WSD BOARD MEETING REPORT

The WSD Board of Education held a meeting on Thursday, June 20, that was live-streamed via the WSD Board of Education YouTube channel and can be viewed by visiting YouTube. The agenda and available supporting documents can be viewed online under Diligent Community. Below are some highlights.

Dr. Jeri LaBrot and Brian Bishop, co-interim superintendents of schools, began the business portion of the meeting by providing comments and sharing District highlights. View the slideshow.

The District gave a presentation on the proposed changes to the Code of Conduct. See the presentation.

The Board approved an amended Meetings: Participation by Public Policy 0412 with the removal of the addition of "listed on the agenda." Several other amendments were made to be more inviting and positive in tone. View the presented policy, prior to in-meeting amendments.

The Board approved the proposed changes to the Code of Conduct that pertain specifically to Discriminatory Conduct and Speech and Disruptive Behavior. These changes were made in response to experiences with the Code of Conduct during its first year of implementation, as well as feedback received from WSD parents, teachers, and administrators in an effort to improve culture, climate, and safety within the District. Learn more.

The Board approved the WNEA - Nurse, ESC, and teacher addendums, as presented.

The Board approved the 4894 Support Staff agreement, as presented.

The WSD administration shared a preliminary presentation on the District's proposed Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. It will come back to the Board for approval in the July meeting. View the presentation.

The Board approved the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget as presented. View the budget document.

Dr. Mernie Maestas, Boone Trail Elementary librarian and lead librarian for the WSD, earned the Bright Idea Award as well as the Intellectual Freedom Award at the Missouri Association of School Librarians Conference. Learn more.

Holt High School seniors Braden Engelage and Mabry Madden; and Timberland High School seniors Natalie Gilliam, Eshal Janjua, and Megan Witzman received the Distinguished Student Leader Award from the Missouri Association of Student Councils. Learn more.

Liberty High School junior Pranad Balla has earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Nationally, on average, only around one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Learn more.

Senior Santosh Manikandan, of Liberty High School, was selected as a member of the 60th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars. There were only 161 students selected for this recognition from across the country. Learn more.

Three WSD students were selected for this year’s Missouri Scholars 100. Liberty High School seniors Santosh Manikandan and Trent Stuerman; and Timberland High School senior Aneesh Dahuja were named to the distinguished list. The statewide program honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in each year’s graduating class. Learn more.

The Board is proud to announce their appointment of Brian Bishop as the interim superintendent of schools for the 2024-25 school year, effective July 1, 2024. Bishop is the deputy superintendent of staff and operations in the WSD and has been serving as the co-interim superintendent of schools alongside Dr. Jeri LaBrot since April 2024. Read more.

The Board approved the hire of Kaitlyn Kleinschmidt as an assistant principal for Timberland High School, effective July 1, 2024. Kleinschmidt is currently a mathematics teacher at Francis Howell High School and has served as a PLC leader for geometry as well as worked on the district’s resource and curriculum development team. Learn more.

The Board approved the hire of Katie Will as an assistant principal for Heritage Elementary, effective July 1, 2024. Will is currently a first-grade teacher at Blackhurst Elementary School in the City of St. Charles School District. She has also taught second, third, and fourth grade. Learn more.

The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is set for July 18, 2024. There will be a Board workshop on July 10, 2024.