Regular Open Meeting Brief – April 17, 2025
The entire meeting agenda can be viewed at: April 17, 2025 BOE Meeting
Board of Education Reorganizational Meeting
At the reorganizational meeting on April 10th, incumbent Board members Dawn Foy and Joshua Hill took the oath of office to begin new 3-year terms. Additionally, the Board elected Helen Ransom as President, Monica Terry as Vice President, and Joshua Hill as Treasurer to serve as the Board’s officers until April 2025.
Program Evaluations
The Board approved program evaluations for Gifted/Talented, Federal Title I, and Community Education. The Gifted/Talented program, which served 108 students during the 2024-25 school year, provides students who meet specific criteria with additional support aligned with their academic capabilities. Title I is a federal program that provides funding for districts with large concentrations of lower income students to ensure all students have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to reach proficiency on state achievement standards. Community Education focuses on identifying educational resources and unique opportunities for students, parents and various community stakeholders.
Career Ladder
The Board approved the district’s participation in for the Career Ladder program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Career Ladder aims to provide salary supplements to teachers who undertake additional responsibilities and voluntary efforts beyond their contracts.
Listening Tours
From October through March 2025, district leaders conducted Listening Tours at school sites and departments across the district. These sessions were designed to provide staff members with opportunities to share their perspectives, voice concerns, and offer suggestions directly to leadership. Additionally, a confidential employee engagement survey was used to collect broader feedback on staff engagement and professional needs. Data from the tours and survey showed all engagement goals being met or on target to be met by year end.
Sale of Bonds
The Board authorized the sale of the second portion of the $50M principal amount of General Obligation Bonds approved by voters on April 2, 2024. Funding from the sale of bonds is used for infrastructure enhancements and additions.
Board of Education Meeting Dates - 2025-26
Board of Education meetings dates were established for the coming year. Meetings will occur on the third Thursday of every month. A tax hearing will be held in September prior to the regular open meeting and a reorganizational meeting will be held in April 2024 prior to the regular open meeting. Various workshops and special meetings will be scheduled as needed.