Regular Open Meeting Brief – August 15, 2019
The entire meeting agenda can be viewed at: August 15, 2019 BOE Meeting
APR Update
The Annual Performance Report (APR) provides performance data based on the 5th cycle Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5). The district has received preliminary data showing slight increases in Math and English Language Arts in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests for the district as a whole. Final district and site level APR data, which includes results from five state standards for the purposes of determining accreditation, will be released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in October.
Employee Exit Surveys
Annual employee exit surveys are used to gather data to validate practices that work well and to identify areas that need improvement. The Board had opportunity to review the survey results and comments. Seventy-nine surveys were distributed to teachers and support staff who left the district during the 2018-19 school year. Twenty-three surveys were returned.
Authorization to Redeem Bonds
The Board approved a resolution authorizing the redemption of $2,500,000 principal amount of General Obligation Refunding Bonds. Redeeming the bonds allows the district to align tax levies so there is flexibility for future bond considerations. There are sufficient funds available in the Debt Service Fund to redeem the bonds. Resources within the Debt Service Fund can only be used for principal and interest payments on bonds. These funds cannot be used for general operating expenses, such as salaries, benefits and supplies.
MSIP 6 Standard on Ethics
One of the proposed standards the 6th Cycle Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 6), which is used to determine Missouri public school district’s accreditation status, has to do with districts conducting business in an ethical, legal, and transparent manner. The Board discussed questions from the Missouri School Boards Association related to the proposed standard.
Instructional Purchases
The Board approved the purchase of several instructional supplies including business education resources, math and reading software, and educator evaluation system tools.