The retreat was an important opportunity for the Board to assess both the financial and design aspects of the Master Plan, enabling them to make informed decisions as the process moved forward. DECEMBER 2024 BOARD OF EDUCATION RETREAT 16 31 At the final step of the master planning process, the Joint Steering Committee and Sub-Committee meetings provided a forum for discussion and final refinement of the design options. The meeting began by combining the Future of Education with an assessment of the district’s current state, offering a holistic view of the district’s needs moving forward. In order to help illustrate the state of Clayton’s schools in the broader context of educational trends and facility standards in neighboring districts, the Paragon team presented an overview of other school districts, comparing their facilities with those in the School District of Clayton. The discussion then turned to learning spaces, where goals for newly renovated or added architectural spaces were outlined. The focus was on understanding the requirements of these spaces and ensuring they were designed to support the district’s evolving educational vision. Design options were then reviewed, this time incorporating cost considerations. The presentation of costs alongside the design options allowed for a more grounded discussion of what was financially feasible within the district’s budget. FINAL JOINT MEETING OF STEERING COMMITTEE & ALL SUB-COMMITTEES 19 At the Board Retreat, the focus shifted toward addressing financial considerations while continuing to refine the conceptual design options for the Long-Range Facility Master Plan. The goal was to strike a balance between improving the district’s facilities for the community and being fiscally responsible, ensuring that any potential tax impact would be carefully considered. The meeting began with a review of the survey results, providing a deeper understanding of the community’s priorities and reinforcing the direction of the master planning process. A significant portion of the retreat was dedicated to discussing the Levels of Design and their associated costs. For the first time, the Paragon team presented estimations of cost alongside the conceptual design options, providing the Board a clearer understanding of the financial implications of each option. This allowed for a more informed discussion on how best to align the design aspirations with available resources. In addition to reviewing cost estimates, the retreat led to further design option modifications based on the discussions and feedback, helping refine the options to better reflect the community’s needs and fiscal realities. JANUARY 2025 BOARD OF EDUCATION RETREAT 18

In addition to reviewing cost estimates, the retreat led to further design option modifications based on the discussions and feedback, helping refine the options to better reflect the community’s needs and fiscal realities. JANUARY 2025 BOARD OF EDUCATION RETREAT 18 The meeting concluded with an open discussion, where differing opinions emerged regarding the practicality and feasibility of the proposed design concepts. One of the key concerns raised was how to prioritize projects within the limits of available funding, and how best to balance the most critical needs with fiscal constraints. This meeting was an important end to the stakeholder engagement process because it provided the Steering Committee and Sub-Committees with the opportunity to take a holistic view of all the data gathered throughout the process. It served as one final chance for open dialogue, allowing members to share their thoughts and perspectives on how the district should move forward with the information gathered, ensuring that every viewpoint was considered before final decisions were made. While the Joint Steering Committee and Sub-Committee meeting marked the official conclusion of the stakeholder engagement phase, the Board of Education continued to meet several additional times to further refine the design options. They took the feedback and insights gathered during the community engagement process into account, ensuring that all community input was considered before making final decisions on the next steps. CONTINUED BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS 20 32 RANKING DISTRICT-WIDE & BUILDING-LEVEL PRIORITIES PRIORITIES SUMMARY DOT EXERCISES RANKING PRIORITIES

RANKING DISTRICT-WIDE & BUILDING-LEVEL PRIORITIES PRIORITIES SUMMARY DOT EXERCISES RANKING PRIORITIES OVERALL DISTRICT-WIDE PRIORITIES SUMMARY Safety & Security DISTRICT-WIDE COMMON PROJECT THEMES 34 Maintenance & HVAC Accessibility & Inclusiveness Curriculum & Programming Throughout the process, four overarching themes emerged from discussions about projects at each building. These themes, referred to as “District-Wide Common Master Plan Themes,” are highlighted below. The Community Survey reinforced the direction of the stakeholder engagement process, confirming alignment with the district’s most pressing needs. Survey responses showed strong consensus around two top district-wide priorities: improving HVAC systems to enhance air quality and expanding specialized learning spaces to support evolving curriculum. At the building level, the highest- ranked priority among respondents was also the creation and modernization of hands-on learning environments to better prepare students for real-world opportunities. Additionally, there was broad support for reinvesting in existing facilities through infrastructure upgrades and targeted maintenance improvements. This survey data, combined with insights from Sub-Committees and Community Forums, played a key role in shaping the final prioritization of projects. The resulting rankings, outlined in this section, serve as a foundation for the next phase — guiding decision-making and ensuring that the district’s most critical needs are addressed as the planning process moves forward. OVERVIEW

Glenridge and Meramec Elementary Schools

schools