Team Fort Osage met for the fifth time this year on May 19. There was discussion about the budget, Career Ladder, health insurance, economic development, bargaining, legislative update, construction projects and staff feedback (information provided below on each). Budget Maintaining a balanced budget is a priority for the Board, and my goal is to achieve that while continuing to provide appropriate staffing to ensure student success, good health insurance coverage, and to remain competitive with our salaries. Based on the anticipated revenues and expenditures for the coming year, I will be making the recommendations listed below to the Board at the June meeting. It is important to note that the Governor still has to sign various bills that significantly impact state revenues. Teacher Salary Schedule Provide Steps Provide Horizontal Movement (for those eligible) Add $500 to the base salary which adds $500 throughout the schedule (increases base to $39,500) Classified Schedules Provide Steps Add $0.05 per hour to cell A1 on hourly schedule which filters throughout the schedule Add $0.10 per hour to cell A1 on exempt schedule which filters throughout the schedule Certificated and Classified Administrators 3% increase (based on the average increase I'm recommending for other staff members, not including career ladder - see below) Career Ladder Sitting on the Governor’s desk, awaiting his signature, is SB 681 which includes the State providing 60% of the cost to fund Career Ladder. Career Ladder previously existed in Missouri for several years until 2007-2008. It’s a voluntary way for certificated staff (teachers, librarians, counselors, instructional coaches, etc.) to earn additional income for work outside their normal work day. When Career Ladder existed previously, teachers were required to submit a plan that met the state and District guidelines. In order to receive the money, teachers had to complete their approved plan and log hours. The Governor has until July 15 to sign the bill for Career Ladder to be funded. If he signs the bill it would take effect August 28, 2022. DESE is currently developing the guidelines for Career Ladder, which includes the amount of experience a teacher must have in order to qualify for the program, how much money teachers could earn, as well as other plan requirements. DESE anticipates having the guidelines completed late this summer or early fall. This would create a tight timeline for implementation for everyone involved. Career Ladder is an annual allocation line item in the state budget. Therefore, the legislation will vote whether to fund Career Ladder on an annual basis. Simply put, there are no guarantees how long the state would fund Career Ladder or what percentage of the cost they would contribute. There are numerous unanswered questions about Career Ladder. Having said that, I believe it’s important to reward teachers whenever possible for their hard work and dedication. My recommendation to the Board will be for Fort Osage to participate in Career Ladder pending state funding and whether the DESE guidelines are feasible to implement. More information will be provided about Career Ladder once it is known. Health Insurance The medical claims are being monitored as health insurance continues to be a large expense for the District. Our current claims loss is 97% which is a huge improvement from a few months ago. The District currently contributes $710 per month or $8,520 per employee annually for individuals on District health insurance plans. This summer I will be working with the Consortium’s actuary to determine the insurance rates beginning January 1, 2023 and will have a recommendation to the Board by the September Board meeting. Economic Development The Independence City Council approved of the NorthPoint development on May 2. Due to the amount of tax revenue it will generate and the number of jobs it will create, President Floyd Hawkins and I spoke at the city council meeting in favor of the project. On May 10 the Fort Osage Board passed a Community Benefit agreement. The agreement is between the Fort Osage School District and NorthPoint which outlines the benefits to the Fort Osage School District for the next six years. The six year timeline is based on when the development is projected to reach the Fort Osage District boundaries. The agreement includes the following payments over the next six years.
Additionally, NorthPoint is providing a space constructed near Little Blue and Necessary Road (in the Blue Springs School District) for Educational programming to be used by several entities including Fort Osage. I am leading a team of representatives from the Blue Springs and Independence School Districts, MCC Blue River, Mid-Continent Public Library and Community Services League on how the shared space might be utilized and designed. Bargaining A policy is scheduled to be on the agenda at the June board meeting for the first read. The policy will outline the step by step procedures for certificated staff to become the bargaining representative at Fort Osage. Legislative Update The legislative session ended May 13. Two of the bills that are sitting on the Governor’s desk that would impact Fort Osage are listed below: SB 681 is the Education Omnibus Bill that includes 28 amendments. HB 1552 is the charter school funding and MOCAP bill. If you’re interested in reading more about these two bills Click here Bond and Levy Projects
Staff Feedback Three years ago, Team Fort Osage was created in order to receive staff feedback regarding important topics impacting the district. Next year I will begin receiving additional feedback from staff with the creation of the Superintendent Advisory Committee. Each school will have Superintendent Advisory Committee members and I will travel to each building once every two months in order to receive additional feedback from staff. More information will be provided on the selection of the Superintendent Advisory Committee members at the beginning of the next school year. It’s important to note that the Superintendent Advisory Committee will not replace Team Fort Osage. Beginning next school year, approximately ⅓ of the current Team Fort Osage members will rotate off the committee. New Team Fort Osage members have been selected to replace the vacant spots. The members of Team Fort Osage for the 2022-2023 school year are listed below. Members were selected based on a range of years of experience, a variety of grade levels or subjects taught, and different positions held. Additionally, each building is represented on the committee. Certificated Staff
Classified Staff
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