April 16, 2024

Opening of Meeting

The board meeting was called to order by President Gaspar followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Board Members present: Ken Gaspar, A.J. Bahl, Brian Hunter, Yesy Perez, Jared Wormington, Annie Smith, and Ashley Bailey.

Outgoing Board Member Honored

A.J. Bahl was presented with an appreciation certificate by Ken Gaspar. The meeting was paused for a brief reception honoring A.J. Bahl for his years of dedicated service on the board.

A.J. Bahl's wife, Laura, was in attendance.

Annie Smith - Master Certification

Annie Smith was recognized for achieving Master Certification from the Missouri School Boards' Association. By achieving this high level of certification, Annie has demonstrated a profound commitment to enhancing the quality of education and governance in the Monett R-1 School District.

New Board Members Take Oath

This year, our school district faced a unique situation where the number of vacancies on the school board were exactly equal to the number of candidates who filed to run for the open positions. In accordance with electoral principles and district policies, when the number of candidates does not exceed the number of available seats, a formal election is not required. Incumbent Ken Gaspar and Walter Branch were sworn in and took the the oath of office.

Reorganization

Dr. Drake called the new board to order to proceed with the election of officers followed by Mr. Ken Gaspar who conducted the selection of the president. Brian Hunter conducted the remainder of the officer elections.

Unanimously elected for the 2024/2025 school year were:

President: Brian Hunter

Vice President : Ken Gaspar

Secretary: Ana Espinoza

Treasurer: Kristin Umfleet

MSBA Delegate: Annie Smith

MSBA Alternate: Yesy Perez

Consent Agenda

Unanimously Approved:

Approve minutes
Pay bills
Classified Staff Changes (Attached)
Summer School Application
Approve Career Ladder Plan for 24-25 SY
Approval of Surplus bid
Approve Surplus List

Admin Campus Reports were reviewed by the Board.

Previous Business

Update on Facilities/Grounds by Steve Garner, Director of Operations, included:

The 2018-2019 ten-year long-range plan has been successfully completed, with the exception of the pending destruction or repurposing of certain district buildings. We are grateful for the community's support of the 2020 bond issue, which enabled significant advancements, including the opening of an early childhood campus, a new Monett Middle School campus, the establishment of a new administrative office, and the completion of various other projects throughout the district. These projects would not have been possible without the support of our community who voted on Proposition C.A.R.E in 2020.

Update on Curriculum by Dr. Melissa Huff, Assistant Superintendent included:

Professional Development Committee (PDC): Two of our Professional Development Committee Leadership team members, Tegan Rand from Monett Elementary and Valerie Pendergrass from Monett High School, present the Professional Development Plan for the 24-25 school year. They also provide feedback the committee received from the March Professional Development survey to obtain feedback for the 2024-2025 school year.
Annual Meeting and Tiered Monitoring: The annual Title meeting took place on April 3, 2024, with invitations sent to stakeholders and representatives from the four nonpublic school districts. Twenty stakeholders across the district and community members attended the meeting. The primary objective of this meeting was to assess our existing plans and policies, notably the Parent Teacher Compact, Family Engagement Policy, and Program Plan. Attendees engaged in a comprehensive review of these documents, offering valuable feedback to guide future endeavors.
Literacy: During the March State Board of Education meeting, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Literacy Department presented key updates that I would like to share with you along with some of our own literacy data.

The board approved the Month of April Program Evaluations including: (Attached)

The Board unanimously approved the Monthly Program Evaluations (per CSIP) - Continuous School Improvement Plan:

Success Ready Monitoring (CSIP Goal 7)
Professional Development Plan (CSIP - Goal 3)
Library Media
2024-2025 Meal Prices

New Business

The Board discussed:

CTA Teacher Retention: PTO vs Sick Leave considered with no formal action taken.

MSBA 2024A Update - AI: Discussed MSBA AI policy updates. No formal action taken.

Gym Flooring Refinishing

Accept bids for gym floor refinishing

Approve bids for gym floor refinishing:

The board approved the screening and recoating of the district’s gym floors for $8385 for MMS, MIS, MECC, MHS with Jarrett Enterprises.

Important Upcoming Dates

May 1: Celebration of Schools - Webb City
May 5: Baccalaureate, 6 pm, PAC
May 6: Senior Awards Night, 6:00 pm PAC
May 10: Graduation - 7 pm
May 16: Regular Monthly Board Meeting
May 16: Budget workshop 5:00-6:00 pm, New Administrative Office
May 16: Regular Monthly Board Meeting
June 24-26: M-W MSBA Summer Summit - Branson - Concurrent Sessions, Delegate Assembly, Presentation of Governance Award
June 27: Regular Monthly Board Meeting