This information includes highlights of information received by the Ladue Schools Board of Education at the March 8, 2021 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 March 8 Board Meeting
Board President Remarks
I want to recognize our four board candidates who are with us here tonight: Marissa Rosen, Jennifer Growe Soshnik, Andrew “Andy” Cohen, and Adam Pablo Flinn. The election is April 6.
Meet the Candidate Night is March 30 at 6:30 p.m. More information is available on the district website. It’s a good evening to participate in and learn about the candidates.
Superintendent Remarks
Congratulations to Dr. Tiffany Taylor-Johnson, principal at LMS, for receiving the Consummate Professional Award from MoASSP. You will be hearing more about this in the coming weeks. We could not be more proud of Dr. Taylor-Johnson for this accomplishment.
I want to let the Board know that we continue to work with other regional superintendents to partner with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to allow school districts to serve as host sites for vaccine distribution. Educators can receive a vaccination starting on March 15, and we are working and doing our due diligence to help try and get our teachers and staff vaccinated sooner rather than later.
Congratulations to our Speech and Debate Team for winning the District Championship and thank you to Molly Beck for supporting that team.
Congratulations to the Ladue Rams Hockey Club for winning the Wickenheiser Cup this past weekend.
Congratulations to our 2020-21 Teachers of the Year. It’s an impressive list of educators, and if you are named a Teacher of the Year it is a great accomplishment.
Next week, I will host a series of meetings with our newly established Student Advisory Councils, one at the middle school and one at the high school level. I want to hear from our students about their experiences this year and how we can transition into next school year.
I want to recognize all of our Maintenance Staff for everything they do; Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day was this past Friday.
I want to recognize Sheri Glantz and Nancy Goldstein who are participating in their final public Board meeting tonight. We are so appreciative of your service. I wanted to share a few memories from both: Sheri is the mother of three LHWHS graduates and first joined the Board in 2006. She served during the passing of Prop O in 2010, has served as President, Vice President, Secretary, and Director, and has acted as Board liaison for many committees. She has served as Board school liaison for Spoede, the Fifth Grade Center, LECC, LHWHS, Old Bonhomme, and Conway, and was the MSBA delegate from 2017 through 2020. What I appreciate most about Sheri is that she has been a consistent advocate for students of special needs. I’m proud to share that responsibility with you.
Nancy also is the mother of three LHWHS graduates, and grandmother of two grads and four current Ladue Schools students. She was first elected in 2012 and has served as Board Vice President, Secretary, and Director. Nancy has served as Board liaison for many committees as well. She served as Board school liaison for Conway, LMS, Old Bonhomme, the Fifth Grade Center, and LHWHS. She was a Special School District delegate from 2017 to 2018. I will always remember Nancy for her advocacy for reading and writing and seeing that all kids are proficient in those areas.
Under Sheri and Nancy’s leadership and service, voters approved Prop R in 2016 that led to the renovation of our high school. They have helped create a safe and secure environment for students. In 2016 and 2017, the district committed to ending the use of suspensions and disciplinary measures for K through 3 students, and both of you had a large role in making that happen. You both helped update Strategic Plans and Master Facility Plans. And I want to thank you both for hiring me and giving me the opportunity to serve as the Ladue Schools Superintendent. We appreciate you both and will truly miss you on our Board of Education.
ACTION ITEMS
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Dr. Jason Buckner shared information about the proposed bus transportation contracts. The Board approved the contracts as presented.
The Board approved policy JECA-2 - Eligibility to Enroll and ACA - Sexual Harassment Under Title IX, both recently issued by the Missouri School Boards' Association.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Julie Helm introduced, and the Board approved, this year’s Meet and Confer report and recommendations.
Dr. Helm presented, and the Board approved, the COVID-19 Leave Resolution to be in place through May 28, 2021.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Superintendent Dr. Jim Wipke introduced representatives from the construction and architect teams to share updates about the potential Prop L projects.
Board President Carolyn Jaeger and Dr. Wipke introduced Mr. John Reynolds, Mr. Andy Bresler, and Ms. Kisha Lee, who shared information related to the Olivette TIF Commission.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Amy Zielinski introduced Dr. Kevin McColgan, who shared a presentation about the district's Math Acceleration program.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next Board of Education meeting will be a regular Business Meeting on Monday, April 12, 2021. The meeting will be held virtually using Zoom and the Meeting ID will be posted on the Featured tab of BoardDocs when the meeting information is officially posted.
TENTATIVE AGENDA ITEMS FOR APRIL 12
BOARD REORGANIZATION
Oaths of Office
Election of Officers
ACTION
Olivette TIF
INFORMATION
Summer Construction Projects
Advisory Committee Re-Appointments
Support Staff Salary Recommendations
Summer Programming (math & reading intervention)
2021-22 Ladue Online Academy
Safety and Security Presentation
