St. Joseph board and superintendent agree new timeline for meeting packets and questions during governance workshop

St. Joseph School District board members and Superintendent Dr. Ashley McGinnis used a July governance workshop led by the Missouri School Boards Association to tighten how the board receives agenda materials and asks questions, agreeing informally on a new timeline intended to give board members more time to review items before public posting.

At the workshop facilitator Catherine Harrison of MSBA reviewed governance roles and emphasized that the board must both monitor and support the superintendent. Harrison said, “This is gonna be a hard year. It just is,” and urged the board to prioritize clear, early communication to give the new superintendent a better chance at long-term success.

The discussion centered on reducing last-minute surprises and clarifying who board members should contact about operational concerns. Board members and administrators converged on a working protocol that the group characterized as a practical schedule for agenda development: the agenda packet will be finalized with officers and cabinet early…