Team Fort Osage met for the fourth time this year on April 21. It was a productive meeting with good feedback provided by the committee. There was discussion about the budget, health insurance, economic development, staff feedback, bargaining, school calendar, late resignations, MSIP 6, legislative updates, and construction projects (information provided below on each). Budget Planning We are continuing to plan the budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Maintaining a balanced budget is a priority for the Board, and my goal is to achieve that while continuing to provide appropriate staffing, good health insurance coverage, and steps and movement for staff. At the June board meeting, my recommendation to the board will be to provide steps and movement at a cost of approximately $900,000. We are looking at enhancing the salary schedule by an amount yet to be determined with funds available and will know more once the state budget is approved. The FY 23 budget will be presented to the Board for their approval at the June meeting. Health Insurance The medical claims are being monitored as health insurance continues to be a large expense for the District. The cost for the District has more than doubled the last eight years from $3,041,000 in FY 2014 to $6,200,000 FY 2022 (this year). The District's contribution has increased from $581.30 per employee per month in FY 2020 to $710.00 per employee per month in FY 2022. In other words, the District contributes $8,520 per employee annually for individuals on District health insurance plans. Economic Development The Independence City Council will vote on the approval of the NorthPointe development on May 2, 2022. Due to the amount of tax revenue it will generate and the number of jobs it will create, President Floyd Hawkins and I will represent the District at the meeting to speak in favor of the project. I've been working with NorthPointe to develop a dedicated space in one of the first buildings constructed that would be used for educational programming if the project is approved. 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 committee members at a later time. 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 will be selected to replace the vacant spots by the end of this school year. Bargaining In 2018 HB 1413 was passed, prohibiting teacher unions from negotiating with school districts until an election administered by the Missouri Department of Labor was held naming a specific bargaining representative for teachers. Months later, a court case was filed claiming HB 1413 was unconstitutional which halted the election process until the court could make a decision. In June 2021, the court case was decided by the Missouri Supreme Court which in essence allowed for a teacher union to become a bargaining representative through a bargaining framework established by the Board of Education rather than the State. I have received a request from both CEA and NEA to become the bargaining representative for teachers at Fort. We are currently working to create a policy which would need to be approved by the Board of Education before the election process is implemented. The policy will outline the step by step procedures to become the bargaining representative. 2023-2024 Calendar Previously, I communicated that Team Fort Osage would provide feedback on the 2023-2024 student calendar at their April meeting. Administration is still working on a calendar option that would increase teacher collaboration/work time without creating additional teacher student contact days. After this option is explored further, I will receive feedback from Team Fort Osage. A survey will then be sent to staff in order to receive additional input before a recommendation is provided to the Board. Given the time constraints of this school year, it is possible the survey may not be conducted until next fall. Late Resignations Prior to this school year the Board adopted a procedure, which is outlined in the Employee Manual, in order to recover the costs associated with certificated staff members who resign after June 1. These costs include recruiting and onboarding replacements, training replacements, and substitute costs if necessary. After receiving feedback from Team Fort Osage and comparing the monetary amount other Districts require, I will recommend an increase to Fort’s monetary amount at the May Board meeting. If approved the update will begin as early as July 1, 2022. MSIP 6 Although the original schedule was delayed, DESE is preparing to release MSIP 6 in the coming weeks. This spring’s MAP/EOC scores will be used for the Annual Performance Report (APR) next fall. Legislative Update The legislative session will continue through May 13. We are continuing to monitor several bills closely that are related to education. A few are listed below: HB 3002 This is the education budget bill. After significant changes were made by the Senate, the bill will be discussed and debated in conference committees made up of both House and Senate members before being sent to the Governor. The General Assembly is required to pass the budget by May 6. Some of the changes made by the Senate include: An additional $214 million to fund school transportation An additional $195 million from Prop C (sales tax) An additional $10 million for teacher recruitment and retention Provide $37 million to fund career ladder HB 1552 After being passed by the Senate, the bill returns to the House for final approval. The bill would shift the burden of funding charter schools to the State, require charter school board members to live in Missouri, and increase funding for transportation. SJR 39 and SJR 41 Both of these house joint resolutions would negatively impact the school district’s revenue and bonding capacity. SJR 39 would cap the amount a property owner’s assessed valuation can increase during assessment cycles. SJR 41 exempts taxpayers 65 years or older from any property tax increases. Construction Projects Spring 2022
o Fire Prairie o Bus Drive from East Campus to Main Campus o Main Campus East of Indian Lane Summer of 2023
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