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Board hears student achievements, Prop S progress and strategic‑plan timeline
Summary
Superintendent Jeff Hogg and principals highlighted student awards, high participation in band and orchestra honors, and elementary enrollment, assessment and attendance gains; facilities director Mike Gegg reported near completion of many Prop S projects and ongoing work at Ozark Elementary and Mosaic.
The board’s Nov. 20 meeting began with Superintendent Dr. Jeff Hogg and several principals highlighting student achievements across the Mehlville R‑IX district.
Hogg pointed to multiple music honors — including students named to All Suburban Band and two Mehlville High School students selected for the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra — and praised theater and art recognitions. Student advisors from Oakville and Mehlville high schools reported athletic successes and extracurricular activities, including marching‑band appearances and students qualifying for state competitions.
Principals from Blades and Hageman elementary schools presented instructional and outcome data. Blades Principal Dr. Jeremy Booker reported an enrollment figure of 475 (including early‑childhood), roughly 26% of students eligible for free and reduced lunch, about 12% English learners and 16% receiving IEP services; he noted attendance improvement from 84% (2022–23) to 90% (2024–25) and i‑Ready math mid/above growth from 6% (2022) to 14.5% (2025). Hageman Principal Samantha Getzemeyer reported 440 K–5 students (30 early‑childhood), 83 multilingual students (64 receiving weekly ELD), and spring i‑Ready results showing about 75% of students at or above grade level in math and 73% at or above in reading. Both principals described PLC work, intervention supports and goals to increase student belonging and proficiency by May 2026.
Facilities Director Mike Gegg provided an update on Prop S projects. Gegg said most Prop S items are complete or near complete (playground fencing and turf, reading corner adjustments, circulation desk trim), with a couple of punch‑list items remaining at Beerbohm and an elevator shunt‑trip and column‑trim work pending. At Ozark Elementary he reported foundation work, retaining‑wall material deliveries and a construction schedule targeting 2026 completion; at Mosaic site work has created a large excavation and elevator work remains.
Communications Chief Jessica Papillo briefed the board on the strategic‑plan process: staff held five community meetings and a ThoughtExchange with about 900 participants; district staff will revise goals with community feedback and expect to bring a draft in December with the goal of board approval in March 2026 and implementation in the 2026–27 school year.
Ending: The board thanked staff and administrators for their presentations; public comment on agenda items was not signed up and no public testimony interrupted the presentations.
