Thursday, May 23, 2013
The district will add to its projected $11 million budget deficit with the move to grant increased pay for teachers and administrators.
A recent round of pay increases for teachers and administrative staff at Rockwood will not come cheaply for the district, according to information provided by school officials. It’s predicted that the measures, which are aimed at increasing the rate of salary increases employees receive, will add more than $1 million to the district’s personnel costs next year. In passing the upped salaries, district officials and school board members said they were necessary to retain Rockwood's reputation for educational excellence and in recognition of the community's appreciation for its teachers. Previously, the district had budgeted around $2.5 million for teacher salary increases next year, which took into account raises of 2.75 percent. The …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Newly elected in April, Jeff Morrell said he doesn't want to worsen the district's budget gap by "stepping on the gas."
Updated May 8: The board member behind the single "no" vote on a pay plan that will increase the average salary for Rockwood Administrators told Patch Wednesday that his opposition is based on concerns over the district's deficit. Jeffrey Morrell said he agrees, in principal, that the district's employees need to be paid a fair and competitive salary, acknowledging a find by a Rockwood committee that its administrators ranked 21 out of 22 in terms of average total compensation among St. Louis County school districts. However, given the district's project $11 million deficit, Morrell said those raises need to be paid for with an equal amount of cuts so that they don't add to the red ink. "If we were going to go give them a raise, what …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Also: How to realign the district's spending after the failure of Proposition S?
The Rockwood School Board will meet tonight at 7 p.m. following a closed session at 6 p.m. at the Crestview Middle School at 16025 Clayton Road in Ellisville. Here's a preview of some the items on the board's agenda.
Friday, April 26, 2013
The district's school board members selected Wildwood resident Darby Jo Arakelian to fill the unexpired term for Steve Smtih, who stepped down in March.
Calling it a very tough decision, the Rockwood School Board whittled a list of eight possible candidates down to one during a public meeting to determine who will fill the term of former board member Steve Smith, who resigned in March. By a vote of 4-2, the board selected Wildwood resident Darby Jo Arakelian, who will be sworn in on May 2, said she is looking forward to her tenure on the Rockwood School District’s governing body. “To say that the board faces challenges is an understatement, but instead of just voicing my concerns, I thought it was time to offer up my services and help be part of the solution,” Arakelian said. Arakelian will stay in the position for the remainder of Smith’s term, which expires next April. She holds a master…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Rockwood School Board received tips on what they can expect during the process at a meeting last week.
The search for the next superintendent of the Rockwood School District is a process that could take months and cost around $10,000-20,000. That was part of the message delivered to the school board by Don Senti, Executive Director of the Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, who spoke to the board during a meeting April 18. The district’s current Superintendent Bruce Borches has accepted a contract to helm a district in Tennessee and his last day will be June 7. Chief Communications Officer Kim Cranston said the board invited Senti to provide them tips on how to move forward on hiring a new leader for the district and what they can expect in the months to come. “The board asked him to come in and just talk with them about next…
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Bookmark this page for quick access to find out who won mayor, city council and school board races.
Updated: Nation wins mayoral seat; Greenwood, Hurt and DeGroot capture city council seats in Chesterfield. It's election day in Chesterfield Tuesday and voters headed to the polls to elect a new mayor, four city council members, and a pair of school board members in Parkway and Rockwood schools. There was a Monarch Fire Protection District Board seat to fill, and a decision to make on a countywide parks funding proposal. Updated: Cunningham Declares Victory In 'War" Against Unions in Monarch Fire Board Race Voter turnout was reportedly light throughout the city; at about 10:15 this morning, only about 60 voters had showed up at one of the polling places, Chesterfield Community Church, at Ladue Road and Olive Boulevard. Poll workers …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
VIDEOS OF OPENING REMARKS: A Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates' forum was held Saturday at Eureka City Hall. Part 1; return to Patch for a summary of candidates' responses to questions from attendees.
A candidates' forum for Rockwood School District Board of Education contenders was hosted Saturday at the Eureka City Hall by Rockwood Stakeholders for Real Solutions (RS for RS), a self-appointed watchdog group of the district. Two of the four board candidates attended: Jeff Morrell and Steve Banton. The other two candidates are Loralee Mondl and Janet Strate. A small crowd of eight attended Saturday's forum, besides moderator Eileen Tyrrell, co-founder and RS for RS spokesperson. Tyrrell said RS for RS was formulated during July 2011 to give "a voice to parents who are not PTO parents, teachers who are not in the union, and the district's taxpayers, in general." "Rockwood prides itself in getting community input, but we saw missing …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Rockwood School District is sponsoring a Board of Education candidates' forum Tuesday, and it will be moderated by League of Women Voters' representatives.
League of Women Voters of St. Louis representatives will moderate a Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates' forum from 7-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at Crestview Middle School, 16025 Clayton Rd., in Ellisville. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization whose members encourage informed and active participation in government. Attendees at Tuesday's event will learn more about the candidates seeking election for the Rockwood School Board by hearing them speak and answer questions in a public forum. This election's candidates are: Janet Strate, Stephen (Steve) Banton, Loralee Mondl, and Jeffrey Morrell. See previous candidate-related article: Meet the Four Candidates Running for Rockwood School …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The following opinion was submitted by Rockwood parent Anne Gassel and the watchdog coalition Rockwood Stakeholders for Real Solutions.
The School Board cannot forget its duty to speak for the public. The education system and the educrats who inhabit it are fully prepared to protect and perpetuate that system. There are layers of administration which are packed full of experts on education and finance whose sole purpose is to keep the system running. As soon as someone is elected to serve on the school board they receive “training” from the Missouri School Board Association. This training emphasizes how important it is to present a unified front to the public. Controversy is to be handled behind the scenes so that the board can appear confident and united in public meetings. Where would such controversy come from? It comes from people outside the system trying to get the …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The two incumbents on the Rockwood School Board are facing two challengers, and the Rockwood School District has provided brief profiles on all four candidates for the April 2 election.
The following information was provided by the Rockwood School District and is available on the district's website. The district will also host a candidate forum on March 5. Personal Information: I graduated from U.C.L.A. with a bachelor’s degree in 1989. I recently retired from Enterprise Holdings in Clayton, Mo. after serving for 23 years. While at Enterprise Holdings, I held positions ranging from Branch and Regional operations in several markets to Corporate Vice President in St. Louis for the past 12 years. Personal Statement: I’ve enjoyed raising two children in St. Louis and value the quality education they’ve received and are currently receiving from Rockwood Schools. I believe it is time for the School Board to begin the …
Cynthia C.
11:47 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
So, the teachers just got a pay increase. What? No outcry about more deficit spending now? No outcry that "the discussions weren't done in public"? If the logic is that administrators shouldn't get raises, as some believe, then logic should follow that no one should get raises in the district. However, if the logic is that teachers should get raises, then it follows that everyone deserves to have… more ›