This information includes highlights of information received by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the May 23, 2016 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
- Board President Sheri Glantz congratulated the class of 2016, commenting that the senior class showed they were an outstanding group of students to have matriculated through our schools.
Superintendent Remarks
- Superintendent Dr. Donna Jahnke echoed Mrs. Glantz’s sentiments, stating that the class of 2016 is an exceptional group both in terms of character and intellect. She also thanked those Board members who could attend the ceremony.
- Dr. Jahnke wrapped up the semester, stating that this past year was productive in terms of initiatives for the district and said that looking to the fall, district officials are gearing up for revising the Strategic Plan.
ACTION ITEM
Elementary Attendance Areas. Dr. Jahnke presented, and the board approved, a proposal to make minor changes to the district’s elementary school boundaries in an effort to ease potential overcrowding of Spoede Elementary School that may result from two apartment complexes currently under construction on Olive Boulevard in the Spoede Elementary attendance area. These changes involve streets northwest of the intersection of Lindbergh Boulevard and Conway Road. At one time, students residing in this area attended Conway Elementary but were reassigned to Spoede Elementary in the early 1990s. The administration’s recommendation is for this area to be assigned back to Conway for the 2016-17 school year.
Families who currently have students enrolled in Spoede Elementary would be “grandfathered” into Spoede Elementary (if desired) and would not be impacted by this change unless they voluntarily chose to change elementary schools. Specific guidelines for making this change can be found by clicking on the header of this paragraph.
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Dr. Jason Buckner presented, and the board approved, the bond resolution which included the pricing parameters of the bond sale and gave the Board president permission to sign the documents required to execute the sale of the bonds. Financial Advisor for Sentry Financial, Matt DeLeo, and Bond Counsel for Thompson Coburn, Ali Tilghman, outlined the process and timeline for the competitive bond sale. The anticipated closing date, or when funding should be available to the district, is June 15, 2016.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Consolidated Application for Federal Grants. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Jennifer Allen presented recommendations for the district's applications for 2016-17 federal programs. There has been a slight reduction in the amount of Title I funds allocated for the 2016-17 school year.
- Title I-A: Targeted Assistance for Disadvantaged Students - $124,995
- Title II-A: Improving Teacher Quality State Grants - $70,332
- Title III.: Limited English Proficiency- $11,205
2016-17 Testing Schedule. Dr. Allen outlined changes in the assessments that will be used in the 2016-17 school year. Some of these include:
- Discontinuing Math Acceleration for kindergarten, as these students need more time in the school environment
- Beginning to use the Scholastic Reading Inventory at the Fifth Grade Center in the fall; this indicator of student reading growth is currently used at Ladue Middle School
- Replacing the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis test and Iowa Algebra Aptitude test with district assessments to test algebra readiness for the Ladue Algebra Program
2016-17 Extra Duty Stipends. Dr. Jahnke presented the list of changes made to the 2016-17 Extra Duty Stipends. This list of adjustments was created as a result of collaboration between the administration and the Ladue Educators’ Association. All of the changes were made based on student participation levels and overall time commitment involved in the activities. The list will be brought for approval at the June 27, 2016 Board meeting.
Update on High School Building Project. Dr. Jahnke reviewed three dates on which the Board of Education would meet in special session in July, if needed, to expedite the construction project.
A smaller committee of Board members and administrators has been meeting weekly over the past three weeks for discussion on construction topics. There was discussion of a policy revision to allow this group to be authorized (within certain thresholds established) to make decisions on behalf of the Board in an effort to expedite construction. Dr. Jahnke also invited everyone to the Groundbreaking Ceremony that will be held outside the Ladue Horton Watkins High School at 5:30 p.m. on May 31. Project Director for S.M. Wilson Kort Cole also provided construction progress report #2 including information on the status of budgeting, estimating, and bidding; design and engineering, including utilities; permitting and scheduling.
2016-2017 School Lunch Prices. Dr. Buckner presented the district's recommendation for school lunch prices to increase in five different areas: adult and child breakfasts and elementary, middle school and adult lunches. Chartwells, the district’s food service management company, has notified the district that there will be a food cost increase of 2.97% for the 2016-17 year, which is based on the USDA/DESE regulated Consumer Price Index. The increases would generate approximately $16,160 in additional revenue, which could be reallocated back into the program to purchase equipment when necessary. There was no increase in school lunch prices last year. The administration plans to submit the following recommendation to the Board of Education at the June 27, 2016 meeting.
2016-17 Budget Introduction and Financial Planning. Dr. Buckner presented a six-year financial history of the district and the anticipated 2016-17 budget revenue and expenditures. At the June 1, 2016 Board of Education Summit, the financial details will be reviewed in greater detail. The Budget will be presented at the June 14, 2016 Board Work Session and it is anticipated the Board will approve the 2016-17 Preliminary Budget on June 27, 2016, in order to meet the legal requirement of approving a budget by July 1 of each school year.
Board Member Assignment to Board Advisory and Other Committees. Mrs. Glantz outlined the Board member committee and liaison school assignments for the 2016-17 school year.
Recommended Patron Appointments to Board Advisory Committees. With input from the administration, Mrs. Glantz outlined the recommended patron appointments for the 2016-17 school year.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Work Session on June 14, 2016, at the Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road. The following meeting will be a Business Meeting at 7 p.m. on June 27, 2016, at the Administrative Center. Tentative agenda items include the following.
Tentative Agenda Items for Work Session June 14, 2016:
INFORMATION
- Comprehensive School Improvement Program Review
- Performance-Based Evaluation Program Updates
- 2016-2017 Budget Review
- Board Policy Revisions
- Update on High School Building Project
Tentative Agenda Items for Business Meeting June 27, 2016:
ACTION
- Board Policy Revisions
- Consolidated Application for Federal Grants
- 2016-2017 Testing Schedule
- 2016-2017 School Lunch Prices
- Final 2015-2016 Bus Routes
- Patron Appointments to Board Advisory Committees
- Hearing and Approval of 2016-2017 Preliminary Budget
- Comprehensive School Improvement Plan/Strategic Plan
- Performance-Based Evaluation Program Changes
INFORMATION
- Professional Development Report and Plan
- SAS122 Internal Controls/Risk Assessment Document
- Update on High School Building Project
