Schools

Wildwood Resident Represents Rockwood on Special School District Board

Special School District board elections were held Tuesday night, and a Wildwood resident is at the helm of this organization.

Three candidates elected Monday to seats on the Special School District (SSD) board of education were sworn in at the board’s Tuesday meeting. One of the board members, a Wildwood resident and retired educator, represents the interests of the for SSD.

James Westbury, who advocates for SSD's Subdistrict 7 on behalf of both Rockwood and Lindbergh school districts, was an incumbent candidate who also was re-elected as president of the SSD board. 

"Providing input and support to programs that assist students with disabilities has been a part of my entire career," said Westbury.

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Westbury spent his 37-year career in public education in the Normandy School District. He served as an elementary and secondary teacher, football and track coach, elementary school principal, district administrator, assistant superintendent and superintendent for 11 years. Since his retirement in 1987, he has worked as an educational consultant. Westbury joined the SSD board of education in 2000.

SSD candidates are appointed a bit differently than other school board directors. With the passage of Proposition S in 1998, SSD board members are interviewed and elected by the district’s "Governing Council." The council is comprised of one board of education representative from each of the 22 school districts in St. Louis County. Janet Strate, of Chesterfield, is the current Rockwood School District board of education director who serves as Rockwood's representative to the council. 

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This year, all three SSD candidates were unopposed, and will serve three-year terms. In addition to Westbury, the following incumbents were elected:  Zella Williams, representing Subdistrict 1 for Hazelwood and Riverview Gardens school districts; and Daniel Cuneo, representing Subdistrict 2 for Affton, Bayless, Hancock Place and Mehlville school districts.

Cuneo was re-elected vice president of the board at Tuesday's meeting, and Ken Eigenberg was re-elected secretary. SDD Chief Financial Officer Rich Carver will continue as treasurer of the board.

Westbury said the board's future focus will be to support a newly implemented program called Continuous Classroom Improvement.  "This is our new attempt to organize the approach to the education of the youngsters we serve," he said. "We feel good about how we're doing as a district, and would like to be able to better measure the achievement of our kids."

He said the new program requires training teachers to change their thinking.

"It takes an extreme amount of patience, skills and understanding to work with students who have disabilities and are at their own, individual levels of achievement," he said.

Westbury said they are proud of how the SSD teachers work with students throughout the St. Louis region in their own "home buildings," which are the public schools located nearest to their residencies.

The special district also has five buildings of its own, plus a North and South Technical High School.  Westbury said the district is dedicated to assisting students according to the moral and legislative concept of "Least Restrictive Environments." He said this approach enables students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to be successful in the best environment for their particular situation.


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