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May 23, 2022, SSD200 Board meeting
The Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, May 23, in the Heckart Performing Arts Center. All members were present, with Board Director Michael Stees participating via Zoom.
The board approved changing the 2022-23 salary schedule to add $1,000 to base pay for all certified staff members and 32 cents per hour to support staff pay rates. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Todd Fraley said the changes are due to a variety of factors, including Gov. Mike Parson’s request to increase minimum teacher pay to $38,000 per year and Parson’s approval of one-time payments to districts to make that so. Fraley noted that while districts are not required to adjust support staff pay, “the district cannot in good conscience not include this vital part of our organization.” The total additional cost to the district is around $640,000 beyond the increases approved at the April board meeting.
Other factors in the change:
- Surrounding districts will have starting salaries that match Sedalia 200, making them more competitive in recruiting teachers. This is especially true for those schools that also offer a four-day week.
- The state is providing full funding of the transportation formula for the first time since 1991. This will provide approximately $600,000 in additional revenue for the district, but at this point only for the 2022-23 school year.
- Lobbyists are warning districts that state lawmakers are watching, and that if districts opt out of the one-time teacher salary funding it could create problems in future (basically, “we tried to give you money but you turned it down”).
.Board Director Matthew Herron asked how the district would react if the transportation formula is not fully funded in subsequent years. Fraley said verbiage can be added to the motion to indicate the increases are not guaranteed beyond the 2022-23 school year.
Fraley said staff members are being stressed by inflation now, so he would like to provide some level of relief and the transportation payment increase along with some ESSER III funding makes the increase manageable now. Board Vice President Sam Kempton said he felt the board had an obligation to use the available funds to help district staff members.
The motion passed on a 6-0 vote, with Herren abstaining. The motion included amending the “Additional Stipends/Items on Demand” pay scales to create more equity and balance in these stipends.
The board also discussed adding a permanent agenda item allowing the community to speak on agenda and non-agenda items. Fraley said Senate Bill 681, which is awaiting the governor’s signature, has a provision that will require school districts to establish a policy related to public comment. Herren said Sedalia 200’s existing board policy regarding public comment is fine, but he would like community members to be able to address the board on non-agenda items. He said the three-minute limit is adequate, as is the policy that board members may or may not respond to the speaker, but he feels the restriction to agenda items has only been enforced in recent years.
Stees said for as long as he has been on the board, he has understood the public comment policy to limit comments to current agenda items. Board Director Scott Gardner said addressing items not on the public agenda could create violations of the state’s Sunshine Law. Kempton said meetings are for the board to conduct the district’s business and that there are adequate ways for the community to communicate with board members. There are policies in place for the community to get items placed on the board agenda, Kempton said, adding that, like Gardner, he fears dropping the restriction could create Sunshine Law issues and that the public comment period could become a “filibuster” period on non-district topics.
Nichols encouraged board members to look at other districts’ policies regarding public engagement before the next meeting, when this issue could be up for decision.
The board approved allowing the Robotics Booster Club, which has applied for federal 501c3 not-for-profit status, to go forward with fundraising for an addition to the current Project Lead The Way space at Smith-Cotton High School. Engineering teacher and Team SCREAM Head Coach Michael Wright said the club already has $150,000 in preliminary pledges; the goal is to raise $500,000. Fraley said the addition has been part of preliminary discussions with Hollis + Miller, the architectural firm working on the district’s long-range facilities plan. Stees asked that Sgt. John Cline, the district’s safety and security officer, provide an evaluation of the risks posed by the two site options.
Four Tiger Legacy Scholarship contracts were approved and the recipients (shown above) were recognized by the board. Class of 2022 graduates Kiran Lewellyn (elementary education), Lucy Mahalovich (secondary English) and Mackenzie Sinor (secondary history), as well as Class of 2020 grad Alexandra Phillips (elementary math/special education) will receive financial assistance for their college education in exchange for coming back to teach in Sedalia 200.
Also at the meeting:
- The revised Biology curriculum was approved. The high school science department has worked to create a more inquiry-based approach to the state biology standards. This new approach increases student engagement and provides more opportunities for critical thinking and problem-based learning.
- The Homeless Children and Youth Education Project Evaluation Report was approved.
- The board approved a collection of custodial goods bids, as well as bids for paper, bakery and dairy items.
- A contract extension with First Student Inc., the district’s busing company, was approved. The contract extension is for services to be provided from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2027. The pricing indicates an 11.5% increase for the first year and 4% increases yearly for the next four years.
- The board approved hiring an additional social worker in a temporary two-year position paid through an American Rescue Plan grant the district recently received.
- There was discussion of the Missouri School Boards Association starting the audit process for the district’s current MCE policies. MSBA has sent the district a Pre-Service Agreement to give the Board an idea of what an MSBA Service Agreement would include.
- Changing the softball coaching positions on the extra duty salary schedule to align with the baseball coaching positions was discussed and will come back for a decision in June.
- Heber Hunt administration requested district support and approval to continue planning for the remodeling/building of a more inclusive playground. The goal is to raise funds to create a playground that allows more access and opportunities for all students, including those with developmental and other physical/mental limitations. The approximate cost of the project is $150,000. The school has already raised $4,000 for this project.
- The board discussed the 2022-23 Student Discipline Code Handbook, which will be brought back for decision at the June meeting.
- A donation from Staples of more than 290 containers of sanitizer in various sizes, along with several canisters of antibacterial wipes, was acknowledged.
- SCEA honored 24 retirees, who amassed a combined 467 years of district service. Six members will be attending the MSTA leadership conference this summer. SCEA President Shelley Lutjen introduced Misty Tow, who will take over as the group’s leader.
- Sedalia School District Foundation’s golf tournament, the biggest fundraiser it offers, is set for June 27 at Sedalia Country Club. SSDF Administrative Assistant Paula Schupp offered a comparison to demonstrate grown of the foundation’s scholarships: in 2017, it provided 46 awards for 28 scholarships at a total of $27,700; this year, there were 122 awards (10 to Whittier High graduates, 112 to Smith-Cotton grads) at a total of more than $82,000.