Montrose R‑XIV board raises substitute pay to $115, adopts device-policy update and approves several staff offers

The Montrose R‑XIV School District Board on Aug. 6 approved a series of personnel and policy actions, including raising substitute pay, adopting a revision to MSBA policy JG‑R1 to reflect a new law banning personal communication devices during school hours, and approving coaching and staff offers for the 2025–2026 school year.

Board President Janna Wareham called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.; six board members participated, with Rick Kalwei and Charles Meredith attending virtually. After an amendment to add student matters to closed session, the board approved the agenda unanimously.

The board voted 6–0 to increase substitute teacher pay to $115 whether substitutes hold certification or not. The motion was made by Board Member Kimberly Carter and seconded by Board Member Rick Kalwei. The minutes do not specify an effective date for the new rate.

The board also approved a revision to Missouri School Boards' Association policy JG‑R1, moving to include consequences required by a recently enacted law that prohibits personal communication devices during school hours. The motion to accept the MSBA policy revision was made by Carter and seconded by Angela Steward and passed 6–0. The minutes record the policy by its MSBA code (JG‑R1) but do not detail the specific disciplinary measures added.

Mrs. Carter moved and Mrs. Steward seconded approval of student handbook updates; that motion carried 6–0. The minutes note the updates were approved but do not enumerate the individual handbook changes.

At 6:31 p.m. the board entered closed session under section 610.021 to discuss student discipline/confidential student records and personnel matters. The board returned to open session at 7:18 p.m.

Following the closed session, the board approved several personnel offers: it moved to offer Drew Bailey the Cross‑Country head coaching position (motion by Carter, seconded by Steward; vote 6–0); it then approved offering the Cross‑Country assistant coaching position to Board President Janna Wareham (motion by Carter, seconded by Steward), which passed 5–0 with Wareham recorded as abstaining. The minutes record Wareham both as Board President and as the candidate for the assistant coaching position; no reason for the abstention is provided.

The board approved Bill DeMalade as Softball head coach (motion by Carter, seconded by Meredith; vote 6–0) and Craig Wraight as Softball assistant coach (motion by Steward, seconded by Kalwei; vote 6–0). The board also approved offering Megan Jackson the Parent Educator position (motion by Karl Monard, seconded by Carter; vote 6–0).

The meeting was adjourned at 7:19 p.m.

What the minutes do and do not show - The minutes record motions, movers, seconders and vote tallies for each action. They do not provide the effective date for the substitute pay increase, the text of the handbook changes, nor the specific disciplinary language added to the JG‑R1 revision. The closed session topics are listed in statute-based terms (student discipline and personnel) and the minutes do not disclose details of those discussions.