SG R-II Connection

Good afternoon SG R-II families,

After our first full week of school, I’ve had some time to reflect on just how special it is to see our buildings come back to life. Before our students arrived, our staff spent several days learning, collaborating and preparing together for the year ahead. We welcomed new teachers to the SG Family, learned from the expertise within our own team and had the opportunity to hear from SGHS alumnus Brandon Meyer, who returned home to share his “Breaking Braces” message. His inspirational story and message about facing challenges, persevering through difficult moments and recognizing the people who help us along the way was a fitting way to begin the school year together.

Then the students arrived, and we got to see all of that preparation put into action. One of my favorite parts of the start of each school year is getting out into our buildings and classrooms. Over the past week, I’ve had the chance to visit with students and staff, walk through classrooms, help our kindergarten students navigate lunchtime and even lend a hand with preschool breakfast. Those moments may seem small, but they are a great reminder of what our work is ultimately about.

Thank you to our families for helping us get the year off to such a strong start. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to all that this year will bring.

Dr. Paul Taylor

Superintendent

Wrestling Building:

• The interior is complete, with the remaining wrestling mats installed.
• The golf simulator has been installed and tested.
• The district will celebrate the completion of the facility with a Wrestling Alumni Night and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23 prior to the football game against North County. Community members are invited to attend the celebration.

Completing Prop SG

As the district prepares to close out the Prop SG bond projects, careful planning and strong cost management have allowed several additional improvements to be completed using remaining bond funds.

Throughout the project, the district worked closely with Brockmiller Construction and KRJ Architects to identify cost savings across each facility project while remaining committed to maximizing the community's $20 million investment. Savings and strategic investment of bond monies also allowed the district to complete several projects in-house, including the football, softball and baseball field lighting projects.

With funds remaining at the conclusion of the major construction projects, it was determined that renovating the former wrestling room and current weight room falls within the scope of Prop SG because the work is directly tied to the relocation of the wrestling program into its new facility.

New Weight Room

The district recently received updated renderings from KRJ Architects for the proposed new weight room, which will be located in the former wrestling room. The space is designed to better serve student-athletes and physical education programs while providing a modern, durable training environment.

The proposed layout includes strength equipment positioned along both sides of the room, with turf running down the center and weight racks at each end. The design also incorporates durable diamond plating along the walls, as well as branded weights, belts and other equipment.

Plans include:

• New Sorinex strength equipment and branded accessories.
• Multifunctional training stations and weight racks.
• New flooring with a turf training area running through the center of the room.
• Updated paint, lighting and HVAC.
• Exposed ceilings for a more modern appearance.
• Durable wall finishes, wall pads and mirrors.

Before the space can be completed, significant HVAC restructuring is needed. The district is currently working through those improvements. Once the HVAC work is complete, painting and flooring will follow. Sorinex is tentatively expected to install the new strength equipment in November.

To minimize disruptions, the current weight room will remain in use at the start of the school year while renovations are completed. Once the new weight room is operational, work will begin on renovating the existing weight room.

Multipurpose / Auxiliary Room

Once the new weight room is complete, equipment will be removed from the current weight room and renovations will begin to transform that space into a flexible multipurpose and auxiliary room. The space is being designed to support a variety of student activities, including:

• Plyometric, agility, yoga and conditioning activities
• Physical education classes
• Track and cross country warm-ups, stretching and core workouts
• Team meetings and instructional space with a projector and screen
• Home or visiting locker room space when needed
• Portable tables, chairs and benches

The renovation will also improve the overall appearance and functionality of the high school by relocating fitness equipment currently stored in hallways into dedicated spaces. The district is targeting completion of the multipurpose/auxiliary room by the end of January. Once both phases are finished, the renovated spaces will provide greater flexibility for athletics, physical education classes and other student and school activities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The total tax rate would remain $3.4055 (no increase from the 2025-2026 total tax rate).
• Currently, $46.3 million of the district’s portion of tax revenue from the prior four years is being held in escrow, due to ongoing tax protests from Amrize (formerly LafargeHolcim), MLC (formerly Mississippi Lime), and Lhoist. These funds will be held in escrow and continue to grow with each subsequent year as taxes are protested, until the protests are resolved.
• For the past four years, the district has received between 64-66% of the total taxes, due to significant ongoing tax protests by local mining companies (typically, school districts receive about 95%). The district anticipates receiving about $21.9 million out of the total $34.3 million in taxes for the 2026-2027 year. The vast majority of the difference is being held in escrow during the tax protests.
• If the tax protests were to be settled, the district is committed to lowering the tax rate to provide relief to the community. Missouri State Statute sets an operating levy floor of $2.75 for school districts. (The district could also pay off some of its debt using the monies currently in escrow, which would subsequently lower the debt service levy, as well.) The tax protests also have a direct effect on other taxpayers throughout the community. Because these entities have challenged the designation of certain property as personal property or real property — designations that have been consistently identified by the Ste. Genevieve County Assessor — a greater share of the community’s overall tax burden is shifted to other taxpayers in the community. Resolving these protests would therefore not only provide certainty regarding the funds currently held in escrow, but could also help reduce the tax burden being shouldered by the broader community.

Check out important reminders about traffic / drop-off / pick-up at each of our campuses below!

• Webpage — Check out our Transportation Department webpage! It's full of important updates, helpful resources and informational FAQs for families.
• Contact Us — If you have any questions for our Bus Depot, please call 573-883-4500 ext. 2991. If you don't reach us, please leave a voicemail message, or email mbrown@sgdragons.org.
• Bus Safety Flyer — Check out our school bus safety flyer, with info about student conduct, communications in an emergency, and more!

Free & Reduced Meals:

If families completed the 2025-2026 Free & Reduced Lunch application before the end of the school year, there is a 30-day grace period at the start of this school year to complete the 2026-2027 application. All families are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if they are able. The online application is available under Forms, 26-27 Free/Reduced Lunch Application. For assistance or questions, please call 573-883-4500 ext. 2008.

CEP Explainer:

What is the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)?

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a federal program that allows qualifying schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student, regardless of individual family income. To qualify, at least 25% of students must be automatically certified for free meals without completing a household meal application (automatically qualifying through programs or circumstances such as SNAP, TANF, foster care, homelessness, Head Start or migrant status).

Does SG R-II qualify?

No. Our district and individual schools currently do not meet the required 25% threshold. This does not mean fewer than 25% of our students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals overall. CEP uses the more specific direct-certification calculation to determine eligibility. SG R-II reviews and applies for CEP eligibility each year using student data.

Why have you heard more about CEP recently?

The USDA lowered the eligibility threshold from 40% to 25%, making more schools and districts eligible. Individual schools can qualify even when an entire district does not, but at this time, none of our schools meet the required threshold.

• Board of Education Meeting: Check out the Board Briefs and the Board Minutes from the Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, Board of Education’s Annual Tax Rate Hearing & Regular Meeting. The Board Briefs are an unofficial document that includes more context and details than our official Board Minutes. All Board documents, such as the Board Minutes, the presentation and these Board Briefs, are located on the “Board of Education” page of our district's website.
• 2027 MSHSAA Dead Period: The Board of Education approved the MSHSAA Dead Period of Activities for the Summer 2027 to be held July 31, 2027, through Aug. 8, 2027. This date range meets the MSHSAA requirements to start on a Saturday and run for nine consecutive days.

Order your SGHS Homecoming shirt! Thank you for your support! We appreciate you! 💚

The Care to Learn – Ste. Genevieve bracelet fundraiser is now open! Every purchase helps support the health, hunger and hygiene needs of students in the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District community. 🐲 Order or donate by the deadline, Sept. 7!

Want to learn more about our local Care to Learn chapter and the support it provides to students? Visit our website! Thank you for supporting our students and helping us grow our local Care to Learn chapter! 💚

Ms. Stoll, SGHS rootEd Advisor/College and Career Counselor, is excited to launch a new SGHS Alumni Spotlight series featuring former Dragons and the careers and paths they have pursued since graduation!

Our students hear a lot about college and career options, but sometimes the best inspiration comes from someone who once sat in the same classrooms they do today. The goal of this series is to share the many different paths our alumni have taken and help students see the possibilities available for their own futures.

Whether you attended a four-year university, community college or trade school, completed an apprenticeship, joined the military, entered the workforce or took another path entirely, we would love to hear your story!

No presentation or school visit is required. Alumni Spotlights will be created from the information you provide and shared with students through displays at SGHS and other communications.

Interested in being featured? Complete the form! Thank you for taking the time to share your journey and invest in the futures of our students! 💚

Check out the latest edition of the Digest at the link below! The district's newsletter is mailed to homes throughout the county! 🐲

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This edition includes:

• Hall of Fame recognitions; 🐲 🏆
• celebration of a young published author; ✍🏼 📖
• retiree and employee recognitions; 🏅
• new leadership welcomes; ✨
• an overview of the ongoing tax protests; 🪧
• Prop SG updates; 🏗️
• transportation updates; 🚌
• back-to-school reminders; 🏫
• food service updates; 🍽️
• an overview of district communication channels and online calendars; 📲
• 2026-2027 District Calendar; 📅 and
• information on how to become an employee, bus driver or substitute! 💚