Monday, February 11, 2013
SECURITY UPDATE: Rockwood School District administrators recommended five new safety initiatives at Thursday's Board of Education meeting; the measures and corresponding budget adjustment were unanimously approved.
Rockwood School District parent and Wildwood resident Nancy Robinson asked Board of Education directors at Thursday's board meeting to consider securing a police officer for every Rockwood school building. She said 20 Rockwood schools still need an officer, which consists of 19 elementaries and an early childhood center. She also said she spoke to some attendees after last week's Safe Schools Partnership meeting to "get their take," because it wasn't open to the public. For Patch post-meeting coverage of that regional safety event, read: Intruder Disarmament Training Offered to School Districts Around St. Louis "Many feel the best way to have safety is to have an officer in each building. We welcome that, if it’s truly the best way to keep…
Monday, January 14, 2013
A list of 20 budgetary items were presented at the Rockwood School District Board of Education meeting Thursday evening. Some were taken off the list by Rockwood Superintendent Bruce Borchers. Reserves now will be tapped.
Seventh on the list of 20 proposed budgetary cuts for fiscal school year 2013-2014 at Rockwood School District's Board of Education meeting Thursday was: "Freeze funds for library book purchases." An estimated crowd of 200 booked it to the meeting to participate in this budget discussion, including two of Rockwood's librarians—who spoke against withdrawing financial support to the district's libraries. Melissa Twombly, librarian at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, explained to Rockwood's education directors it took a decade of struggling for the district's librarians to meet current needs. She said many schools were lucky to have parent-teacher organizations that assisted with goals, but that it led to inconsistency and lack of equity …
Friday, December 14, 2012
LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK: For many years, Rockwood School District leaders have used bond funds to pay for ongoing maintenance. But that source of funding came to abrupt halt once the April bond issue failed.
Is Rockwood School District's financial future really a case of comparing "apples and oranges"? It was lately, with today (Friday, Dec. 14) being the last day to submit feedback regarding the district's situational and strategic comparison—all while facing a $5.1 million budget deficit. After comparing the proposed apple versus orange pictures, or scenarios that resulted from the past several months of a community engagement initiative, of Rockwood's potential future, feedback can be submitted a variety of ways: Both Apple and Orange pictures/scenarios include the district eliminating about $1 million from the operating budget for the coming school year. But, the proposals suggest tax increases that would raise revenue over that of the …
Saturday, December 8, 2012
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Rockwood Stakeholders for Real Solutions members encourage people to consider running for the two Board of Education seats that will be available in the April 2 election.
Beginning Dec. 11, applications are being accepted for strong decisive leaders on the Rockwood School Board of Education. Qualified citizens may apply in person at the Rockwood Administrative Offices located at 111 E North Street in Eureka. Dear Rockwood Stakeholders: The community of the Rockwood School District is in desperate need of strong, decisive leadership on its Board of Education. In 2007, the Rockwood School Board began discussing unsustainable budget shortfalls for 2013 and beyond. Here it is the end of 2012 and there is no real vision or direction for the future; except more taxes. Click here to view the pictures that represent the potential future of Rockwood. The claim (from Rockwood administrators and board of education …
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Two board of director positions on the Rockwood School District Board of Education will be decided on the April 2 ballot.
Rockwood School District residents may file as Board of Education candidates starting Dec. 11 through Jan. 15. The election will be held on April 2. Candidates may drop off paperwork Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rockwood’s Administrative Offices located at 111 E. North Street in Eureka. The office will be open until 5 p.m. on Jan. 15, according to the district's website. Candidate filing will not occur on days the school district’s offices are closed due to holidays or inclement weather. Candidates must be: The Rockwood Board of Education is a group of seven directors who are elected to serve as educational advocates of area youth. Their key roles and responsibilities as listed online are to:
Monday, October 8, 2012
VIDEO: Fourth graders at Rockwood School District's Center for Creative Learning would like the St. Louis County anti-idling ordinance enforced at all district locations to decrease harmful ozone outcomes and to increase health.
St. Louis County's anti-idling ordinance indicates motorists should not idle for more than 3 minutes. But students at Rockwood School District's Center for Creative Learning (CCL) would like to take this pro-health and anti-pollution measure a step further. A handful of CCL fourth graders presented a proposal for an anti-idling policy at Thursday's Rockwood Board of Education meeting. Along with teacher Kathy Nuetzel, students Danielle Essman, Zak Mitra, Brayden Haas, A.J. Ohley and Rachel Heinzerling explained the health effects and environmental problems associated with this action. Health implications of idling vehicles include a decrease in lung capacity, aggravation of asthma, and missed school days, stated the students at the board …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Rockwood School District's Board of Education directors at Thursday evening's board meeting approved the hiring of a new executive director of learning and support services, effective July 1.
Karen Kieffer replaces Nancy DuBois, who recently resigned from the Rockwood School District, as the new executive director of learning and support services. DuBois was a previous co-worker with Rockwood's Superintendent Bruce Borchers in Minnesota before she consulted with the Eureka-based district and then accepted a full-time position with Rockwood at the beginning of this school year to head the learning and support services' area. Kieffer was employed by the Rockwood School District for 27 years. She began her career as a teacher at Woerther Elementary School. After teaching for five years, she served as an administrative intern for one year, and as an assistant principal for three years at Kehrs Mill Elementary School. During this …
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A school teacher from Eureka and an operations manager from Chesterfield will join Rockwood School District's Board of Education, per Tuesday's unofficial but final election results.
William "Bill" Brown of Eureka and Sherri Rogers of Chesterfield are the two new Rockwood School District Board of Education directors. Results from Tuesday's election were: VICTOR HIEKEN . . . 2,418 votes, 11.77 percent SHERRI L. ROGERS . . . 5,908 votes, 28.76 percent JENNIFER KELLY. . . 5,796 votes, 28.22 percent WILLIAM (BILL) BROWN. . . 6,309 votes, 30.72 percent WRITE-IN. . . 109 votes, 0.53 percent For more information about their backgrounds, see related Patch article: Rockwood Board Candidates: Last Forum
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Four in race for Rockwood's school board join forum Tuesday at Crestview Middle School.
Four candidates. Two open seats. With a projected $6.8 million shortfall in the Rockwood School District's budget, there are multiple proposals on ways to help close that gap amid the potential sale of school bonds. These are the core elements residents in the Rockwood School District will consider at the polls April 3, when voters will decide whether to approve the sale of school bonds, typically paid back with interest over a 12-year period, as well as who should sit on the Rockwood Board of Education to allot the district's available finances. About 40 people got the chance to interact with those four candidates through a forum Tuesday night at Crestview Middle School. Board candidate Victor Hieken of Ellisville, who works as a …
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Rockwood National Education Association (RNEA) and Rockwood School District officials agreed to a two-year salary package with a 5.5 percent increase, per an announcement made Thursday at the Rockwood board of education meeting.
Rockwood School District teachers will receive a 2.75 percent increase during the 2012-2013 school year, and another 2.75 percent increase during the 2013-2014 school year, according to an agreement announced Thursday at the Rockwood board of education meeting held at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville. The motion to pass the agreement passed unanimously. The agreement contains a clause for the 2013-2014 school year only, which reopens salary negotiations if an increase or decrease of 5 percent deviation occurs in the district's total operating revenue. Rockwood Superintendent Bruce Borchers said the district's officials believed the agreement was fair, given the Rockwood's financial limitations. "We must be able to attract and retain …
Mark Schmiedeskamp
8:06 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Rockwoods needs more money? My what a surprise. I wish I could understand how renovating fields and installing artificial turf has anything to do with academics. Maybe Borchers should hire another of his "consultant" cronies to explain the connection. more ›