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Public commenters press board on pay, SROs and community reuse of school property
Summary
During public comment the board heard calls to reinstate annualized pay for hourly employees, pleas not to cut SRO positions citing increased calls and weapons incidents, and a neighborhood proposal to repurpose Roberson Neighborhood School property as community space with investor support.
Five public commenters addressed the board during the Dec. 17 meeting, raising personnel, safety and community‑use concerns the board logged for follow-up.
Sarah Smyth, director of facility services, asked the board to reinstate annualized pay for roughly 1,100 hourly employees and to amend policy GBDB to restore that option. Smyth said Oracle can support annualized pay and that Kronos addresses underreporting concerns for hourly staff; she described financial hardships for hourly employees from nine‑month pay distributions and urged the district to prioritize the change.
Mark Sears, an SRO and NEA representative, urged the board not to cut School Resource Officer positions. Sears said his department responds to about 4,700 calls a year, reported a 33% increase in assault calls from the previous year, and stated weapons calls average about once every three days; he said current staffing is down roughly 10% due to retirements and unfilled vacancies.
Mary Ann Benetti, president of the Roberson Neighborhood Association, presented a neighborhood plan for reuse of the Roberson Neighborhood School property, described community partnerships with Prosper Springfield and Community Partnership of the Ozarks, and identified two local investors (Giles Stevens and David Stoker) who have offered space and support for a community center and park.
Dr. Wes Sonker, a longtime educator, urged the board to emphasize adaptability in instructional materials and said districts should not insist on a printed textbook for every curriculum area; he asked trustees to trust curriculum committees to select modern resources.
The board did not respond directly during public comment (per meeting rules) but acknowledged the speakers and will consider their input. Several board members later referenced the SRO staffing and pay issues during board comments and committed to follow-up.
Next steps: the board indicated members will follow up with staff regarding payroll policy questions and SRO staffing concerns; neighborhood proposals for property reuse will be considered as part of property‑use processes and future agenda items if submitted formally.
