[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6664186,"mediaKeyId","2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9","parentId",2383280,"title","Board approves agenda, consent items, January financials and MSBA policy update","audioSeconds",107,"startMs",1290000,"endMs",1397000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9&start=1290&end=1397","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9/thumbnail_1290000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6664186/Missouri/Board-approves-agenda-consent-items-January-financials-and-MSBA-policy-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664186-84cf2fe302ed057cdd39208830614a71/orig.mp4?Expires=1775523179&Signature=DaD~IXyAlnEgBm-uw~j3CU5oPMyQdmr1N-TWXldYMFSb0uDC6pDejNJvYpZ~5-u2LMY7lCXn9~zZWeDC0P6k9njJX88OzhBFTm-MN7vvx6T8nY2PTOlNDKPHry6ZELWbsYXvnk90oIFrxntTqyCPQMuuqjKIPZxWVpURQEZz9jOgVcr2fT5Yg9eQH8nneApm6Q3cgZMtwLUDHUkFqSM5POMHhDplksVpcG8bjHKzvx0n07NcOxrh1rM~TJFFzlEPFrkD~MNsfbsh915j~VlfAlL~Fs18ZwiFpxdXjuTzfzxuzNkrasO-6nIalEv~nN1JC9S8o6mWldetaW8yRErj2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kirkwood School District","date","2025-02-25T02:22:56.063Z","article","At the meeting the Kirkwood R‑VII Board of Education approved the meeting agenda and multiple items by voice vote, including the January 2025 financial statements and a second reading and approval of MSBA update 24D policy recommendations.

Financial presentation: Mike Romay (finance staff) reported operating revenues for January were approximately $7,700,000, most of which were current taxes (about $5,800,000). Romay said the district's collection rate was lower than the prior year because St. Louis County was late with some January payments, but the district had received $20,000,000 in property taxes the prior week that put collections where they needed to be. Operating expenditures in January were about $6,600,000, mostly salaries and benefits. Romay said the Prop I Fund paid just over $90,000 toward a cellular antenna system approved to improve safety and security; $258,000 for that work came from the construction fund. The project is ongoing and expected to be completed in June.

Formal motions and outcomes (voice votes; exact tallies not specified):

- Approval of agenda: motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote. (Motion text: \"Approve agenda\")

- Approval of the consent agenda: motion moved by Andrews, seconded by Hepburn; approved by voice vote. (Motion text: \"Approve consent agenda\")

- Approval of January 2025 financial statements: motion moved by Hepburn, seconded by \"Kathy\" (per transcript notation); approved by voice vote. (Motion text: \"Approve January 2025 financial statements as presented\")

- Approval of MSBA update 24D policy recommendations (second reading and approval): motion moved and seconded (second recorded as Hepburn); approved by voice vote. (Motion text: \"Approve MSBA update 24D policy recommendations as presented\")

The minutes record voice votes and repeated \"Aye\" responses from board members, but did not provide a roll‑call tally in the transcript excerpt. The board did not record any dissenting roll‑call votes in the public audio provided. The financial presentation and the brief discussion clarified the cellular antenna project funding sources and the planned completion date.

No other formal actions affecting policy or staffing were approved in this segment of the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kirkwood School District Business Meeting – February 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Kirkwood R‑VII Board approved the meeting agenda, the consent agenda, January 2025 financial statements and MSBA policy update 24D by voice vote; the financial report included a $90,000 Prop I payment for a cellular antenna project and a recent $20,000,000 property tax receipt.","taxTitle","KIRKWOOD R-VII, School Districts, Missouri","taxId",66364,"location","Missouri","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6664191,"Kirkwood presents draft staffing plan; staff recommend hiring pause, attrition‑based reductions and position‑management tools",5059,1613000,6672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9&start=1613&end=6672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9/thumbnail_1613000.jpg","/articles/6664191/Missouri/Kirkwood-presents-draft-staffing-plan-staff-recommend-hiring-pause-attritionbased-reductions-and-positionmanagement-tools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664191-1cc2f894ab5ce4dca5ee5d898b1610aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1775523179&Signature=aA7rbS399OHYDJUEaocewFJhPRvlQgmfBV~9vPa-OwVRn0IHg0EFUo0OL4ORQ7PoTf~dA73pOhX1L4WCAyXV5rsD5ON4LttEXhxpxv5fehJcd9ZNONjf3yUIgdDxcid6bPJbJbn14ZwYdUr-Wkz5sgivBDjZ~0FSCRynsZlHHfbCNas7CY1R~Y6liwS4JTa5Ui4kyG-FFY1nqjn3PzdaaQn-IjNA1xCcT9Z8XBCM19EsAEt9q11Fods-MTaRkRvlXr3-fBtxsgquBNzxeM6enHfEFfOVgsgMrGTe48~5XoS3OgzUvWQictY6DBaJG1zOlpUXK9z9arQGaFzAb8zl~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Fields, the district staff lead on the comprehensive staffing plan, presented components 3 and 4 of a draft Kirkwood School District comprehensive staffing plan and gave a preliminary set of eight recommendations intended to align staffing with enrollment trends, FTE growth and fiscal projections. The presentation was labeled preliminary and the full staffing plan is scheduled for final presentation on March 31.

Dr. Fields told the board that total positions increased from 1,423 in the 2014–15 school year to 1,712 in 2024–25, a net gain of 289 positions. District FTE grew from 756.95 to 846.68 over that period (an approximate 11.9 percent increase). Certified FTE rose from 423.25 to 458.22; support staff FTE grew from 302.7 to 353.46; administrative FTE moved from 31 to 35. The analysis uses DESE maximum class size standards as an analytical baseline and aligns staffing capacity discussion with MSIP 6 guidance, Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields summarized the eight preliminary recommendations: (1) complete the full staffing plan before making final staffing adjustments; (2) implement a temporary pause on adding staff except for clearly justified critical needs; (3) establish a more structured approval process for new staffing requests; (4) develop a multiyear attrition‑based reduction plan to avoid abrupt layoffs; (5) implement a centralized workload‑tracking system for teachers and support specialists; (6) assess middle‑school schedule alignment to allow potential staff sharing between middle schools; (7) reduce reliance on temporary staff through a consolidation assessment; and (8) adopt a position management system (an \"Infinite Campus for staff\") that integrates HR, finance and payroll data and produces annual reports and trend analysis.

Dr. Fields emphasized the preliminary nature of the work and the need to refine recommendations after additional financial and enrollment analysis. He described the methodology and external resources used, including EXMI (consultant analysis), Harvard’s Strategic Data Project materials, SHRM workforce planning guidance, Infinite Campus and PowerSchools/eFinancePlus data extracts, and Microsoft Power BI for visualization.

Board members pressed for details about potential effects on next year’s budget and contingency teacher positions. Board member Miss Andrews said the December memo indicating no contingency teachers in the 2025–26 budget had raised concern because the district added 12 positions the prior year. Andrews asked how reductions could be addressed through attrition when middle‑ and high‑school needs may increase as elementary enrollments matriculate upward. Dr. Fields and Chief Financial Officer Mike Romay (identified in the packet) responded that projected attrition (the presentation cited roughly 53 certified staff and about 47 support staff eligible for retirement through 2031) could provide a glide path, and that final staffing decisions would integrate final enrollment and budget figures before the June budget approval.

Board members asked for more granular workload measures beyond headcount—requests include accounting for students receiving Tier 2/Tier 3 supports, IEP and 504 caseloads, and other non‑instructional duties. Dr. Fields said Power BI and other systems could incorporate those variables and recommended building workload formulas once baseline ratios are established.

Members also asked about software options for position management. Dr. Fields noted several solutions exist (Frontline products, PowerSchools/eFinance integrations) but said the district had not chosen a vendor and would evaluate options with HR and finance staff.

No formal board action was taken; staff will finalize the full draft and present the complete staffing plan to the board on March 31. Several board members requested additional detail about contingency funding, the financial memo from the CFO, and the plan’s projected operational impacts prior to budget adoption.","District HR presented sections 3 and 4 of a draft comprehensive staffing plan outlining FTE growth since 2014–15, capacity metrics, and eight preliminary recommendations including a temporary hiring pause, a structured staffing‑request process, attrition‑based reductions and a position management system.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6664194,"Kirkwood educators and community members urge board to keep DEI programs and collective bargaining protections",1054,146000,1200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9&start=146&end=1200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383280-23eaace1c6507297cbc444b1816583b9/thumbnail_146000.jpg","/articles/6664194/Missouri/Kirkwood-educators-and-community-members-urge-board-to-keep-DEI-programs-and-collective-bargaining-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6664194-df3d4946ddba581e85d5d0011128538e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775523179&Signature=A6TRW7aJBCYYSQU2YRvGZFi7pWCH97TgVypxuLeXbqMqBBHqSet7jz7ZKa5ZH2I-7haTB5sTQ--Q5NICcCOuqRwWX~s8JYw8b7HDjl~q2i519~1TPXmifkOwXn1aFV9-HdtGmX7DFpOIIgG5lR7kSsdFbB4S3~FYALSmfEptHPA8w44XQOJJ~pOOcfKAajU-q83P23DtTmmsUIIqELidp2NRYKFVfEBIZuYrcAHskwf1mXZC7xhNolfWqLh28IpSP0HAa6uycTmiTFpAkSrwVvkCzFBr2zc-clWGfGjICafhBKkbIs4B1p~EJ0kVIUNb4cpqE7PvPEINd12nWwW~8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a meeting of the Kirkwood R‑VII School District Board of Education, multiple teachers, a retired educator and community members urged the board to continue supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs—specifically DEI leadership and the Kirkwood Teachers of Color (KTOC)—and to preserve collective bargaining protections for educators.

The speakers said DEI initiatives and contract protections help recruit and retain teachers of color and provide supports that benefit students. Roberta McWoods, a retired teacher and long‑time mentor for teachers of color, told the board the district historically led on inclusion: \"We have always been in the district, we've always been the district to pave the way and uphold diversity, equity and inclusion racially, socially and academically.\" She identified herself as a retired teacher and former coach and said she was hired in 1985.

Lucas Ravenscraft, social studies department chair at Kirkwood High School, linked collective bargaining to teacher retention and student continuity. \"Collective bargaining is fundamental to attracting these types of master teachers and keeping them here for their whole careers in Kirkwood High School,\" Ravenscraft said, adding that contracts allow teachers and administrators to \"forge an agreement that will make our schools the best that we can.\" Several other classroom teachers and staff echoed that point, saying protected plan time and contract guarantees enable them to prepare lessons, collaborate and focus on students.

Speakers described the practical supports DEI provides: Carmen Griffin said DEI initiatives and KTOC supported her mental health and offered professional development and affinity groups for students and staff. Leah Thomas, a second‑grade teacher at Kaiser, cited protected plan time in the current collective bargaining agreement as one concrete student benefit. Gabby Farias, a parent educator, said DEI work also helps families, including non‑English‑speaking Hispanic families, navigate the district.

The record includes online comments from Cortland Griffin and Nicola Thomas that similarly urged continued DEI prioritization and praised DEI leaders. Those messages noted research linking retention of educators of color to supportive district climates and described KTOC and DEI leadership as a source of accountability and community connection.

The public comment period at the start of the meeting follows the board's rule that non‑board speakers register with the board clerk and are limited to three minutes each; board members do not directly respond during public comment.

The speakers who addressed the board in person and remotely are listed in the meeting record; board members did not take immediate action on requests during public comment. The district's superintendent and staff will follow up on any items that require a response outside the meeting.","Teachers, retirees and community members told the Kirkwood R‑VII Board that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and the collective bargaining agreement support teacher recruitment, retention and student supports.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves agenda, consent items, January financials and MSBA policy update

Kirkwood presents draft staffing plan; staff recommend hiring pause, attrition‑based reductions and position‑management tools

Kirkwood educators and community members urge board to keep DEI programs and collective bargaining protections