Genevieve County School District Board of Education have been released.
This information includes highlights from the Ste. Genevieve County R-II Board of Education’s Nov. 21, 2023, Regular Meeting.
This is an unofficial record. The official Board Minutes are posted on the district website and are located on BoardDocs, linked here: https://go.boarddocs.com/mo/stegen/Board.nsf/Public
The video of the meeting can be found on the district’s Youtube Channel, SGDragonsTV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUXKnSSyt_VykERuEroZmLw
MSBA MONTHLY REPORT
The MSBA November Board Report https://www.mosba.org/page/board-report looks at the change in Missouri’s top educational position with Dr. Margie Vandeven stepping down as Commissioner of Education, as well as a look at school budgeting and finance issues with MSBA’s Senior Director of School Finance, Linda Quinley.
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: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=426&revid=lMmxGb8TEAsBTEgSqAnO4w%3d%3d&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ%3d%3d&secid=zxfvZYmcKkpluslhKHzD4ftFA%3d%3d&PG=6&IRP=0
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor presented the data on parents and guardians participation in Parent-Teacher Conferences this past November. Participation percentages are included by building below:
- Bloomsdale Elementary: 90%
- Ste. Genevieve Elementary: 94%
- Ste. Genevieve Middle School: 44%
- Ste. Genevieve High School: 42%
In comparison to last year’s participation rates, both elementary schools stayed consistent, while Ste. Genevieve Middle School increased 13.5%, and Ste. Genevieve High School increased by about 6.25%.
Annual School Board Election.
The annual Board of Education election to be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 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. Geralyn Diesel and Mr. David Bova.
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. 5, 2023, at 8 a.m. and will end on Dec. 26, 2023, 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 on Dec. 25, 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. https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Policy/ViewPolicy.aspx?S=426&revid=BaHslshAL8pluss2plusyyFW6SC7PXg==&ptid=amIgTZiB9plushNjl6WXhfiOQ==&secid=zxfvZYmcKkpluslhKHzD4ftFA==&PG=6&IRP=0&isPndg=false
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: https://www.mosba.org/o/msba/page/school-board-101-resources
Kindergarten Registration.
Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year will take place on the following dates and times.
- SGE – Saturday, March 2, 2024 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- BLE – Saturday, March 23, 2024, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, to schedule appointments.
Principal Reports.
Each building principal reported on a variety of teacher and student accomplishments.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HMggfhn5m3rRs4jaxFqLjTZ0H3mY1KuI/view
Safety Reports.
Safety drills from each building were reviewed.
Annual MSBA Conference.
The Board members took the time to share some of their takeaways from the sessions they attended at the annual MSBA Conference, some of which included:
- Viewing students showcases and learning about other districts’ practices in building strong partnerships with families;
- Receiving updates regarding the Success-Ready Students Network, including how work is going on crafting a dashboard for the districts coming together for a new way forward after receiving the recent waiver from DESE;
- Learning about best practices in utilizing AI in the classroom and teaching students how to appropriately use AI as a resource to help with learning;
- Receiving updates regarding funding for public schools for the upcoming school year;
- Attending a legislative preview that covered the various topics anticipated for the next session beginning in January;
- Listening to lessons learned from other districts surrounding school safety;
- Participating in a dialogue with the State Board of Education, where Board members had the opportunity to address concerns and discuss the issues school districts are currently facing; and more.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Prop SG Update.
Dr. Taylor provided the Board with an update on the Prop SG projects.
SGMS:
- On Wednesday, Nov. 1, several Ste. Genevieve Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a “Topping Out” activity for the new elevator addition! Construction crews prepared the last steel beam for the students to sign, and flew an American flag as part of a tradition for the steel construction industry. ‘Topping Out’ has become a mainstay tradition whenever the skeleton of a bridge or building is completed. It signals that the uppermost steel member is going into place, that the structure has reached its final height. As the final beam is hoisted, either a flag or an evergreen tree is attached as it ascends and is put into place. The students were randomly selected from the “Dragons on Fire” program, where middle school students are recognized with a positive office referral for outstanding character, deeds or behavior. Ste. Genevieve Middle School would like to thank Brockmiller Construction Incorporated, as well as Carron Crane Company, LLC. for making it possible for these students to be a part of this experience. And we would like to thank John Otto for donating the SGMS sign.
- Crews are working on the concrete foundation work on the elevator addition. Asphalt and the handicapped ramp is expected to be added in late winter or early spring.
- Structural studs have been delivered and are being installed on the third floor.
- EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems) work is expected in the next few weeks.
Early Childhood:
- Dirt work is underway on the site of the Early Childhood Center. There was a significant amount of dirt that had to be moved in order to level the site for the building. Gravel has been added to the area where the parking lot will be located.
- The soil on site turned out better than expected. Sometimes crews begin work and find the soil needs some remediation for construction, but this was not the case.
- The District is working on a proposal to partner with the City in regards to water main work near this location. The District is requesting that the City adjust their timeline and move up a portion of its water line upgrade to be done in conjunction with the Early Childhood Center. This includes upgrading a 4-inch pipe to a 6-inch pipe. With a current 4-in. water main in that area, there is a significant pressure and volume issues, which would make it cost-prohibitive to install a sprinkler system in the new Center.
- The bid opening for the second bid package was held last week, and includes utilities and foundations. The final bids came in at just under $1.2 million, which is in line with the projected cost by the District’s Construction Manager At-Risk, (CMAR).
- The third bid package for the construction of the building is expected to go out the week after Thanksgiving with hopes of having it back by Christmas
- The District is wrapping up decisions, such as fencing, parking and exterior surfaces.
- The updated site plan can be viewed here.
FEMA:
- The District has been made aware that there may be FEMA funding available for Ste. Genevieve County. The District has submitted a letter of interest to be considered for that funding. Normally when FEMA funding is applied to a storm shelter for a District facility, it is in the form of a gymnasium. If the District were selected to submit a full proposal to FEMA for the funding and were to be awarded, this shelter would need to be incorporated into the upcoming Ste. Genevieve Elementary gymnasium or the upcoming Athletic Facility. As the Early Childhood Center designs are complete, we would not be able to integrate a storm shelter into that facility. The District should have a response from FEMA in the next month regarding the availability of these funds.
Instructional Program Presentation — Middle School SOAR.
Erin Stoll, At-Risk teacher from Ste. Genevieve Middle School, presented an overview of all of the learning activities offered to students throughout the SOAR programming https://www.canva.com/design/DAF0Jwvbs9E/R_rwKZ6wxD7jqLA8n_stIQ/edit
. 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 teacher recommendations, grade level meetings, CARE Team meetings, or through the district’s process coordinators. This program ensures that students who do not qualify for special education services but still require an intervention receive the support they need. Ms. Stoll currently works with approximately 20 middle school students. She works with these students to prioritize missing assignments in core subjects, set them up for working independently, or assist them when they need it. This includes breaking down instructions from their classes in a way that is tailored to each student individually so they can better grasp the tasks.
Ms. Stoll does a grade check with each student every week, and each student has an organized folder with a weekly academic goal sheet, as well as an emotional check-in. This provides students with an ongoing opportunity to share how they’re doing, and Ms. Stoll then checks in on those who are struggling with issues both in and outside of the classroom.
“Depending on how a student is feeling that day, they know they don’t have to share, but I want them to just know that I am here if they need somebody to talk to, or if we need to get someone else involved,” she said. “The most important part of this job is relationships, because everything else (consistency, communication, student advocacy) ties into that. Building and maintaining those relationships is the best part of this job. We are real with them, talk to them about what is going on in their lives, and we just care about them. At the end of the day, my goal is for our students to be successful and know that we are here and that we care about them.”
NEW BUSINESS
Annual Audit.
The Board of Education approved the Annual Audit for the 2023-2024 school year chrome-extension://hbgjioklmpbdmemlmbkfckopochbgjpl/https://go.boarddocs.com/mo/stegen/Board.nsf/files/CXKMXG5D5DE2/$file/2023%20Final%20Audit%20Report%20-%20Ste%20Genevieve%20County%20R-II%20School%20District.pdf , which was presented by Mr. Jeff Stroder from Beussink, Hey, Roe & Stroder, L.L.C. Mr. Stroder 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, 2023. The district received an “unmodified opinion,” or a clean opinion.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Board of Education will hold its next Regularly Scheduled Meeting on Dec. 19, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the R.W. Thomas Library.