Mexico 59 Board of Education Update

This monthly update will be sent prior to noon the day after the board meeting. The board recording updates on the district YouTube channel immediately following the meeting each month.

Link to board agenda.

1. We will be student centered.
2. We will presume positive intentions and model the expectations we have for others.
3. We will keep board business to: board policies, the governance (strategic) plan, legal requirements, and the evaluation of the superintendent.
4. We will be prepared and present for meetings.
5. With items presented on the agenda, we will ask clarifying questions or request additional information at least 24 hours before a meeting. If more information is needed, questions may be asked during the meeting.
6. All agree to adhere to the chain of command and will direct others to follow the chain of command.

Jessica Ekern, Scott Nichols, Michelle Stephens, Lennette Brown, Jon Calhoun, Mathew Pilger

Absent: Chris Williams

School Personnel: Dr. Troy Lentz, Amber Henderson, Shelby Gaug, Dawn Malone, Marci Orr, Chris Denham

Gallery: Sky Kauffman (Mexico Ledger)

Each August, the district sets the tax rate. There is a public comment period and an approval of the tax rate. Assessed Valuation (AV) is determined for our district based on three counties: mainly Audrain, but also Callaway and Monroe. The district's tax rate will not change for 2026-27.

President Jessica Ekern offered a welcome back for teachers and administrators, also thanking summer crews for their work. This was echoed by board member Matt Pilger.

• Board minutes from regular session 6/16/2026
• Bills Paid
• Treasurer's Report
• 2026-27 Attorney Rates
• 2026-27 District Assessment Plan
• Local Compliance Plan
• MOU with Arthur Center

Highlights are below; view the Full Report.

Community Engagement (09:23). On Tuesday, August 11, the new teachers were lunch guests of the Kiwanis and Jaycees at The Oaks. Several local businesses provided lunches and breakfasts for our new teachers during new teacher week.

Finances (10:52). The district has started conversations internally, in administrative meetings and at the building levels this week, about district finances, state funding, and working towards a balanced budget. We will continue to engage stakeholders, internally and externally.

The district has healthy reserves and has continued planned deficit spending. The 2025-26 Annual Secretary of the Board (ASBR) report was submitted to DESE. The district received $31,354,796 in operating revenue and posted $32,999,964 in expenditures.

If the district continues to deficit spend at the same rate as last year, the reserves will be exhausted in 7.43 years. Board policy states that reserves should be maintained between 20-30%.

A reserve of $6,599,992 is approximately 20%. At the current rate, the district would hit 20% reserves during the 2029-2030 school year.

MSIP Cycle 2 (15:10). This year our district will submit several documents to DESE to be considered for our continuous improvement points on the 2027 APR. The district must demonstrate that the following plans have been presented to the board: facilities plan, safety plan, and literacy plan. The following plans must be approved by the BOE: professional development plan and assessment plan.

Onboarding New Teachers (21:02). During New Teacher Week, we welcomed only 16 new teachers to the district, the lowest number we can remember in the last several years. Only 8 of the 16 are actually new to the district. Eight of them transitioned from support positions to certified. We had a 94% retention rate from last year and a 97% retention rate for our administration team (one retirement).

During NTW, our Instructional Coaches, Lara Brunk, Carey Knipfel, & Wendy Lentz led the team through a week themed around acclimating them to the community, touring buildings and meeting principals, training about classroom management, teacher-student relationships, curriculum and lesson planning, and working with their mentors on a day called “No Bulldog Walks Alone.”

Pathways to Education at HCC (24:50). The Pathways to Education program at HCC is growing in its 2nd year, with 8 participants; 4 of them are from Mexico. One of last year's participants will be a para at the middle school this year and plans to become a teacher for the district.

Literacy Updates (25:32).

• We are adopting The Writing Revolution (TWR) as a K–5 writing resource this year.
• In grades 1–2, we will begin using Ready Reading to strengthen comprehension instruction while continuing 95 Core for phonics.
• Through the CLSD grant, the middle school researched EL Education as a new ELA curriculum resource and will pilot it in 6th grade this year.
• Participation in DESE’s LETRS and ASPIRE training remains strong, with eight elementary teachers participating in LETRS and two high school English teachers participating in ASPIRE this year.

Elementary Math (28:05). Our Math Instructional Coach, Wendy Lentz, led a team of elementary teachers over the summer to create common assessments and proficiency scales to improve alignment of assessments and grade reporting.

District Assessment Plan (28:40). The District Assessment Plan has been fully overhauled after several years of updates to the previous plan. The revised plan maintains a strong focus on assessment as a tool to inform instruction, monitor student growth, and guide continuous improvement. The new plan is included in this month’s consent agenda for Board approval.

2026 MAP Scores (29:09). Although collective 2026 MAP scores have been released to districts, they remain embargoed until mid-September. Preliminary analysis shows a slight increase in overall MPI, with several grade levels demonstrating significant gains in ELA and Math achievement.

Elementary Domicile Imbalances (29:38). We continue to address class size imbalances between EF and HAW in grades 1–3. In May, seven kindergarten students living north of the tracks but outside the immediate HAW neighborhood were redirected to enroll in EF’s 1st grade. During registration, new students in grades 1–3 to the district were also directed to EF, regardless of whether they lived north of the tracks. Transportation has worked with the district to provide busing to EF for these students.

Enrollment numbers for 26-27 as of May:

HAW:

1st - 73 (4 teachers)

2nd - 86 (4 teachers)

3rd - 103 (5 teachers)

EF

1st - 58 (4 teachers)

2nd - 65 (4 teachers)

3rd - 57 (4 teachers)

Approval of Transportation Fuel Bid. Awarded to MFA Oil for this school year. The district expects to spend more on fuel this year, with the costs 40% more than last year. Fixed diesel is quoted at $3.584 per gallon, and fixed unleaded is quoted at $2.738 per gallon.

Approval of August 2026 Personnel

New hires include:

• Justin Reynolds, Para
• Ashley Rubemeyer, Para
• Ann Runge, Behavioral Interventionist
• Caitlyn Gish, Nurse
• Shamyce Williams, Food Service

Internal Transfers:

• Dezerea Eaves to substitute teacher

Other information included on the linked report includes new teacher week stipends, horizontal level changes, and extra/additional duties.

The best efforts are made to send this update prior to noon the day after the board meeting. These highlights are intended to offer information as a courtesy to stakeholders. This newsletter is not intended to replace board-approved minutes from the meeting. If there is something not mentioned for which you need more information, please email communications@mexico.k12.mo.us to be directed to the correct personnel. All board updates are posted to the district website.