December 2024 School Board Meeting

The Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on Thursday, December 19.  Below are some of the highlights:

The Board was proud to recognize MVES Nurse Lisa Wilson as the MV-MVP for December.  Below is the nomination submitted for Mrs. Wilson:

Nurse Lisa goes above and beyond, managing multiple high-health needs throughout the building with professionalism, warmth, and compassion. Each day, she dedicates her time and energy to ensuring every student feels safe, valued, and supported, regardless of their health needs. 

From treating minor scrapes to responding to complex medical needs, Nurse Lisa shows genuine love and care in everything she does. Her open-door policy makes her a trusted figure, and everyone in the school— students and staff alike—values her as a true team player. Her impact is seen not only in the health and well-being of our students but also in the warmth she brings to our school community. She spends her own time and money to create a safe and loving environment for all students. She shows up early to school and is always thinking of ways she can help someone. She truly is the heart of MVES!

Congratulations to Nurse Lisa and thank you for making it a Great Day to Be A Mt’Neer!

Our attendance rate for November was 93.01% and our Average Daily In-Person Attendance was 1,337.67.

• This represents a slight decrease of 2.95 students from this time last year.
• ADA for October was 1,354.39 and our attendance percentage was 94.13%.
• The decrease from October to November is consistent with past years.

Two candidates have signed up as candidates for the two expiring positions on the School Board.

• Kerry Hodgson and Nathan Schoen have expiring terms this spring and both have registered to seek new three-year terms.
• The window to register for the election ends on December 31 at 5 PM.

The Board approved the 2023-2024 Audit provided by KPM Certified Public Accountants.

• The net position of District finances in 23-24 was up $148,059 over the previous year.
• Recommendations from KPM include a continued focus on cybersecurity, new accounting pronouncements, and revenue and expenditure reporting.
• The District received one material weakness centered around the segregation of duties in the District Office regarding purchasing.
• An ideal situation involves more employees to divide the purchasing duties among more individuals.

The Board heard a review of the District’s 2024 Annual Performance Report.

• A District’s APR is the accountability model used by DESE as part of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) 
  • It is intended to be used to measure performance and improvement and outline expectations for school practices and student outcomes
• Below is a chart containing information on the 2024 APR:

• Where Does the Continuous Improvement Score Originate? (30% of APR)
• CSIP (30 points)
• Climate and Culture Survey (4 points)
• Success-Ready Students (Kindergarten Entry Assessment, Individual Career and Academic Plan, and Attendance) (12 points)
• LEA Response to Standards (8 points)
• MSIP Required Documentation (Audit, ASBR, Core Data) (6 points)
• Where Does the Performance Score Originate? (70% of APR)
• Academic Achievement Status (24%)
• Academic Achievement Growth (24%)
• 48% of all points are connected to student performance on standardized testing
• Success-Ready Students (College and Career Readiness Assessments & Advanced Academic or Career-Oriented Experiences) (10%)
• The District has made strides in this area.
• However, the decision was made to use 2023 data in the 2024 APR so our improvements will not be included until next year.
• Graduation Rate (10%)
• Graduate Follow-Up (2%)
• What Can We Celebrate About This Year’s APR?
• Overall percentage increased (slightly)
• Academic Achievement Status remained On Track in the All Students category for Math, Science, and Social Studies.
• For the second consecutive year, our Map Performance Index (MPI) Scores increased in Science (both All Students and Student Groups).
• Designations improved in Growth for ELA and Math in both categories and for All Students in Science.
• What are our Opportunities for Improvement?
• English Language Arts MPI for All Students and Student Groups both declined.
• Mathematics MPI and Growth declined for Student Groups.
• For the third consecutive year, the District earned 75% of points available for Attendance.

The Board approved a Legislative Priorities and Platform document representing the advocacy positions of the District.

• The document was created by the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence and is attached for those interested in learning more.

The Board approved ballot language for a no-tax-increase special school bond election to be considered at the General Municipal Election on April 8.

• The no-tax-increase ballot measure would construct a Performing Arts Center and a new band classroom on the high school campus.
• The ballot measure will be named Proposition PAC:
• P – Promise
• Successful approval of this initiative would deliver the final piece of the new high school project first approved in 1994.
• A – Action
• The bond issue will be the action needed to deliver on this longstanding promise.
• C – Commitment
• The bond issue represents the District’s commitment to providing the facilities needed to deliver the best educational environment to our students and staff.
• Much more information to come as preparations for the bond issue ballot measure get into full swing in the coming weeks.

In Closed Executive Session:

The Board was informed of several retirements and position changes in the upcoming academic year:

• Kelly Holcomb has submitted a letter of retirement from her position as the High School Counseling Office Secretary effective at the end of this academic year.
• Mrs. Holcomb joined the District in 2002 and spent 12 years as the High School Nurse.
• Mrs. Holcomb also served as a Secretary in the High School Office for 9 years before moving to the position of Counselor’s Secretary in 2023 and serving in that role for the past 2 years. 
• Jennifer Lee has submitted a letter of retirement from her position as Kindergarten Title I Specialist effective at the end of this academic year.
• Mrs. Lee joined the District in 2000 and spent the past 25 years at MVES serving as a classroom teacher before transitioning into a Title I position in 2014 and spending the past 10 years in that role.
• Gwen Stephens has submitted a letter of retirement from her position as Intermediate School Counselor effective December 1.
• Ms. Stephens joined the District in 2016 as the Counselor at MVIS and spent the past 9 years in that position.
• Angela Cicalla will be moving into the vacant Title I Interventionist (Kindergarten) Position at the Elementary School in the 2025-26 school year.
• Ms. Cicalla joined the District in 2017 and has been teaching Kindergarten at the Elementary School.
• This is to replace Jennifer Lee who is retiring at the end of the academic year.
• Lisa Gray will be moving into the High School Counseling Office Secretary position in the 2025-26 school year.
• Mrs. Gray joined the District this year as a High School Office Secretary.
• She is pursuing a degree in Counseling making that position more aligned with her long-term goals.
• This is to replace Kelly Holcomb who is retiring at the end of the school year.
• Sarah (Childress) Mayne will be moving into the recently vacated position of Intermediate School Counselor.
• Mrs. Mayne joined us this year as a Fourth Grade Teacher after three years in Monett.
• Mrs. Mayne is currently participating in a degree program through Southwest Center to earn her Counseling Degree.
• Marci Ullrich will be moving into a Kindergarten Position in the 2025-26 school year.
• Mrs. Ullrich joined the District this year as a Fourth Grade Teacher after more than 20 years in an Early Childhood Position in Nixa.
• This is to replace Kim Casey who announced her retirement last month.

The Board approved the following personnel recommendations:

• Rhonda Botts was approved to serve in the role of Intermediate Counselor for the remainder of the 2024-25 academic year.
• Isabelle Farnsworth was approved as a new Summit employee.
• Penny Hardyman was approved for a vacant Special Education Paraprofessional Position at the Elementary School.

The next scheduled meeting of the Mount Vernon R-V Board of Education will be held on Thursday, January 16 at 7 PM in the District Administration Office Board Room.