Board Briefs from June 24, 2019 Business Meeting

This document includes highlights of information received by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the June 24, 2019 Business Meeting. This is an unofficial record. Official minutes of each Board meeting are posted on the district website and are available for viewing at the Administrative Center after the Board approves them, typically two weeks after the meeting.

Board President’s Remarks. On behalf of the Board of Education, Board President Carolyn Jaeger presented Superintendent Dr. Donna Jahnke with a sculpture commemorating her time in the Ladue School District. It reads: 

Dr. Donna Jahnke
Fanning the Flames of 

Excellence in Ladue Schools

Superintendent 2013-2019

This was Dr. Jahnke’s final Board meeting, having served the district for 32 years, the last six as superintendent.

Superintendent Remarks. Dr. Jahnke shared how honored she has been to lead the Ladue School District. She thanked the Board of Education for their collaboration as a team and with administration, noting that working together is key to the success of a school district. She also thanked her administrative team, as well as parents and the community, for their dedication to educating and supporting our students and our schools. Our students are extraordinary and, as the school motto goes, they truly  “enter to learn” and “go forth to share.” We are all so proud of the marks they make on our world. 

Finally, Dr. Jahnke thanked Cassie Johnston, her administrative assistant for doing a great job in supporting her in her work and assured those in attendance that she is confident she is leaving the district in excellent hands with Dr. Jim Wipke and will continue to support the district from afar.  

ACTION ITEMS

Approval of 2019-20 Preliminary Operating Budget.  Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance, Dr. Jason Buckner presented, and the Board approved, the 2019-20 Preliminary Operating Budget. The preliminary operating expenditure budget for the 2019-20 school year totals approximately $63.88 million and meets the spending parameters set by the Board of Education. These spending parameters have been instituted to delay the need for requesting an increase in the operating tax levy for as long as possible while meeting educational needs.

Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation Program Changes/Certified Staff. Dr. Jahnke presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendations for changes to the K-12 Teacher Evaluation Manual, as well as the Ladue Early Childhood Center Evaluation Manual. Changes to these documents are highlighted in the documents linked above.

Board Policy KI Update Dr. Jahnke presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendations for revising Board Policy KI (Public Solicitations/Advertising in District Facilities) to allow greater flexibility in selling advertising opportunities at district events. The suggested change is noted in the document linked above. 

Suburban Athletic Conference Resolution Agreement  Dr. Jahnke presented, and the Board agreed to sign, a resolution for districts in the Suburban Athletic Conference which outlines expectations for participation and the approach that will be used for hiring officials.

Board Policy Updates. Dr. Jahnke recommended, and the Board approved, changes to three district policies.  These changes are being made at the recommendation of the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) in order to keep district policies in compliance with state and federal law.

INFORMATION ITEMS 

Retirement Notification Incentive. This past year, due to the district’s Early Separation Incentive Plan, the district knew which positions would be open in the 2019-20 school year very early in the 2018-19 school year. This allowed the district to get ahead of other districts in hiring high quality, diverse staff members. The administration and the Board began a discussion regarding how they might provide incentives in future years for retiring staff in order to create similar hiring advantages. 

2019-20 Board Goals. President Jaeger led the Board in a discussion regarding the development of their 2019-20 Board of Education Goals. These goals will be developed to align with both the district’s Strategic Plan and the superintendent’s goals to ensure continuous progress and focused energy and resources on the initiatives identified as the district’s highest priorities. President Jaeger asked Board members to review current goals as well as the ideas that arose during the Board’s June 11, 2019 meeting. Board members were asked to provide input on potential 2019-20 goals to President Jaeger who will combine them into a single document for review. The Board is due to approve 2019-20 goals at their August 26, 2019 meeting.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The next Board of Education meeting will be a Business Meeting on August 26, 2019, at 6 p.m., at the Ladue Horton Watkins High School Multipurpose Room, 1201 S. Warson Road, at 6 p.m. Tentative agenda items for that meeting include the following.  

Tentative Agenda Items for August 26, 2019 Business Meeting:

ACTION

• 2019-20 Board Goals/Work Plan
• SSD Carl Perkins Consortium Allocation Agreement
• SSD Contract for Homebound Services
• Consolidated Application for Federal Grants
• Re-adoption of Board Policy BBFA – Board Member Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure

INFORMATION

• First Semester Board Meeting Agenda Calendar
• Activities Report

Board Briefs from June 11, 2019 Work Session and Business Meeting

This document includes highlights of information received and decisions made by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the June 11, 2019 Workshop and Business Meeting. This is an unofficial record. Official minutes of each Board meeting are posted on the district website and are available for viewing at the Administrative Center after the Board approves them, typically two weeks after the meeting.

WORK SESSION ITEMS

2019-20 Preliminary Budget. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jason Buckner reviewed the district’s financial status, reporting that the district remains in excellent financial condition. In addition, Dr. Buckner outlined various components of the 2019-20 Preliminary Budget which will be presented to the Board for approval on June 24, 2019.

Financial and Facilities Long-Term Plan

• Financial Projections. Dr. Buckner outlined short- and long-term financial projections, based on historical, current and projected property assessments, as property taxes are by far the largest source of revenue for the district at 88%. The Board and administration discussed the potential impact on operating revenue, operating fund balance and the debt service fund based on various future taxing environments and scenarios. 

In light of current discussions regarding addressing facility needs as outlined in the district’s recently revised Facilities Master Plan, Dr. Buckner outlined the impact a future bond referendum could have on taxpayers based on potential property assessment increases and the district’s current debt service structure.

Detailed information on these topics can be found by clicking on the header to this section.

• Facilities Update. Facilities Director Mike Noonan updated the Board on recent and current facilities projects.
• An “11-Month Walk-Through” of the high school facility was recently completed in order to identify and report any repairs or improvements required for items nearing the end of warranty.
• The final punch list for the high school track and field is in the process of being completed.
• The grandstand structure is nearly complete. There have been no major issues in construction and the final punch list for general conditions is set to take place on Wednesday, June 13, 2019.
• Initial lighting level tests at the stadium and surrounding areas have been completed with results indicating all levels are at or below predicted and agreed upon levels. The City of Ladue will be conducting additional testing.  
• Work is continuing on the concession and restroom improvements in the area of the Nielson Gym. This project is on track to be completed as scheduled by August 1, 2019.
• Fifth Grade Center work is also continuing as scheduled this summer. Improvements are being made to the HVAC system so the entire building will now have air conditioning, lighting is being upgraded to LED for an approximate 70% reduction in energy costs, a new fire alarm panel is being installed, the front entrance is being reconfigured for improved security, and the unused pool area is being converted into a storage area. All improvements are on schedule to complete prior to teachers returning in August.
• Facilities Master Plan. Director of Facilities Mike Noonan reviewed the recently updated Facilities Master Plan which has been developed over the past two years by the district’s Facilities Planning Board Advisory Committee. Based on those plans, the district is currently conducting feasibility studies for the K-4 elementary schools and the Ladue Middle School campus. These studies will refine the specific programming and facility needs in these buildings and will be completed and presented to the Board of Education at their Sept. 10, 2019 meeting.

Master Facilities Plan Timeline

• Review of 2014-16 Bond Referendum Process. Superintendent Dr. Donna Jahnke reviewed the processes which led up to the Proposition R bond referendum vote in 2016 in order to illustrate to the Board the components, phases and decision sequencing that could potentially lead up to the Board making a decision to put another referendum on the ballot.
• Communication and Current Timeline. Director of Communications Susan Downing reviewed the timeline for essential communications, community engagement and Board decisions that could potentially lead to the Board putting a bond referendum on the ballot to address the projects remaining in the Facilities Master Plan, assuming the earliest timing for this would be April 2021. 

ACTION

• 2019-20 Master Agreement Dr. Buckner presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendation to approve an updated Master Agreement between the district and the Ladue Educators’ Association. This document is developed and revised as a result of decisions reached during the previous year’s Meet and Confer process which takes place every year in order for the district and the Ladue Educators’ Association (LEA) to discuss salary, benefits and working conditions. 

INFORMATION ITEMS

• Curriculum and Instruction Initiatives and Review; Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Amy Zielinski reviewed the status of Curriculum & Instruction initiatives embedded in the district’s Strategic Plan. In addition, Dr. Zielinski outlined the curriculum revisions currently in process and planned for the coming school year. Extensive additional details can be found by clicking on the header of this paragraph. 
• Banking Contract Dr. Buckner reviewed the status of the RFP process for selecting the district’s banking partner, as defined by Policy DG: Depository of Funds.  Administration will provide a  recommendation for Board approval at the June 24, 2019 Board meeting. 
• School Bus Property Lease Addendum Dr. Buckner outlined the status of negotiating a continuing agreement with the owners of the property used to house and maintain the district’s school buses. A recommendation for approval will be made at the Board’s June 24, 2019 meeting. Use of the property is shared with the University City School District.
• 2019-20 Extra Duty Stipend Amounts Dr. Jahnke outlined the process being used to review and revise certain stipended duties. Most of the stipends under review this year are for activities which are not governed by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. The administration’s recommendation will be provided to the Board for approval at the June 24, 2019 meeting.
• Board Policy Update Dr. Jahnke advised the Board that the Missouri School Board Association’s recommended policy revisions have been delayed and recommendations for those changes will be provided at a later date. However, Dr. Jahnke noted that the administration will be recommending changes to Policy KI: Public Solicitation/Advertising in District Facilities in order to allow the new scoreboard at the high school to be used for advertising during athletic events, creating a potential new revenue source.
• Suburban Athletic Conference Resolution Agreement For the last several years, Dr. Jahnke and Incoming Superintendent Dr. Jim Wipke have both participated on the executive committee for the St. Louis Suburban Public HIgh School Athletic Association. During this time, the committee has rewritten the bylaws and procedures for the operation of the organization and worked with EdPlus to design a resolution agreement that outlines expectations for participation and a methodical approach to hiring officials. The Board was given the agreement to review prior to the administration requesting approval.  
• Teacher Evaluation Manual Updates Dr. Jahnke reviewed the minor changes being made to the 2019-20 Teacher Evaluation Manual. The vast majority of these changes are simply to update forms and dates for the upcoming year, although Dr. Jahnke did note that the Ladue Early Childhood Center made significant progress in the last year in improving and solidifying their evaluation procedures. The manual will be presented to the Board for approval at the June 24, 2019 meeting. 
• Initiatives for 2019-20 Dr. Jahnke briefly outlined some of the significant initiatives that will be addressed in the 2019-20 school year. These include;
• Salary negotiations will take place within the Meet and Confer process.
• The administration and board will review and potentially revise the Administrative Salary structure.
• Social and Emotional Behavior supports will continue to be enhanced and embedded into the district’s schools, as well as non-traditional programming for students who struggle with traditional instruction methods.
• Additional constructs will be put in place to further enhance diversity, equity and inclusion work, with a concentration on embedding these practices into the classroom experience at all levels.
• The administration will review and potentially revise the district’s cleaning service structure. 
• The administration and Board will collaborate on prioritizing the use of funds in future budget years. 

• Board Goals Review Board President Carolyn Jaeger led the Board in a discussion to evaluate their success in meeting their Ladue Board of Education 2018-19 Goals.  Overall, the Board agreed that all goals have been met and that many of these areas require and deserve ongoing attention and further improvement.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The next meeting will be a Business Meeting June 24, 2019, at the Ladue Horton Watkins High School Multipurpose Room, 1201 S. Warson Road, at 6 p.m.