South Shores principal outlines school goals, staff changes and activities before retirement year

Christy Molineux, principal of South Shores, told the Decatur Public Schools board on Sept. 9 that this is her final year as principal and summarized the school’s goals, staffing and recent family events. Molineux said South Shores’ vision is to prepare students for a rapidly changing world and listed school improvement targets: a 5% increase on spring 2025 FastBridge benchmark targets for early reading and math. She said certified staff is at 95% (with one CrossCat teacher position covered by retired staff), classified staff is fully staffed, and the school now has a full-time social worker and a full-time teaching and learning strategist. Molineux described recent family engagement efforts: an open house with 94 parent sign-ins, a family cookout serving more than 200 hot dogs, and a Grandparents Day with 141 RSVP’d special adults. She described recurring incentives such as a student-of-the-month program and a book-vending machine reward for students. “If you need books I will get you books,” Molineux said, urging family reading at home. Board members offered congratulations on her upcoming retirement; no board action was required. The principal’s remarks were presented as a district highlight item during the consent meeting flow and were informational.