Board of Education Recognition Week

This is School Board Recognition Week! Thank you to the members of the Webster Groves School District Board of Education: President David Addison, Vice President Jo Doll and directors Alex Kahn, Christine Keller, Kita Quinn and Allen Todd! We appreciate you.

Take a look at a video thanking our board members for volunteering their time and talents to WGSD.

 

Board to Consider No-Tax-Increase Bond Issue;

Surveys and Forums Planned

The district administration has asked the Board of Education to consider putting a no-tax-rate increase bond issue of up to $45 million on the ballot in the Aug. 2 election, which would provide money for safety/security, accessibility and infrastructure projects throughout the district. The board will make a decision following review of information and community feedback.

A major project would be renovation of Moss Field, which was built in 1948. Some of the issues include parking lot repairs, lighting, aging track, inadequate size of the track, crumbling concrete, as well as accessibility problems. Districtwide, safety/security items for consideration include mortar, brickwork and plaster issues; interior and exterior doors, expansion of badge access and building lockdown, upgraded burglar and fire alarms, water issues in educational spaces and accessibility issues. Infrastructure needs include replacement of aging boilers and heat pumps, roofs, tuckpointing, more efficient windows, aging cafeteria equipment and aging playground equipment.

In all, Chief Financial/Operating Officer Pam Frazier estimates the district has $80-100 million worth of projects to do. Current bonding capacity would allow for up to a $45 million no-tax-rate bond issue and potentially another no-tax-rate increase bond issue of approximately $25 million in about five years.

The district is planning to survey and hold a series of open house events to share information and collect feedback. Dates and times are below; all sessions will be at the district Service Center, 3232 S. Brentwood Blvd.

March 29: 12 - 1:30 p.m. and 6 - 7:30 p.m.
March 31: 7:30 - 9 a.m. and noon - 1:30 p.m.
April 1: 7:30 - 9 a.m.
April 4: 7:30 - 9 a.m., noon - 1:30 p.m., and 6-7:30 p.m.
April 6: 6 - 7:30 p.m. 

Hudson Drummers to Lead St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday

The "Hudson Hype" bucket drumming group from Hudson School will lead the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown this Saturday. The 53rd annual parade begins at noon, rain or shine, at 20th and Market streets, then proceeds east toward its conclusion at Broadway and Clark Street. Besides the Hype, the parade will feature 140 units including marching bands, floats, cartoon character balloons and more.

You can find the parade route here  https://irishparade.org/the-parade/parade_route/  

The parade will be livestreamed here https://www.youtube.com/user/IrishParadeSTL

Dr. Tracy Nomensen Hired as Edgar Road Principal

The Board of Education has approved the hiring of Dr. Tracy Nomensen to become principal of Edgar Road School, effective July 1. 
Dr. Nomensen is currently in her second year as the principal of Highcroft Ridge School in the Parkway School District. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seattle Pacific University, a master’s degree from St. Louis University and a doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Besides her work in Parkway, she’s been an assistant principal at Mesnier Primary School in the Affton School District and an instructional coach at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy in St. Louis.

New Website Roll-Out Begins

Last night, the district began to roll out a new website. There may be periods of time when some pages aren't accessible.  Thank you for your patience while we complete this project.

Alumni Featured at High School All Write Festival

The All Write Festival at the High School hosted a variety of speakers this year, including three Webster Groves High School alumni.  

Leah Clyburn (left), class of 2001, spoke to students about her work as a community organizer, with an emphasis on environmental injustices.  

Peat Wollager, at left, class of 1993, spoke about his work as an internationally known graffiti artist.  His work has been seen on Mountain Dew bottles, as stage design for TedTalks and at the Chess Hall of Fame. 

Jaime (Baranyai) Mowers, class of 2000 and editor-in-chief of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, spoke to students about her experience as a reporter and editor at newspapers throughout the Midwest. 

The Festival celebrated the word: the written word, the spoken word, the word as poetry, the word as prose and the word as image. During All Write, guest speakers discussed their craft and shared their work with students from English classes. 

Board of Education Renames High School Field

The Board of Education has approved a motion to rename Plymouth Field, used for baseball and softball, as Kopplin Field, for Richard Kopplin Jr., class of 1917, the High School’s first fallen soldier in combat in World War I.

Corp. Kopplin was killed at Hilsenfirst Alsace Gerardmer, with 50 others who were part of the 138th Missouri National Guard.  In 1918, the High School and his classmates raised money for a granite marker, in his memory, which is on the corner of the student parking lot on Bradford Avenue. 

School Board Candidates Forum 7 p.m. March 30

The League of Women Voters will hold a candidates forum for those running for the Board of Education in April at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 at Hixson Middle School. This event will also be livestreamed (link will appear on www.webster.k12.mo.us).

Questions can be submitted in advance to https://forms.gle/jzWRvTG8m6yNpp6L6 

Candidates for the three-year term, in ballot order, are
Justin Hauke
Brian Middendorf
Alex Kahn
Allen Todd
Robert E. “Bob” Dorries Jr.

Candidates for the one-year term, in ballot order:
Tara Scheer
Barbara (Barb) Strang
Courtney Schaefer

Don't Miss High School 'This is Me' Broadway Revue 7p.m. Tonight