SG R-II Connection

Good evening, SG families,

Welcome back! We hope the recent snow and ice days gave your family a chance to relax and enjoy some unexpected time together. It’s great to see our students back in school, ready to dive into the rest of the year with enthusiasm.

This winter has brought its share of challenges, but we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible maintenance and custodial teams. Their dedication to clearing snow and ice from our facilities ensured that we could safely reopen, even while other districts in our region remained closed. Their hard work behind the scenes truly made a difference for all of us.

As we move forward, we remain committed to keeping our schools a safe and welcoming environment for your children. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making our district a great place to learn and grow.

Here’s to a successful and exciting second semester for all of us!

Dr. Paul Taylor

Superintendent

Athletic Facility:

• At this time, the facility will consist of two buildings connected by a walkway or corridor. One building will house the turf area, and the other will include space for wrestling.
• Over the past few months, district administration has shared updates on the upcoming wrestling and athletic facility. Unfortunately, we do not have many options in terms of a location for this facility, and most recently, it was decided that it could be placed at the end of the football field. A survey has been conducted, and a sinkhole is located right at the edge of where the building would sit. The location of the sinkhole can be seen here.
• Brockmiller Construction, as well as KRJ Architects and Taylor Engineering plan to further investigate this issue and make determinations regarding how the sinkhole impacts the area around it and how much it might affect the decided-upon location of the facility.
• The shot-put, discus, and pole vault areas will need to be relocated. After discussing with the track coaches and Dr. Jeff Nix, our Athletic Director, it has been determined that work will begin in January to avoid waiting until May.
• The pole vault area will be repositioned to run parallel with the long jump, while the shot-put and discus areas will be moved near the javelin location.
• Work on these updates is beginning now, with the goal of having them completed before the start of track season.

Early Childhood Center:

• The Early Childhood Center is under construction, with a floor plan of 10 classrooms, as well as a kitchen, multipurpose room, and more.
• Construction crews have been making quick progress at the Early Childhood Center, and the playground details are being finalized.
• Crews working on polished concrete and have been hanging lights.
• Kitchen equipment has arrived, and final coats of paint will be applied in the next few weeks.

Ste. Genevieve Elementary:

• The design of Ste. Genevieve Elementary’s new gym and on-grade, ADA-accessible entrance with offices can be seen here.
• A rendering of the exterior of the new addition can be seen here.
• This project is coming along nicely, and a front door frame has been installed.
• District administration has been working with the architects on gymnasium flooring, as well as the color schemes.
• Crews are: planning support angles for the retractable hoops and volleyball nets; working on rough-in plumbing; finishing the rubber on the roof; preparing the gymnasium for paint; finishing up storm drains; and more.

The Board approved the bid from Musco to update the lighting systems at the football, baseball and softball fields.

After a detailed evaluation process, Musco’s bid of $1,156,900 with a 25-year warranty was selected due to several key factors, including its industry reputation, a 25-year warranty, and the inclusion of remote LED drivers, which allow for easier maintenance since the driver is housed at the bottom of the pole rather than at the top. This eliminates the need to rent a lift for repairs. Additionally, Musco installed the original poles at the ball fields and will extend the warranty on them for another 25 years, further enhancing the value of the bid.

Considerations such as light levels, maintenance logistics, and warranties played a critical role in the evaluation. Currently, the football field lighting operates at 30 footcandles and will be upgraded to 50 footcandles. Baseball and softball infields will also reach 50 footcandles, with outfields at 30. This significant improvement addresses the outdated and unreliable lighting systems at these facilities, which include warped poles, aged wiring, and expensive bulb replacement and operational costs.

Approximately $500,000 had been earmarked in Fund 4 for roofing upgrades this year, with another $500,000 allocated for roofing next year. However, hail damage repairs covered by the district’s insurance provider, MUSIC, created an opportunity to allocate resources toward the lighting project. The facilities committee had previously identified this as a priority under Proposition SG, and feedback from coaches and stakeholders indicated strong support. Additionally, collaboration with the All Sports Boosters secured a donation to go toward the $29,000 alternate bid for optional color-enhanced lighting.

The timeline for the upgrades ensures the football field will be ready by this fall, with the baseball and softball fields completed by next spring. This investment not only modernizes the district’s facilities but also reflects a commitment to long-term sustainability and safety.

Check out some examples of Musco's work with ball fields below!

The Missouri Legislature launched its 2025 legislative session, and we can expect to see familiar educational topics return as some legislators hope to gain traction this time around. Some of these topics include: property tax elimination and / or reform, open enrollment, voucher and charter expansion, homeschool participation, early childhood special education, teacher salaries, school funding, parents’ and teachers’ rights, school safety, curriculum prohibitions and requirements, the movement of school board elections, among others.

As bills work their way through committees this session, we will share updates on those issues that would affect public school education. We hope that you, our Ste. Genevieve community, will join our educators and school board members in reaching out to our local legislators about your thoughts and viewpoints on these issues. No matter whether we agree or disagree with our local representatives on the issues affecting public education and the possible solutions, we must have those conversations and make our voices heard. Our local representatives are receptive to meeting and discussing the issues that matter most to their constituents.

When our schools succeed, our community thrives, and we want to thank you for your support and assistance to ensure that our students continue to receive a free, appropriate and quality public education experience at Ste. Genevieve County R-II.

To reach out to our local legislators on various issues, see their contact information below:

Senator:

Mike Henderson

201 W. Capitol Ave.

Room 431

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

573-751-4008

Mike.Henderson@senate.mo.gov

Representative:

Bryant Wolfin

201 West Capitol Avenue

Room 111

Jefferson City MO 65101

573-751-5912

Bryant.Wolfin@house.mo.gov

• Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will be held at Ste. Genevieve Elementary on March 1, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Bloomsdale Elementary on March 15, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parents may contact the elementary offices beginning Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, to schedule appointments.
• Ste. Genevieve Elementary Parents As Teachers also offer FREE Community Developmental Screenings year-round for all children within district boundaries ages 3 months to 5 years. Screening is the process of measuring a child's general health, vision, hearing and development. The areas of development focused on during this screening are motor, language, concepts, social/emotional, and adaptive. To schedule a screening, call PAT at 573-883-4500 ext. 2424.

JANUARY REGULAR MEETING:

• Check out the Board Briefs and the Board Minutes from the Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, Board of Education Regular Meeting. This unofficial document includes more context and details than our official Board News. All Board documents, such as the Board News, the presentation and these Board Briefs, are located on the “Board of Education” page of our district's website.

BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTION:

• The district has completed candidate filing for the district’s Board of Education. In accordance with § 115.124, RSMo., the district will not hold an election, because the number of candidates filing was equal to the number of open positions. The following candidates will be sworn into office at the School Board’s reorganization meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Jamie Ballew and Josh Gettinger.

The new Early Childhood Center will be open for the 2025-2026 school year. We are now taking preschool applications for next school year. Click here to apply.