School Board Passes Bond Refinancing, Estimates Tax Rate

The Wentzville School Board met Thursday night with a large audience — band students, students receiving recognitions, candidates and other interested spectators.

First on the agenda was the recognition of students who have recently received awards in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics). Senior Katie Larkin, sixth grader Allison Ball and fifth grader Troy Roberts received certificates from Superintendent Terry Adams.

During the public comment time, three people — a band student and two mothers of band students — asked the board to reconsider block scheduling for the middle schools so that classes such as band, choir and art could be taught daily. Board President Michael Cecil said that they were looking into it.

Superintendent Terry Adams heard a report on construction in the district, and then he offered a report highlighting some figures recently released by the US Census Bureau. "We are the fastest growing district in the state," Adams said.

The district experienced 121 percent growth from 2000 to 2010, and was one of only two districts in the state with growth in the triple digits. By comparison, Troy grew 50 percent, Wright City 40 percent, Warren County 33 percent, 29 percent. The total number of residents in the school district is 71,390. 

In the past decade, enrollment in the district has doubled to 12,500 students. This school year, Wentzville added 500 new students.  The projected enrollment five years from now is expected to exceed 16,000.

"That’s the sum of my report tonight," Adams said. "The Census data shows that we are unique within the state. We're not like our neighbors, not like anyone in the state. Our growth is an opportunity, but we need to manage it as we go forward."

The board next heard a report from the Parents as Teachers program. Coordinator Kathy Twellman said that the program had a number of challenges this year, most importantly that the funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) had been cut by 45 percent. Families that would have received four or five visits a year now receive an initial visit and an additional contact some time the next semester. On the positive side, the program has a new curriculum, new screening for children six months to three years old and is serving well over 2000 families.

The board also heard a report about the Early Childhood Program at Quail Ridge. Principal Kevin Garcia said that the program services 363 students age three to five. Of those, only 140 are on a fee basis. They have 13 classrooms, with the largest being pre-K at 20 students. Quail Ridge strives for an inclusive environment, and their goal is to close the gap between special education students and their peers, so that those students will no longer need special education support when the student enters kindergarten.

Among the progress that was made in the program this year was the creation of a classroom dedicated to teaching children that are learning English as their second language. The program is also utilizing technology by offering parents a webpage with their child’s work, a parent list serve and quarterly newsletters.

In old business, the board voted unanimously to refinance a 2002 series bond, the oldest on the district's books to be refinanced. Because of lower interest rates, the refinancing will save the district $778,000 in the debt service fund over the next ten years.

In new business, the board passed a new Community Use of School Facilities policy. Currently, the district's facilities are used by seven churches, by parent groups, by youth organizations and by exchange agreements with the YMCA, youth soccer, and the City of Wentzville. Changes to the policy will include increasing the required insurance coverage of the groups from one million to two million dollars, and that the district be named as an additional insured. The fee structure was also changed to allow for set-up costs and wear and tear on equipment like tables and chairs.

Also in new business, the board approved authorization for bids for summer projects that included roofing, asphalt repair, and remodeling to the Quail Ridge facility.

The board also passed a preliminary nonbinding tax rate hike to $3.9191 in order to recoup some of the loss that will come with lower assessments. A calculator that figures out what the rate would have to be to completely recoup the assessment losses determined that the rate would have to go to $3.99. However, the district's ceiling is 3.9191.