Mexico 59 Board of Education Update

This monthly update will be sent prior to noon the day after the board meeting.

Certified Staff: Keri Poehlman is a Guidance Counselor and has been with the district for one year.
Support Staff: Hayden Foreman is a Food Service Worker and Office Assistant and has been with the district for two years.

Per Board Policy KH: All gifts accepted will be reported to the Board of Education, publicly announced and appropriately acknowledged. The donor will be officially thanked in the district's name.

The following people donated:

• Jim and Lois Curtis donated $100.00 to the Special Olympics
• CE Grain donated $500.00 to the Special Olympics
• Audrain County Collector, Amy LeCount donated $100.00 to the Special Olympics
• Ann Hagan donated $100.00 to the Special Olympics
• Pearl's donated $200.00 to the Special Olympics
• Farmers and Laborers donated $100.00 to the Special Olympics
• Show Me Credit Union donated $200.00 to the Special Olympics
• The Lions Club donated $50.00 to the Special Olympics
• Rotary donated $500.00 to the Special Olympics
• Remax donated $100.00 to the Special Olympics

• Approval of the Transportation Routes: Per Policy EEA & EEAB - School bus routes will be approved by the Board no later than October for initial approval, and no later than June, for the final modifications made during the school year.
• Approval of the Teen Outreach Program for Pregnancy Prevention (TOPPS) Contract
• Approval of the HUDL Agreement: HUDL services are funded by local business sponsors through the district's advertising services. This year this includes: Commerce Bank, United Credit Union, Pearl Motor Co, Phynx Fiber, Mommens Heating and Cooling, Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners, and Sound Solutions.

MMS offered a Building Share this month. Principals Julie Lower and Kyle Louder hit some highlights for the year so far.

• Academic Goal: 66% of our students will meet their individualized reading growth goal as set by the iReady diagnostic by the end of the 23-24 school year.
• Behavior Goal: Decrease the number of office discipline referrals by 15% from the 2022-23 school year to the 2023-24 school year.
• Culture & Climate Goal: intentional planning of activities, increase student involvement, and staff/student surveys.
• Attendance Goal: 90% of our students will attend school 90% or more during the 2023-24 school year.

Bulldog staff are encouraged to read their Individual Building Reports as well:

• MELC
• EF
• HAW
• MMS
• MHS
• MEC
• HCC

2023C Policy Updates. This second reading was approved and included Policy AC: Discrimination and Harassment, Policy BBF: School Board Member Ethics, Policy BBBA-1: Board Member Qualifications, Policy EF: Food Service Management.

SpedTrack Approval. The license and agreement were approved for this special education software which allows tracking IEPs, 504s, and Medicaid claims.

Updates to the District Strategic Plan. The Board of Education approved the strategic plan on October 18, 2022 with time-bound dates that were placeholders at that time. These suggested updates to the strategic plan include updated time-bound dates that align with the district's practices and adding the funding source to each CSIP goal.

Approved the Arthur Center Community Health Memo of Understanding. This MOU between Mexico Schools and the Arthur Center Community Health-Mexico will continue to provide school-based services to the students in the district. This partnership with the Arthur Center allows students access to social-emotional and mental health support while they are at school. The Arthur Center is providing a therapist to work on-site at school buildings, as well as facilitating required insurance and billing paperwork. At this time, any student with state insurance (Medicaid) will be able to enroll and begin therapeutic services. Mexico Public School district continues the work to support the social-emotional and behavioral needs of the students, this partnership with the Arthur Center is another resource in helping to support our students and families.

Show Me Credit Union Agreement. Show Me Credit Union has reached out about the opportunity to support the school district through a community card. Their members would be able to choose the community card for the district which would intern donate some of the interchange income derived from their transactions back to the district. The agreement with Show Me Credit Union is non-exclusive. There is no cost to the district for this program. The district has the discretion on how to utilize the donations from this program. There is a guarantee of a minimum of $5,000 annually donated with this program and there is no cap on the maximum amount donated.

Minimum Fund Balance Established. The fund balance for a school district serves like a savings account of sorts. A percentage of the operating fund is determined to help cover unforeseen expenses or emergencies and provide working capital. By maintaining an adequate fund balance, the district demonstrates financial stability. The board approved to establish a fund balance of 20-30% of annual operating expenditures for the most recent year. More information about this is in the last section entitled, "Minimum Unrestricted Fund Balance" at this link.

The board approved the hiring of six new individuals:

• Samantha Moss, Nurse Aide
• Deanna Roberts, Para
• April Elliot, District Receptionist
• Emma Addie, Para
• Kyle Cross, Custodian
• Monica Smith, Bus Driver

Transfers, additional, and extra duty individuals were also approved.

Informational personnel items were also offered to the Board.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Allen Miles offered an update on strategic plan items to the board.

Technology: Our new tech director, Anna Richardson, was introduced to the Board. The technology committee continues to meet monthly to check in and establish district goals.

Safety & Security: Projects continue at all district buildings. Several items have been ordered or even completed, such as key fob entries, security cameras, and purchased service for window tint. The district was awarded a $250,000 safety grant from DESE last spring. The completed projects have been a part of this grant; however, the school maintenance department has been able to complete some of the work. Because of this financial efficiency, the district may be able to reallocate some funds to complete more safety and security projects, such as renumbering of classrooms in buildings, additional window tint, and bollards in front of some buildings. Stay tuned for more on this.

Curriculum & Assessment: Tutoring started this week and EF, HAW, and MMS. This runs through April 8.

Student Literacy: Reading Success Plans are underway around the district. The plans are necessary for student deficits in phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Superintendent Melissa Chastain offered an update to the board on Strategic Plan goals during her Superintendent comments.

Long-range Facility Planning: The district continues to research information in regards to a no-tax increase bond for the April 2024 ballot. The facilities committee met on Monday afternoon to review district projects shared from Facilities Solutions Group (FSG), a board-approved contracted service for design and construction. Projects will be prioritized and the board will vote on ballot language at a later date.

Professional Development for the Leadership Team: District leadership continues to participate in PD opportunities, like conferences, regional meetings, professional organizations, the "Trusted Leader" book study, and mentorship programs.

Professional Development District Plan: The BOE approved the district's PD plan last June. We have met that MSIP6 goal. Information was also offered on the October visit from Brian Mendler.

Climate & Culture: The district released the Climate & Culture surveys on Monday for staff and parents. Student surveys will be sent soon to 5th, 8th, and 11th graders. The surveys close on October 31 and are utilized for district celebration and improvements as well as DESE's MSIP6 requirements.