WGSD AA+ Bond Rating Among Highest in State

The Webster Groves School District has received an AA+ long-term rating for general obligation bonds from S&P Global Ratings, ranking it among the highest rated school districts in the state. “The rating reflects our view of Webster Groves School District’s continued healthy financial position and ample reserves that help to mitigate revenue loss,” the rating report said. “…The district’s track record of financial performance and strong management practices positions it well to maintain its stable credit profile over the next two years.”

The rating reflects an assessment of three consecutive fiscal years of surplus results and ample reserves in the district, a diverse and growing tax base with high income levels compared to the national average and good financial management policies and practices.

Pam Frazier, chief financial officer of the school district, said, “This rating is a solid indicator of the financial health of the Webster Groves School District as well as the measures we have in place to manage our budget and debt. An AA+ rating benefits our entire community. It means that we’ll be able to obtain low interest rates on the sale of bonds and have more money for students and learning. I’m very proud of the hard work and good stewardship that this rating reflects.”

The only other AA+ rated k-12 school district in the state is Lee’s Summit. There are also four AAA districts: Clayton, Ladue, Parkway and Rockwood. 

High School Senior Honored by Webster Groves for Book Illustrations

Amelia Dorsey, a senior at Webster Groves High School, was recognized by the city of Webster Groves with a day in her honor for her work as illustrator of a book for Children's Hospital.

The book, "The Boy with the Turquoise Ribbon," follows a young boy with a hole in his diaphragm through diagnosis and treatment. It's used to help young children in the same situation understand what's happening by providing information about the disease as well as how to treat others who may seem a little different. Amelia designed the art to look as though the boy in the story drew it. The book project helped her earn a Gold Award from the Girl Scouts. 

Amelia Dorsey Day was Dec. 27; the book is available at The Novel Neighbor in Webster Groves.

Eleven Candidates File for Board of Education Election in April

Eleven candidates have filed for the Board of Education election April 5. Three positions are open: one position for a one-year term and two positions for three-year terms. The candidates are:

One-year term
James (Jim) Glauber, 1556 Renderer Dr.
Tara Scheer, 451 Woodlawn Ave.
Barbara Strang, 504 Oakwood Ave.
Courtney Schaefer, 208 Oakwood Ave.
Rebecca (Becca) Riley, 317 Greeley Ave.

Three-year term
Justin Hauke, 120 Tulip Dr.
Brian Middendorf, 1564 Renderer Dr.
Alex Kahn, 250 S. Old Orchard Ave.
Allen Todd, 35 Rosemont Ave.
Robert (Bob) E. Dorries Jr., 1030 South Rock Hill Rd.
Joshua (Josh) Rainey, 1303 Monier Pl.

 

Webster Shares Jan. 29
The Webster Groves School District is seeking certified teachers and support staff of diverse backgrounds for positions in its schools. Webster Shares is an annual district informational and job fair event with the goal of increasing community awareness about the district and providing resources that will help foster the careers of current and potential educators.

Topics Include:

Who is Webster Groves School District
Equity in WGSD
Resume review and much more.
Enjoy a complimentary professional photo.

Come and connect with current WGSD staff members, administrators and the HR staff as we share about the district while learning about you.

To view current openings, visit WGSD Employment Opportunities WGSD job openings .

All are welcome.

WGHS Echo Honored in National Competition

Congratulations to the staff of the Webster Groves High School Echo and teacher Donald Johnson for being chosen for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Award, the highest recognition given by the CSPA to a student print or digital medium for overall excellence. During Crown consideration, publications are judged on their excellence as shown by their design, photography, concept, coverage and writing.

COVID-19 Update for New Year

As the new year begins, WGSD will continue the same strong mitigation strategies in place before winter break. Keeping  students and staff safe and at school remains our priority. 

We are aware of the recently updated CDC guidance and public health advisory issued by the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, which allow for the option of a five-day isolation and quarantine period in some specific situations. Given the strength of our current mitigation practices, the scarcity of COVID-19 testing at the moment and the rates of local transmissions, the district has made the decision to continue with the ten-day isolation and quarantine period for the time being. Following some time to evaluate the latest COVID variant on our school community, including the effectiveness of our strategies, we will communicate an update regarding our practices, including any possible adjustments.

In the meantime, please remember to:

• Wear a properly fitted face covering when inside schools and district buildings. Face coverings remain a critically important strategy for protecting yourself and others from COVID-19.
• If eligible, please consider getting vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible. Doing so will decrease your chance of testing positive for COVID-19, minimize the likelihood of severe symptoms if testing positive and allow you to remain at school in the event of being identified as a close contact.
• Have your children remain home if symptomatic.

To find a vaccination clinic near you, please go to: https://revivestl.com/get-your-vaccine/.

Attendance at Basketball Games 2022

This is an update on attendance at High School basketball games for the next couple of weeks in order to limit the size of crowds while the number of COVID cases remains high.

As we have done so far this season, for any date that has a varsity game scheduled, tickets will be required for entry for all games that night. For the next couple of weeks there are only three home varsity games scheduled:
Friday, Jan. 7, JV girls vs. JBS and JV/V boys vs. Pattonville
Wednesday, Jan. 12, girls vs. Westminster
Tuesday, Jan. 18, girls vs. Francis Howell Central

For the games listed above, all season passes (all-sport and basketball specific) will be accepted for admission, so if you have already purchased season passes you won't need to do anything further to attend these games. Season tickets are no longer available for purchase.

Single game tickets for the games listed above will only be available for online purchase and only through a passcode provided to the teams that are playing that night. Each player's family will be able to purchase up to four tickets for that night. Single game tickets will not be available to the general public and will not be available for purchase at the game.

For other game dates when there is not a varsity game scheduled, no tickets will be required to attend.

We will continue to require all spectators to wear masks while attending games and all home games will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel if you want to watch from home. https://www.youtube.com/c/StatesmenVision

We will continue to evaluate the situation and will post updates this season.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

In Memoriam

Martin Milstead, a retired social studies teacher at Webster Groves High School, died Dec. 17. No funeral is planned. A memorial service will be held in the spring.

WGHS Dance Team Clinic for K-6 Students