This information includes highlights of information received by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the April 25, 2022 regular Board of Education 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.
Click here to view a recording from the April 25 Board Meeting
Board President Remarks
I’d like to thank my fellow board members for nominating and electing me to the position of Board President, and for indulging me at the last Board meeting as so many people showed up to support me and celebrate as I became the first person of color to serve in this role.
Last week, I attended LMS Student Recognition Night.
I also attended the Facilities Board Advisory Committee during which we visited all of the construction sites.
I also attended the LEF’s Innovation Celebration on Friday; it was a wonderful event.
I want to remind the Board that a new MSBA legislative update came out today; we need to keep our eyes open as there are only three weeks left in this legislative session and there are a few omnibus bills that will go through the House and Senate.
It is awards season as we approach the end of the school year, so you may want to check with the principals of your assigned schools to make sure we can attend those events since we’ve not been able to in recent years.
Our Board Retreat is June 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A reminder that I serve on the SSD Governing Council, and as a member of that council, I’m also part of the 2022 Public Review Committee. This committee consists of members from the Governing Council, the SSD Parent Advisory Council, and appointees from DESE. During this year-long period we take a look at SSD and develop a list of recommendations that will be forthcoming at the end of May.
Superintendent Remarks
We’ve had some exciting things happen over the last few weeks; I can’t tell you how proud I feel when I visit our schools and see our staff and students in action.
I haven’t been able to attend all of these exciting events, but for the ones I missed, I had a cabinet member attend and report back about the event. Dr. Zielinski attended the One Book, One Community event where our community discussed the book Blended by Sharon Draper. Thank you to our librarians for putting that together because I heard it was an awesome event.
Many of our elementary schools have participated in the Heart Challenge recently (formerly Jump Rope for Heart) and I enjoyed the jump rope performance at Reed.
Maria and Beau Dolan organized Ladue Night Lights to highlight our students with special needs and allow them to be the stars of the night. It was so cool to see our student body show up and support our students with special needs. Dr. Helm attended this event because I was at the LMS Recognition Night with Kisha on Wednesday.
The Seal of Biliteracy ceremony happened here on Monday; we have 44 students who earned their seal this year, which means they are proficient in two or more languages.
I attended the National Junior Honor Society event on Wednesday.
We held our Senior Awards as well which I have not had a chance to attend before; I realized a lot of these events are new to me because I’ve not yet had a normal 4th quarter since I’ve been Superintendent.
We have exciting news regarding LMS: Dr. Angela Thompson will become the new principal and she’s already starting to get involved and is working with Dr. Taylor-Johnson on her transition to LMS.
U.S. News and World Report ranked our high school third in Missouri.
We have groundbreaking ceremonies coming up on May 26 at Reed and Conway.
We also have a ribbon-cutting ceremony upcoming for Becky Sauerbrunn Field.
I want to recognize the LEF for organizing an awesome event on Friday with their Innovation Celebration.
I went to the LHWHS baseball game on Saturday and saw student Will Moore hit a ball over the fence which was pretty cool.
There are several bills being discussed by the General Assembly in Jefferson City that we are closely watching. There are more bills this year that could have a significant impact on public schools than in past years. We’re putting a Legislative Board Advisory Committee together to learn more about legislation that currently impacts our schools.
ACTION ITEMS
S.M. Wilson Presentation, Change Orders, and Pay Application
S.M. Wilson provided updates on construction progress, presented new change orders, and discussed the March pay application. The Board approved all change orders and the pay application.
Wachter and Hoener Pay Application
Director of Facilities Mike Noonan presented, and the Board approved, a March pay application from Wachter and Hoener related to the design-build contract at Conway and Reed.
INFORMATION ITEMS
The Board designated delegates and alternates for the various groups.
New Board Advisory Committees: Legislative and Early Childhood Expansion (MOVED TO ACTION)
The Board discussed and approved the new committees.
Web Service Solutions Provider (MOVED TO ACTION)
Director of Communications Kimberly McKenzie recommended, and the Board approved, entering into a three-year agreement with Blackboard to provide the district’s web services.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Amy Zielinski presented the proposed Strategic Plan for 2022-27.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a regular Business Meeting on Monday, May 9, 2022. The Meeting ID will be posted on the Featured tab of BoardDocs when the meeting information is officially posted.
