Sunday, March 10, 2013
VIDEOS: Hear and see firsthand closing remarks from each of the Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates at the forum hosted Tuesday.
League of Women Voters of St. Louis representatives moderated 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. 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 Board Each candidate addressed 17 questions, which were pooled and batched by LWV volunteers from 80-plus questions posed by attendees that evening. This week, Patch published two …
Saturday, March 9, 2013
VIDEO: Rockwood School District's Board of Education president Janet Strate delivers her personal take on recent developments about the state audit at the end of Thursday's board meeting. She relayed: "Compromise is not a four-letter word."
Janet Strate, Rockwood School District's Board of Education president, offered the following insights at the end of Thursday's board meeting at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville. Following are verbatim statements: As I complete my third term as a Rockwood board member, there are a few final comments I would like to make and then we will adjourn. First, as I reflect back on the past nine years, I want to thank our employees, parents and citizens for the privilege of serving. I have learned so much from all of you! I would also like to publicly thank my family for putting up with countless meetings, phone calls, and the overall Rockwood drama that has taken over my life for the past nine years. Through all the criticism, there seems to …
Friday, March 8, 2013
PART 2: Here is what Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates had to say at a forum managed by League of Women Voters' volunteers Tuesday evening. Return to Patch for more in this series of articles.
League of Women Voters' (LWV) volunteers hosted and governed a Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates' forum Tuesday night at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville. All four candidates participated. An estimated crowd of 60 to 70 was present. Voters on April 2 will choose among four candidates to fill two open positions on the board. However, with member Steve Smith's resignation from the board on Monday, a third new board member will be added, according to Rockwood's policies. See related article: Resignation Comes from Rockwood Board of Education Director Steve Smith Rules for Tuesday's forum, as delivered by the League Women Voters' Kathleen Farrell, were that candidates could make a two-minute opening statement, take …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
PART 1: Here is what Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates had to say at a forum managed by League of Women Voters' volunteers Tuesday evening. Return to Patch for more in this series of articles.
League of Women Voters' (LWV) volunteers hosted and governed a Rockwood School District Board of Education candidates' forum Tuesday night at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville. All four candidates participated. An estimated crowd of 60 to 70 was present. Voters on April 2 will choose among four candidates to fill two open positions on the board. However, with member Steve Smith's resignation from the board on Monday, a third new board member will be added, according to Rockwood's policies. See related article: Resignation Comes from Rockwood Board of Education Director Steve Smith Rules for Tuesday's forum, as delivered by the League Women Voters' Kathleen Farrell, were that candidates could make a two-minute opening statement, take …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Following last week’s State Auditor report of what was called mismanagement within the Rockwood School District by some residents, a watchdog coalition group says more changes are needed in the district's leadership.
Public trust in the Rockwood School District superintendent and Board of Education continues to plummet—as do the chances of passage for the upcoming April bond issue “Proposition S”—indicates Rockwood Stakeholders for Real Solutions (RS for RS). The watchdog coalition is a non-partisan group of taxpaying Rockwood citizens. RS for RS issued a Monday morning press release, calling for most of the district's leaders to step down. However, Rockwood's Board Director Steve Smith already resigned Sunday, per the breaking news from Patch: Resignation Comes from Rockwood Board of Education Director Steve Smith Update to article at 8:51 a.m.: RS for RS co-founder Eileen Tyrrell tells Patch they called all Rockwood board members and Superintendent …
Rockwood School District's resigning director stated: "...Education and Prop S must be in the forefront of the community dialogue and vision. I have become convinced that there are people who will not allow this to happen if I am still on the Board."
In a letter sent to the Rockwood School District Board of Education Sunday, Director Steve Smith stated he had notified the board secretary of his resignation from the Rockwood Board of Education, effective Monday, March 4. He also stated: "...As I step aside, I challenge all to now focus on our children." Smith was elected to the district's Board of Education in April 2011. His term would expire in April 2014. His resignation comes after Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich's presentation Wednesday evening regarding audit findings of the Rockwood School District. Schweich also said the state's auditing team believed Smith represented a conflict of interest pertaining to some of his votes during board meetings regarding work change orders …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
With nearly 22,000 students, Rockwood School District is the largest school district in St. Louis County. News of renewing Superintendent Bruce Borchers' contract comes days before Missouri Auditor's results about Rockwood will be released.
Rockwood School District Board of Education directors voted on Sunday to extend the district's Superintendent Bruce Borchers’ contract through June 30, 2016. The vote was 4-3 for the contract extension, according to a district news release made available Monday afternoon. This board meeting originally would have been held Thursday, but was rescheduled to Sunday, based on inclement weather. Borchers' contract extension comes just days before district residents will learn the discoveries of a Missouri auditoring team, who just finished an audit of the district: Rockwood State Audit Results to be Revealed Wednesday The district's last state audit was conducted in 1994. Board members voting to extend Borchers’ contract, according to the …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Rockwood School District Board of Education directors approved an updated anti-idling policy, a step originally suggested by Center for Creative Learning students from throughout the district. Read the adjustments expected.
After fourth graders at Rockwood School District's Center for Creative Learning (CCL) in October requested the St. Louis County anti-idling ordinance be enforced at all Rockwood locations, the district's Board of Education directors took the recommendation to heart. Read previous article: Anti-Idling Policy Posed by Rockwood Elementary Students The students presented reasons why enforcing the ordinance should decrease harmful ozone outcomes and increase health. Rockwood's board of directors apparently agreed, and approved a freshened Rockwood policy to that end at Thursday's board meeting. Those same CCL students and teachers returned Thursday to witness the approval. CCL is a two-campus Rockwood facility at which qualifying students …
Friday, February 8, 2013
SECURITY UPDATE: Rockwood School District administrators recommended five new safety initiatives at Thursday's Board of Education meeting; the measures and corresponding budget adjustment were unanimously approved.
Rockwood School District parent and Wildwood resident Nancy Robinson asked Board of Education directors at Thursday's board meeting to consider securing a police officer for every Rockwood school building. She said 20 Rockwood schools still need an officer, which consists of 19 elementaries and an early childhood center. She also said she spoke to some attendees after last week's Safe Schools Partnership meeting to "get their take," because it wasn't open to the public. For Patch post-meeting coverage of that regional safety event, read: Intruder Disarmament Training Offered to School Districts Around St. Louis "Many feel the best way to have safety is to have an officer in each building. We welcome that, if it’s truly the best way to keep…
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Rockwood School District will join U.S. communities celebrating National School Counseling Week from Feb. 4-8, per approval from the Rockwood Board of Education directors. Find out how many counselors Rockwood has, and how that will change.
Sponsored by the American School Counseling Association, the National School Counseling Week highlights the impact school counselors have on helping students to achieve school success and plan for a career. Rockwood School District director of differentiated services Jane Brown said counselors are a first line of effort for career planning and prevention work with students. Shonda Ambers-Phillips, coordinator of prevention and guidance services, said the week is about highlighting the tremendous impact counselors have on helping students' achievements in school success and planning careers. "We would like to recognize our counselors, who are actively involved and engaged in helping students examine their abilities to balance stress, …
ken diekmann
5:19 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Janet , Thanks for bring up Romans 12 verse 21 . I will kept it in mind when I vote no on this Prop S . The Kids will do fine with or without this Prop passing. This is about ACOUNTABLE. more ›