Communication Series Part 9

Dear Knob Noster Public Schools Families and Community:

In his best-selling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, renowned leadership author, John Maxwell, highlights the “Law of Momentum.” This law follows the age-old rule that an object in motion tends to remain in motion unless specific actions are taken to change its direction. In recent years, Knob Noster Public Schools, our team, and our students have charted a clear path towards educational excellence, and we continue to pick up speed and gain momentum with each new opportunity and subsequent student success story written.

Over the last 10 weeks, this communication series has been shared to spotlight the current work of Knob Noster Public Schools in an effort to inspire additional support and goodwill for our students, community, and installation. We have worked very hard over the last six years to position our district to receive significant financial support from the federal government that would significantly enhance the future of our community. The awareness and support for Knob Noster Public Schools at the state and federal level may be at an all-time high. We hope that the information shared in this series will help increase excitement and collaboration across the Knob Noster community as we work to positively impact the future of our community.

As I share with our Knob Noster Public Schools team nearly every time I speak with them, our stories matter. What we say about our students, our families, our school district and our community matters. Our stories carry a far greater impact on public perception than anything that can originate from my office or from our board. While we are not perfect, I tell all my family and friends just how special Knob Noster is. My entire family loves the Knob Noster community and people. We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this amazing community, and we know we share those sentiments with countless other families who call Knob Noster home, if only for a short period of time.

As we travel down this new pathway of opportunity for our school and our community, I would ask you to carefully choose how you respond to this opportunity and to the direction being taken by the district. Your words do matter, and they do influence public sentiment. While the direction the district is taking is not unique (schools are built all the time), the overall project is very innovative, and the funding strategy is highly unique. The creativity included in the proposed Knob Noster High School Innovation campus is focused on delivering a project that is great for kids and that is also great for the future of the Knob Noster community.

Over the last few months, the district has hosted a variety of engagement events to hear additional feedback, guidance, and collaboration from our community. As described in this communication series, district leadership has worked very hard over many years to create this opportunity to place in front of the Knob Noster community. If funded, our work will shift to ensure we align our path forward with specific feedback from our community.

We look forward to continuing to engage with you in upcoming public meetings, planning sessions, and other engagement activities. This communication series as well as other information related to this project is available on the district website at www.knobnoster.k12.mo.us. We look forward to our ongoing work together.

On behalf of the KNPS team and our 1900 students, thank you for your time in reviewing this communication series. As always, my door is open to you and our community if you would like more information. Knob Noster Public Schools – Our Mission Is Student Success!

Very Respectfully,

Jerrod Wheeler, Ed. D.

Superintendent of Schools