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SSD board hears MSIP monitoring reports showing strong CTE placement but staffing and ride‑time gaps
Summary
Board members reviewed MSIP program monitoring reports on CTE, employee wellness, FACE, student health and transportation. Presenters said CTE graduate placement targets were met, but CTE certificate attainment dipped due to a 95% attendance requirement and WorkKeys declines; transportation baseline for long rides is 7.8% and nursing substitute pool remains small.
The Special School District of St. Louis County Board of Education on Jan. 27 received MSIP program monitoring reports that showed mixed performance across career and technical education, employee wellness, family engagement, student health and transportation.
Dr. Matt Trumer, Director of Evaluation and Research, told the board that the CTE graduate-placement indicator has met its target for four consecutive years but the newer CTE certificate of attainment dipped in 2024–25. "This target has been met now in 4 consecutive years," Trumer said, adding that the certificate’s decline was largely driven by difficulty meeting a 95% attendance requirement and lower WorkKeys scores in math and reading.
"Because this is the CTE certificate, it is a high bar because it’s a 95% attendance as opposed to where DESE for accreditation looks at 90% attendance," a staff member who spoke during the presentation said, noting that students who attend technical programs often contend with differing calendars in partner districts that make hitting 95% more challenging.
On employee wellness, Trumer said participation has grown and SSD’s move from Aetna to Anthem will maintain program support. Survey agreement on wellness opportunities approached an updated 80% target but fell slightly short in 2025, suggesting room to raise awareness and programming.
The student health monitoring report pointed to staffing vulnerabilities: nursing position fill rates fell below an optimal 100% in 2024–25 amid a national nursing shortage, and the district’s substitute nursing pool is small—four subs plus two float nurses—limiting coverage and contributing to days students were unable to attend due to nurse shortages.
Transportation monitoring showed a new baseline under an updated measure: 7.8% of K–5 students experienced at least one route of 60 minutes or more in fall data, above the 5% goal. On‑time bus arrivals were strong at 99% for 2024–25, while staffing metrics for drivers and aides were variable but met a 25% target in 2024.
Board members asked questions about attendance, retention and the role of COVID on WorkKeys performance; Trumer and staff cautioned that calendar mismatches and post‑COVID declines in core-skill assessments contribute to the CTE certificate shortfall. The board approved the MSIP quarter‑2 monitoring reports by voice vote.
The board was told these reports fulfill DESE and MSIP requirements for program monitoring and are intended to inform continuous improvement across SSD programs.
The board did not take further action on the monitoring reports beyond approval; next steps include continued monitoring and, where indicated, program-level follow-ups.
