Team Fort Osage met for the fourth time this year on April 21. Topics of discussion included the budget, classified and teacher salary and benefit studies, Career Ladder, superintendent advisory committees, student behavior supports, wellness program, legislation, Farview agreement, and Team Fort Osage (information provided below on each). Budget I continue to prepare for the fiscal year 2024 budget that begins July 1, 2023. The Governor’s budget proposal includes full funding of transportation as well as the funding of Career Ladder. The $0.06 levy transfer and increased assessed valuation (based on the recent County reassessment) will play an important part in our local revenues. My goal is to provide appropriate staffing and make enhancements to the salary schedules while maintaining a balanced budget. As I plan for the future, I’m mindful of the state tax cut that will go into effect in fiscal year 2025 which will reduce state revenues by an estimated $1 billion. More information will be provided regarding my recommended salary increases prior to the June meeting. Teacher and Classified Salary and Benefits Study We have been reviewing the salary and benefits study to determine the best ways to enhance the salary schedules in order to make the biggest impact with the available funds. Career Ladder Career Ladder continues to have a positive impact on our school district. Thank you to those who provided feedback to determine what has gone well and what we can improve for next year. With state and board approval we will continue Career Ladder next year. More information will be provided to staff in the coming weeks. Superintendent Advisory Committees The superintendent advisory committee meetings have continued to provide an opportunity for me to have excellent dialog with staff from across the district. In the coming days I will be sending an email asking for interest on filling the vacant positions for next year’s committees. Student Behavior Supports The conversations on how we can provide additional behavior supports has continued. Beyond the programming at Lewis and Clark next year, additional training on conscious discipline is being planned. Wellness Program Fort Osage continues to support our staff in their social, emotional and physical well-being. I encourage you to participate in our Wellness Program led by Jenny Flax, District Wellness Coordinator. Each school has a Wellbeing Champion that can provide you with important information on how to be engaged. Legislation There are several bills that are being tracked that would impact Fort Osage. Open Enrollment (HB 253) continues to be a hot topic in Jefferson City and will likely come to a vote in the senate soon. I’ve continued to oppose the bill along with the Board of Education who passed a resolution in opposition of the bill. For the purpose of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), SB 411 creates a new category of student called Flex students. They are students who are not enrolled in the local school district but want access to programs offered there. In short, any student who lives in a school district attendance area would have access to the sports and activities without any enrollment requirement. This creates concern to MSHSAA member schools due to the enforcement of various academic and citizenship requirements of the students. SB 75 which increases the retirement multiplier to 2.55% for those who complete 32 years of service in the PSRS/PEERS system continues to receive attention. It also changes the PSRS/PEERs work after retirement rules to allow a retiree to earn up to 133% of the annual earnings limit of a Social Security recipient. Additionally, the bill has a provision that extends the time period a retiree may work under critical shortage from two years to four years. Farview Agreement A few years ago when the Woodland Early Childhood Center was constructed, the District wanted to utilize the previous early childhood center building for the benefit of the community. The District signed an agreement with the Mid-Continent Public Library and Community Services League to utilize the building for a library and food pantry. The result of this partnership has been outstanding. On average 100 families access the food pantry each week and over 15,000 people utilized the library the past year. At the April board meeting the Board of Education approved a three year extension to continue the partnership with the two organizations. Team Fort Osage Four years ago, Team Fort Osage was created in order to receive staff feedback regarding important topics impacting the district. Like last year, ⅓ of the current 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 2023-2024 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. The years of experience listed is based on the 2023-2024 school year. Certificated Staff
Classified Staff
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