October 2024 School Board Meeting

The Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education held its Regular Meeting on Thursday, October 24.  Below are some items of information:

The Board opened the meeting with a recognition of Board Secretary Steve Wendler.

• Last night’s meeting was Steve’s final Board Meeting as the Board Secretary.
• Mr. Wendler joined the District in 1996 and has served in the District Office for 28 years.
• For 28 years in his position, Mr. Wendler only missed one Board Meeting!

The Board also recognized Kiley Alumbaugh as the MV-MVP for October.

• Mrs. Alumbaugh’s nomination was as follows:

Kiley Alumbaugh is a dependable and calm leader who steps up during challenging situations. While filling the building leadership role in the absence of the principal, Kiley managed a possible threat with composure, waiting for communication, and making key decisions. In the same week, she performed the Heimlich maneuver on a fifth-grade student, saving her from choking while keeping another child calm.

Kiley is a positive force at her school, engaging with students and staff alike. Her commitment to her role as a Title I teacher shines through her dedication to her work. She goes above and beyond, tackling challenges head-on and striving to make a meaningful impact on students' learning experiences. Her passion for education and community involvement extends beyond her classroom, making her a positive and influential figure both inside and outside of the school.

• Thank you Mrs. Alumbaugh for making it a great day to be a Mt’Neer!

Over the past few weeks, Dr. Prevo has been gathering information about the policies and procedures of cell phone use at MVHS.

• The Board was honored to hear from our Student Board Advisory team on the perspectives of the student body concerning disruption caused by the current policies governing the use of cell phones.
• We are grateful to have this group of students to speak on behalf of the student body as issues such as these arise.

Our attendance rate for September was 93.72% and our Average Daily Attendance was 1,345.83 students.  

• This is a decrease of 9.74 students from this time last year.

Our official September Membership is up 15.83 students from last year at 1,532.95. 

• September Membership is the official count turned into the state as part of our Core Data through MOSIS and is pulled on the last Wednesday in September (September 25).  
• This number is used by the county to calculate the distribution of Fines and the apportionment of State Assessed Railroad and Utilities Revenue.  
• This is the second year we can count all Pre-K students (ECSE and ADA) as part of our membership.
• In the past, only those eligible for state aid were included.
• This accounts for the large increase in the past two years and is a welcome change as it gives us credit for all the students we serve taking into account the hard work and resources we have committed to building a strong Pre-K program.
• Our Pre-K ADA-12th (minus ECSE) September Membership is 1,446.88 which is a decrease of 6.24 students from last year.
• The 2023-2024 September Membership was 1453.12 for Pre-K ADA-12.

Representatives from LJ Hart and Company presented the Board with an opportunity to refund our Series 2020 Bonds.

• Municipal bond refunding is a process where outstanding bonds are replaced with new bonds to reduce interest costs.
• LJ Hart is optimistic we could save as much as $1.6 million of interest expense.
• They are also hopeful this could have a beneficial effect on a potential April 2025 no-tax-increase bond issue.
• The Board voted to permit LJ Hart to seek the most advantageous rates possible for refunding over the next month.

Mrs. Woodbury and Talea Johnston provided a report on the District’s Early Childhood Program which includes the Parents as Teacher Program.

• Mrs. Johnston reported that the PAT program is off to a successful start in 2024 with 57 family visits and 23 screenings.
• Six new families have been added to the program just this month!
• Mrs. Woodbury highlighted the addition of a new program at the ELC to benefit young parents.
• The Basecamp program is an event to be hosted at the ELC on November 12 with a meal and childcare provided free of charge.
• The meal will be sponsored by the Mount Vernon Rotary and the child care provided by the MVHS National Honor Society.
• Basecamp will provide breakout sessions for parents to attend centered around helpful topics such as improving vocabulary and language skills; highlighting the role of parents in early literacy; preparing for Kindergarten readiness; and positive discipline strategies.
• Mrs. Woodbury also shared that our ELC was the recipient of a Missouri Quality Pre-K Grant for the second consecutive year.
• The grant program provides additional funding to expand Pre-K instruction and increase access all across the state.
• The MO-QPK grant has allowed families who previously were charged tuition due to not meeting criteria to attend free of charge to attend tuition-free.
• For additional information please see the attached presentation and flyer.

Dr. Redus presented information on the status of the District’s Special Education Department.

• Dr. Redus praised the work being done by our Special Education teachers and paraprofessionals who are making a difference in the lives of our SPED students every day.
• He also highlighted the benefits of the work being done by our Process Coordinators.
• The addition of a second process coordinator has allowed for more guidance on IEP writing, the evaluation process, and some testing.
• Numbers in our SPED department are currently at the same level as the 23-24 school year after a large increase from the 22-23 school year.
• The District recently completed the Tiered Monitoring process required by DESE and we were found in compliance with 99.03% of student files.
• The District’s corrective action plan to address the indicators out of compliance is well underway.

The Board voted to add Swimming to the list of MSHSAA-sponsored sports at MVHS.

• One MVHS student who has competed in competitive swimming for several years sought to compete in MSHSAA events as a Mountaineer.
• With the Board’s approval, Mount Vernon will be able to sponsor this student’s participation.
• As is common in competitive swimming under MSHSAA, this athlete will be able to have access to coaching from Monett’s staff who will conduct practice and event participation.
• While a large portion of the expenses associated with competitive swimming will be covered by the family, the District will cover some of the costs of participation.

The Board voted to release a release of a Request for Qualifications for a Guaranteed Energy

Performance Contract.

• In the event the Board approves a ballot initiative, this RFQ would allow for the process of solicitation of bids to complete projects associated with a bond issue in advance.  
• In association with this RFQ, an advertisement will be publicized for at least 10 business days.  
• Depending on the level of interest from qualified companies, the Board could consider a formal agreement in the coming months that would only take effect pending approval of a bond issue in April.  
• Selection of a partner would allow contractors to have firm bids in place to develop a Gross Maximum Price before the adoption of bond issue ballot language.

In Closed Executive Session:

The Board was informed that Kristina Nordyke had resigned from her position as a Special Education Paraprofessional.

• Mrs. Nordyke joined the District in 2023 and spent the past year as a Special Education Paraprofessional at MVES.

The Board approved the following personnel recommendations:

• Samantha Bertram for a vacant Special Education Paraprofessional Position at the ELC.
• Mrs. Bertram joined OPAA in 2022 and has been working on the kitchen staff at MVES for the past two years.
• Rhonda Botts as a long-term substitute at MVIS.
• Mrs. Botts retired from the position of MVIS Counselor in 2013.
• Lexie Brashers for a Special Education Paraprofessional Position at the Elementary School.
• Ms. Brashers will replace Kristina Nordyke in the position of Special Education Paraprofessional.
• Kodi Taylor for a Special Education Paraprofessional Position at the Elementary School.
• Mrs. Taylor brings experience as a Paraprofessional in the Nixa and Willard School Districts.

The next scheduled meeting of the Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education will be held on Thursday, November 21 at 7 PM in the District Office Board Room.