District administrators updated the board on the first year back for the career‑ladder program, a stipend structure that funds additional responsibilities certified staff perform outside regular contract time.

Dr. McInnis said 409 staff completed the program this year after about 515 initially signed up; the district planned for extra seats in case of new hires. The state (the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, DESE) funds 60% of the program and local sources cover 40%. Officials reported the local contribution totaled $681,600. Participation was grouped into three stages: stage 1 for staff with two or more years (50 hours required, $1,500 stipend), stage 2 for three or more years (75 hours, $3,000 stipend) and stage 3 for five or more years (100 hours, $5,000 stipend). The district allows flexibility: staff who sign up for a stage can be compensated at a higher stage if they complete more hours.

DESE requires a four‑part report: total participants at each stage, total local contribution, total hours in each category (50% of hours must be student contact) and the program’s annual retention rate. Administrators said the retention rate among participants was 93.64 percent (26 participants resigning or retiring). The district will submit the required report to DESE and said principals helped collect hours data prior to the state deadline.

The presentation was informational; administrators did not request board action during the meeting. Board members asked clarifying questions about hours per stage and how flexible completion is counted; staff supplied the required numbers (50, 75 and 100 hours for stages 1–3). Administrators said the board had approved the district’s career‑ladder plan previously and that the local payments used the maximum allowed by DESE.