This information includes highlights of information received by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the Sept. 24, 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.
Excellence in Education Award
Jason Theodosiou, Physical Education Teacher, Ladue Middle School
Friends of Education Award
Julie LaBonte’ - Ladue Education Foundation
Carl Bisig, Diane Patershuk, Rod Patershuk, Kelly Waller - Commit2Ladue
Superintendent Remarks
- Superintendent Dr. Donna Jahnke shared that she had attended the first in a series of Courageous Dialogues being hosted by the Ladue Middle School Diversity Cadre to encourage the community to engage in meaningful, honest and open conversations about race. At this first event, the St. Louis Mother to Mother group led a discussion about the realities of raising a Black son in America. The next Courageous Dialogues event will be held on Nov. 20 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the middle school, and the entire school community is invited to attend.
- At the beginning of the Oct. 24 Board of Education meeting, the Board and administration will be honoring sixteen National Merit Scholars. Anyone who wishes to come to the meeting to congratulate these students on their accomplishments is welcome.
- Dr. Jahnke encouraged everyone to participate in Homecoming Week activities, including the Homecoming Football Game against Clayton High School. The game will be played at St. Louis University High School on Saturday, Oct. 1. Kick-off is at 1 p.m.
ACTION ITEM
Approval of 2016-17 Operating Budget Tax Levy. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Dr. Jason Buckner presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendation for setting the operating tax levy for the 2016-17 school year. Preliminary data from St. Louis County indicates an increase in property assessment of approximately 1.6%. As this is not a reassessment year, this increase is due solely to new construction and personal property. The result is the tax ceiling being relatively unchanged from last year and the levy for each subclass of property being set the same as, or slightly below, last year’s rates as follows: $3.1395 (residential), $3.2390 (commercial), $.0500 (agriculture) and $3.2400 (personal).
This levy would equate to $3.1645 ($.0030 less than last year) if St. Louis County used a single rate method. However, in 2003, legislation was passed requiring separate ceilings to be set so that one category of property is not penalized as a result of rising property values in other categories.
Approval of 2016-17 Debt Service Levy. Dr. Buckner presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendation for setting the debt service levy for the 2016-17 school year at $.78.
Last year, the debt service levy was set at $.39 (with an allowable ceiling of $.76). In April 2016, voters in the Ladue School District passed Proposition R, an $85.1 million bond referendum with the primary purpose of renovating Ladue Horton Watkins High School. At the time, the district’s advisors estimated the passing of the referendum would increase the levy by an additional $.39. The factors used to calculate this estimate have held relatively true and the district recommended an increase of the levy to $.78 to meet the principal and interest payments for the following year. (The allowable ceiling for the debt service levy is $1.5678.)
Employee Separation Incentive Plan. Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Ken Rossics presented, and the Board approved, the administration’s recommendation to offer an Early Separation Incentive Plan (ESIP) to eligible staff members. All employee groups will be allowed to participate in the ESIP assuming minimum eligibility criteria are met. The purpose of the ESIP is to provide a financial incentive to employees who elect early separation from the Ladue School District, as well as a cost savings to the district. An outline of the plan can be viewed by clicking on the header above.
District Spending Parameters. Dr. Buckner presented, and the Board approved, an extension of operating budget spending parameters. The 2016-17 school year is the final year of the current plan which has allowed the district to increase the operating fund balance by approximately $20 million. This accumulated fund balance will support the district through deficit spending budgets until property assessments and the Consumer Price Index rebound further, as these are both factors in the amount of revenue the district is allowed to collect without additional voter approval.
The annual checkpoints and fiscal year 2021 absolute parameters for both the unrestricted operating budget and the capital operating budget are outlined in the documents that can be found by clicking on the heading to this section.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Update on High School Building Project. Project Director for S.M. Wilson Kort Cole provided construction progress report #6 which included updates on design and engineering; permitting; finance and budget; bidding and procurement; scheduling; and current construction activity. Photos of various components of the project are included in the linked document.
Transportation/2016-17 Bus Routes/Mileage. Dr. Buckner provided a summary of the 2016-17 bus routes and mileage. The district currently runs 120 bus routes, with daily mileage totaling just over 1,900 miles. The Board is required to approve bus routes on an annual basis and this item will come back to the board for approval on Oct. 24, 2016.
As in years past, the Fifth Grade Center presents the biggest challenge to routing as the entire student population changes each year. Additional challenges have been presented this year due to a large portion of Old Bonhomme Road being a one-way street, including the section that goes past Old Bonhomme Elementary School.
It should be noted that seating capacity on most district buses is 71 or 77 passengers, based on three students per seat. No district buses are currently “overcrowded,” although a few routes are being monitored for higher than optimal student capacity.
Changes to Policy JECA - Admission of Students. Mrs. Glantz led the Board in a second discussion regarding changes to Board Policy JECA - Admission of Students. This policy currently allows future residents who are in the process of building or purchasing a home to enroll their child(ren) as tuition students. Consideration is being given to expanding this option to those who intend to lease a residence in the district. The Board of Education Policy Committee met to consider options for revising the policy which were discussed by the Board. The Board is anticipated to approve a revised policy at their Oct. 24, 2016 meeting.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a Special Business Meeting on Oct. 13, 2016, at the Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road. The following meeting will be a Business Meeting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2016, at the Administrative Center. Tentative agenda items include the following.
Tentative Agenda Items for Special Business Meeting Oct. 13, 2016:
ACTION
- High School Renovation Project Bids and Change Orders
Tentative Agenda Items for Business Meeting Oct. 24, 2016:
ACTION
- 2016-17 Bus Routes/Mileage
INFORMATION
- Update on High School Building Project
- Enrollment and Residency Report
- MAP Data and Reports
- Community Survey Results
