August 14, 2024 — Meeting Transcript

Machine-generated transcript — may contain errors.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us. Second session.

Welcome back, everyone. Adequate notice has been given. Would you please all join me in saying the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. Chris, read the motion. Wow, it's been a minute. I know, I know.

And this is a different format. What am I doing? Everyone excuses me of a different... This isn't what's the same.

What's happening? Okay. I should have gotten here a couple minutes earlier. No, it's okay.

Okay. I move that we approve the agenda as posted. Second. All those in favor?

Aye. Aye. Okay. Motion passes.

Luke, do we have any public comment? Okay. Okay. Before I turn it over to Nisha for her superintendent communications, I just wanted to welcome the board back and the CO team back and everyone at home watching.

I hope everyone had a great summer. I actually like that we always kind of start our meetings the week before school starts because I think it at least I should say for me helps me personally go into next week with such a better focus on the school year and feeling more inspired and energized to start that So welcome back everyone I did want to reintroduce Lucia Lorena, who we introduced at the last meeting last year, who is our new student board rep. We are so excited to have her join us. Lucia is a senior and spent a lot of her summer in Peru visiting her family, which is great.

I also wanted the community to know that as we directed the administrative team in June, they are doing their work around the issues of cell phones in our schools. And we are giving them space to do that. I think a lot of us have already seen some very clear communication from some of the school principals around new school rules and cell phones. So I'm happy to hear that.

And my hope is that our administrators and our teachers, our parents, and students will all work together to help ensure that the rules are followed. And we look forward to our October meeting when we'll receive the presentation. So with that, Dr. Patel.

Great. Thank you. Welcome. Happy New Year.

I always say this is a great profession because we get to say it like twice in a year. So Happy New Year. Excited to get everyone back. A lot of work was happening in the summer, so I'm going to just take a few minutes to recap some of that and then talk about what we've been doing this week, actually.

So to start off with summer, although we have a lot of time to kind of, you know, spend with our families and friends and hopefully we can make the most of that, one of the things that we also focus on is professional learning. And so I just wanted to share the stats with you because I think they're very impressive and a lot of work went behind it. We had 106 summer institutes that we offered this summer. And we had 50 facilitators for these institutes.

And what's neat about it is they were mostly our own staff. One of the things we value is having our own staff members go to different conferences, learn, and come back and teach the rest of our learners. So most of them were our own facilitators. And just a quick, just to see the increase in the number of participants.

In 2023, we had 467 registrations, and this summer we had 654. And then we always do like a survey, a kick-up survey after each of the professional learning. And you'll notice the stats behind that about how much they agree in terms of how it's impacting their own classroom instruction and practices. And then there was a couple of quotes.

There were a lot of quotes, but I just pulled up a couple to look at the bottom there about the benefit of that. So I just really want to give a shout out to not only the teaching and learning department for putting all of this together and organizing it, but for all of our staff to take time out of your summer to come in and continue to learn throughout the summer is exceptional. So kudos to everybody for that. Switching gears, we did a lot of also work in capital improvement projects over the summer, so I want to give a huge shout out to our maintenance department for all of the work that they do behind the scenes.

You can see I've listed out the major projects that occurred at each of the buildings. One of the ones that I do want to lift up is the one that we did at Merrimack in terms of adding the additional flexible space. The top floor, everything is on time. Everything is done.

Patrick Fisher has already assigned some of the space allocations and the upstairs, the new area is going to be used by our special education staff and for our students with special needs as well. And then one of the areas is going to be converted into an office space that was needed anyway. So that piece is on time and going well. And then the other big piece was also the Glenridge Playground.

Unfortunately, due to weather, they pushed back the installation, so we just found out today that they're going to start, hopefully, not next week, but the week after. And the reason it was weather-related is because they had already started projects in other schools that they had to keep postponing, and they didn't want to stop that to come to ours, which I understand. So they're trying to complete those and then get to us. And if you haven't seen, we put a huge banner outside the Glenridge Playground with a QR code.

So if you're a community member and you're kind of wondering, like, what's the status on this playground, you can just scan the QR code and it takes you to the website that gives you an update of what the progress is. And I know Dr. Murdoch has also shared the information with the community in terms of progress with that. So a lot of work behind the scenes with that.

And then last week, thank you for the board members who came to the new teacher educator induction that we do. We have over 29 new family members that we added to the district this year which is a huge amount What I most excited about is like all their perspectives and thoughts because a lot of where they coming from is not only different districts in St Louis County but also regionally So we have individuals coming from Hazelwood, Ledoux, Chaminade, Parkway, SLPS, Francis Howell, Hancock, Maplewood, Webster Groves. I mean, you could think of all the districts. And so all the different perspectives they bring, I think, really makes us stronger.

So I'm really excited to see this group joining us and making us better. And that whole week was spent with them doing a deep dive into our strategic plan, our goals. They took a bus tour to the different buildings because sometimes they have a hard time getting to them, you know, once you're in your day-to-day routine. And I wanted to thank the CEO team for organizing that whole week.

Because there was a lot of work. And every time I would go into any of those sessions, the learners, all these new educators were so engaged in the work. And one of the things, you know, they do a kick-up survey at the end, too, and they gave us feedback. And they were talking about how amazing it is to be in a district that embraces learning and pushes their own thinking.

So it was really neat. And I'm excited for them to join us. It'll be great. Then this week, we got our staff.

They all returned. A lot of building meetings on Monday and Tuesday and a little bit this morning and then now the rest of the time the classroom teachers have time in their classrooms to get ready for our students that come in on Monday. Each building had a lot of neat things that they were doing. It was very unique to their own building culture and climate.

For example, I know Glenridge did, they started off in a circle. You can see in the picture there the staff circle. Spervantage of Education, Proposition O, levy, agenda, motion carried. Movie theaters, and guess what they were watching, the whole staff, Inside Out 2.

And it's all about social-emotional learning and, you know, the whole well-being and emotions. Yeah, so they did that. Y-Down, of course, they had the most staff they haven't had, they've had in a long time, join. And so part of that was a lot of the team bonding, and they did it through Amazing Grace.

So they actually had them divided into teams. They didn't know when they went throughout the area. And had challenges and stuff. High school, they did their welcome open breakfast that they always do, and then they had rotations for all the topics that they needed to address.

So that was interesting, too, and they enjoyed that part. So a lot of different things happening. In the family center, in the mornings, they went and did home visits. And I always like to share, they always have a tradition of doing that family portrait at the beginning of the new year.

So they did that. So they're getting ready for students to be back on Monday. And then for us, looking forward, long-range facilities master plan work has been happening over the summer. We're almost finalizing the building subcommittees.

I think almost every building has the individuals identified that are going to be on the committees. We've mapped out all the dates for the year. It's all on the calendars, and we will begin this work. I believe we have a district steering committee meeting, maybe not next week, but the week after to kick off all the work.

And then at the board meeting, the next board meeting, we're going to have Paragon come here and give us an update on all the work that they did in the summer. And then moving forward, some of the plans as well. So a lot of work going on with that. We did create a website where we're going to keep updating with all the work that's happening so that the community can be aware of it.

And if they have any questions, they can always reach out to any of us in the subcommittees as well. And then one other thing, I know Stacey already mentioned the cell phone conversation. We've been doing a lot of work around it this summer. This just kind of gives you a timeline of things that we have been doing.

One of the conversations we had recently with the CO team is the surveys that we developed. We had originally planned on sending them out September 3rd through the 13th. We're actually going to send them out even earlier. So we're going to send it out.

The tentative date now is August 22 to September 4. And the reason to move it up a little more is so we can have more time to really look at the information that we get before we present it to the board. So we be doing that and then we present all the information to the board on the 9th One of the things also that a group of students at the high school actually emailed me yesterday or day before yesterday wanting to set up a meeting with me and just to talk about it as well So, Lucia, I believe you were on that email. So I look forward to having that conversation with the group of students next week.

And then finally, before I hand it off to Lucia, I have never done this and I don't do this, But I really want to give the central office team a shout out. The amount of work that they do every single day that people don't see, they don't necessarily recognize all the time, but it is amazing to me all the work that they do every single day to make our district be successful. And their sole purpose and truly genuine great human beings is to make sure our students are successful and to provide the best level of customer service. And I know this year they've taken on additional responsibilities and not once did they even blink at that thought.

They have embraced all the new learning and the challenges and I'm really super proud to be a part of your team. So thank you for all the work that you do. All right, and now it is my honor to hand it off to Lucia for her first student update. Well, first of all, I would like to thank you all so much for having me here.

I am very happy to be here as student representative. Well, there's only really one small comment to make because school hasn't started yet, but it's just that for sure students have already started to discuss the upcoming and ongoing school regulations. So I really look forward to bringing out the student voices and communicating those to you. And I'm just very excited, and I know all the students are, to have an amazing school year.

So go Greyhounds. Thank you, Lucia. We look forward to your updates when school starts. Okay, we are on 5.1, first reading of policy BDC, D, which is closed meetings, records, and votes.

Heike. I don't have a microphone over there. I had to do that. So MSBA provides us with recommendations for changes to policies, And this evening I'm going to introduce policy BDC, which is closed meetings, records, and votes.

Some of the changes that you see are basically just to clarify language, and it doesn't change the intent of the policy or any content of it. The other parts are due to comply with law. The Missouri revised statute allows for some agenda items to be discussed in closed session, and Senate Bills 28 and 186 modified that statute to add new categories that should be discussed in closed session, and also one that revised an existing exception. So this policy this evening is for information only.

And I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I know you have it. Yeah, go ahead. I'm not calling on anyone.

Okay, my question is, so if you read the very first couple sentences there under closed meeting notice, the board will give public notice of closed meetings in accordance with board policy and law. The motion in the vote to authorize the closed session must occur in open session. So the way it exists now, from my experience thus far, is that we get told we have an executive session around whatever item that it is, you know, we're legally allowed to have an executive session about. Spervantage, Bord of Education, Proposition O, levy, agenda, motion carried.

Who wants it and who doesn't, all of that, in terms of our vote. And my question for you is, what does that post look like? It must, does the post say it's an open meeting where we're going to decide whether we want a closed meeting? It can't just say we're having a closed meeting, right?

So the posting does state that it is an executive session, but the first part of it, and this is why you have to state in the adoption of it What agenda item you're actually going to discuss. Yes. And that's where that 610.021.3 or whatever comes in. So all that is open.

And then once you approve, once you make that motion and it's voted on and approved, then it's closed. Okay. That's why there's an individual role. Exactly.

Right. And a closed session. Exactly. Because we can all vote according to what we believe is whether we want that meeting to be closed for that reason or not.

Correct. But I guess to Chris's point, it's clear to the public. That's my point I'm trying to make. That it's, that we're voting to go into close.

That it's open until we vote. I don't want there to be a misconception that we just, you know, that we just, I just want the public to realize they can be there for that in general, you know, to watch that happen. And B, that it's not just a we're doing this sort of thing. Superintendent, Board of Education, Proposition O, levy, agenda, motion carried.

I read the paragraph 17, 18, and 19 here. Is that correct? Correct. And everything else in here, I read it, I understand it, and you understand it, is just improving the way we write it so it's a little more readable.

Sometimes MSBA will get questions from districts and say this is kind of hard to interpret on how it, what the meaning of it is, so they try to clear it up. Somebody got their plain English for lawyers out. I was going to say, some of it is just grammatical. Okay, thank you.

And Oxford Commas. I knew Jason noticed that. The person at this time clearly subscribes to the Oxford Comma, where the previous person did not. Yes.

Jason and I are big Oxford Comma fans. Correctly so. Good, great. Okay, well, thank you, Heike.

I'll just stay for the next one. Okay. Oh, yes. Okay, so we're on action item 6.1, cooperation agreement between the Board of Education Commission and the School District of Clayton.

Oh, do I need to make a motion? Yeah Chris read the motion and then we I move that we approve a resolution authorizing the incorporation of the St Louis County Board of Elections Committee to the School District of Clayton in 2025 Second. Second, I was just going to say. I was just going to say that due to the nature of the filing period that always occurs over winter break, I'm happy to let this filing be held at the Board of Elections and not in our office where staff needs to be there that maybe wouldn't otherwise need to be.

I think lots of school districts and other entities have moved their filing to the Board of Elections, so I don't see why not. So I'm just voicing my support of this, and there's no cost to us, just so everyone knows that as well. And I believe this is just right now a one-year thing, so we can see how it goes, right? Okay.

Okay. I said this to Heike in an email, that as someone who was a write-in candidate and then had to go file at the Board of Elections, they were so incredibly kind and helpful. And so for anyone in the community who's thinking of running next year, it's a very simple process, at least that part of it. We've come a long way from camping out outside the building here to get your name first on the ballot, which did used to happen.

Frank probably remembers that. Okay, any other comments? Anything? Okay, all those in favor?

Aye. Any opposed? No, okay, motion passes. Okay, 6.2, request for nationally certified school nurse stipend.

I move that we approve the addition of a stipend for school nurses who earn And or maintain the nationally certified school nurse credential. Second. Anyone? Yeah, sorry.

We'll open it up for any questions or comments. For Kelly or anyone else. This is long overdue, is what I would say. Good for us for catching this.

This is so important. So thank you for making sure this happens. I agree. And also thank you for providing us with the like market data, like for the other districts in our region, what they're doing too.

Great. Okay. All those in favor? Aye.

Any opposed? Okay. Motion passes. Thank you.

Sorry, I'm getting used to this new format too. Okay. 7.2, Memorandum of Understanding. Hold on.

Sorry, sorry. Yes. I apologize to everyone watching and listening. We have a whole new system here.

Okay 7 Requesting Board Approval on all consent agenda items 7 through 7 Chris? I move that the Board of Education approve the consent agenda for agenda items 7.02 through 7.13. Second. Okay.

Anyone have any comments or questions about anything on the consent agenda? No. I had one question, actually, and I apologize. I just thought of it on the way here.

In the disbursement report, John, why do we as a district pay a membership fee to the Center of Clayton for $40,000? Okay. Okay, so it's basically an employee membership. Okay, got it.

Okay, thank you. That was all. Anybody else have anything? Okay, good.

All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, consent agenda passes.

We are flying through. Great. Okay, board communications. I'll just open up the floor to anyone that has anything to share.

Anything? I mean, we probably haven't been. I guess I would just like to, Dr. Patel already mentioned, but thank everybody.

I know Kim was in Asia. Everyone, including Lucia, who was at the new teacher breakfast at the high school on Monday. I think it was great to see such a big, enthusiastic group of new to us teachers, which was great. And I always appreciate that the board is included in that.

I think it's a great way to welcome them, and it's great for them to get to know us as well. I also wanted to, forgot to mention earlier to the community that the board sent out a letter to the entire community informing, telling them how to stay more informed with links to our board meetings and our schedule and locations of the meetings because they're not all here this year, as well as a link to reading about the Long Range Facilities Master Plan Guide, just as a kind of first outreach of the school year so that we sent the letter to the trustees of every school year. Neighborhood in Clayton. The City of Clayton was kind enough to give me that distribution list.

And with the hope that the trustees will then disperse it to their neighborhoods. And hopefully the public will then maybe pay more attention to when our board meetings are, look at the agendas and see if anything interests them to pay attention to. And also, of course, with the Long Range Facilities Master Plan Guide there, I hope that that answers a lot of questions, you know, amongst the community. And it's just, as I mentioned in there, that kind of first So that's the first step to what I hope to be a lot more outreach effort in the community this year.

Did you have something, Leo? Leo Sperlingo Yeah, I went to the parks and rec meeting. The main thing that was presented there was the initiative to control the amount of light in our parks so that you have a dark sky at night It was presented by seems like a worthwhile project right And it was presented by a WashU intern. She did a great job.

Another reminder that having Washington University right nearby is fantastic. And that was it. Yeah. So the Equity Committee had a day-long retreat in June, and I was out of town and not able to attend, so Dr.

Poole sent me a summary of what happened, and it sounds, I just want to share some of it with you all. They spoke about understanding what is the criteria for what a student needs to be successful in Clayton. And they brought up both the written criteria but also the unwritten criteria for being a successful student in Clayton. And the main unwritten criteria that they came up with that I wanted to read out was parents who serve as extreme advocates outside tutoring and enrichment.

Access to counseling and therapy and the ability to travel and have unique experiences. And so then this led to ways that we could provide opportunities for all students to access some of these unwritten criteria. Then they also, I shared with you guys at the meeting in June about the equity walkthroughs. And so they just spoke about various ways to improve those, to increase the frequency of them, and to help with the reliability of the data collected from them.

Please edit or add anything, Dr. Poole, if you have anything to say. Okay. Thumbs up.

Good. That's it. Okay. Anyone else?

A couple more things. Hopefully everyone in the community received communication that the back-to-school bash tomorrow is postponed. To a later date because I think we're expecting some really rough weather. And actually, Jenny Abley's called me this afternoon to brainstorm some other dates and ideas that she thought might be good for the district.

So it will be rescheduled, but I think just for caution's sake, it's being canceled for tomorrow. And lastly, before we adjourn, I wanted to officially announce that Gary Pearson submitted his resignation this afternoon, effective today as a member of the Board of Education. So I'm officially announcing that there is a vacancy on the Board of Education, and we will communicate with the public soon when we have figured out a process by which to fill the seat. That's all.

So, we can adjourn. I move that the Board of Education adjourn. All those in favor? Aye.

Any opposed? Okay, motion passes. Meeting is adjourned.