Opinion: 'Common Core' Spells Trouble For Rockwood Schools

Chris Howard is a GOP State Committeeman from West County.

Rockwood Interviews Candidates for Interim Superintendent Position

The school board conducting the interviews during a closed session on Monday and hope to have the interim spot filled by July 1.

The Rockwood School Board is on track to name an interim superintendent by July 1 who will oversee district operations while the search for current Superintendent Bruce Borcher’s permanent replacement is conducted. Borchers has accepted a contract to helm the Oak Ridge School District in Tennesse, and his last day at Rockwood will be June 7. On Monday, the board met in a closed session to interview candidates for the interim appointment, which will likely last for one year, according to Chief Communications Officer Kim Cranston. “When a board decides to appoint an interim, it’s usually done fairly informally,” Cranston said. “The board is looking for an experienced, veteran superintendent.” When it comes to finding a permanent replacement…

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Board Member Cites Deficit Concerns in Opposition to Administrative Raises

Newly elected in April, Jeff Morrell said he doesn't want to worsen the district's budget gap by "stepping on the gas."

Rockwood Students Recognized by EPA for Anti-Idling Efforts

The agency has given a group of fourth-grade students at the Center for Creative Learning the President's Environmental Youth Action Award.

The following information was provided by the Rockwood School District: Students in Kathy Nuetzel’s fourth-grade class have earned the President’s Environmental Youth Action Award by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 7. The award is in recognition of their work to raise awareness of dangers of vehicle idling and their efforts to curb this problem. According to Karl Brooks, Regional Administrator for the EPA, these students have demonstrated awesome initiative and tremendous stewardship skills to minimize vehicle idling. “This project is increasing the public's knowledge about vehicle idling and motivating parents and bus drivers to shut off cars and buses in the school and bus pick-up lines," said Brooks. “Their Action4Air …

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Two Rockwood High Schools Make Missouri Top 5 in U.S. News Ranking

It's a step up from last year's rankings by the magazine, which put only Marquette in the list of top-ranked Missouri high schools. Do you agree with the list?

Two Rockwood district high schools made the 2013 list of top-ranked Missouri schools released by U.S. News & World Report today: Marquette High, which made last year's list, and Eureka High, which did not. The magazine ranked Marquette and Eureka No. 4 and 5 respectively in its report of 2013 Best High Schools Rankings. Marquette was ranked fifth last year. U.S. News collaborated with the American Institutes for Research, a D.C.-based organization, to rank student performance on such criteria as state-mandated assessments, how the schools educated minority or poor students, and performance on advanced placement exams in order to develop the rankings. While Marquette and Eureka were among the top five in Missouri, they ranked 526 and 542 …

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Rockwood Superintendent Inks $178,000 Contract with Tennessee School Board

Rockwood School District Superintendent Bruce Borchers will move from overseeing 22,000-students and 3,300 employees locally to overseeing a district with 4,430 students. The new job comes with a $56,600-a-year pay cut.

Rockwood Superintendent Bruce Borchers Accepts Tennessee School District Offer

Oak Ridge school board members approved new superintendent contract, according to Tuesday article in Oak Ridge Today newspaper.

Oak Ridge Board of Education directors in Tennessee unanimously approved a four-year contract with Bruce Borchers—currently the Rockwood School District superintendent—in a short, special meeting Monday evening, as published by a reporter for Oak Ridge Today. Borchers' salary reportedly is $178,000 per year, according to the Oak Ridge article. Bob Eby, Oak Ridge school board vice chair said in the article Borchers is slated to start in the new district on June 18. In the same article, Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said Borchers had signed the contract before Monday’s 10-minute school board meeting, making it official once the board approved it. Borchers reportedly will receive a basic $50,000 life insurance policy plus a $200,000 …

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Rockwood Staffing Models Changed at Elementary, Middle School Levels

Rockwood School District administrators recommended changes in elementary and middle school administrative staffing models at an extra Board of Education meeting held Thursday night at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville.

In addition to a building principal, according to Rockwood School District materials, each Rockwood school was to receive: At least that was the policy prior to Thursday evening's Rockwood Board of Education extra meeting. At the board meeting, Rockwood's Executive Director of Pre-K and Elementary Education Karen Hargadine recommended every elementary building have a building principal and an administrative intern (up to 549 students) and a building principal and assistant principal in elementary buildings exceeding 550 students. The net budget impact of this proposal is $226,645 for 2013-14. Rockwood's Executive Director of Secondary Education Jim Wipke also recommended a change in middle school administrative staffing. In the 2011-12 …

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Eureka resident

5:26 pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Heck, Why not lay off some administrators, teachers, and some support staff to save some money? That will increase class sizes and creat a really strong educational environment for students to perform really well. Let's make class sizes about 40 and give every building just one administrator to run the circus. That will save millions of dollars and then Wildwood taxpayer/resident will be happy …   more ›

Rockwood Annual Art Show at Crestview Middle School is Next Weekend

This year, the Rockwood School District's annual art and electronic recycling event will be in Ellisville, and is open to the public from noon to 3:30 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Read what all there will be to do.

More than 7,000 pieces of artwork created by Rockwood School District students will be on display at the 10th Annual District Art Show on April 20-21. The art show will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Crestview Middle School, 16025 Clayton Road in Ellisville. During the event, children can get their faces painted and create their own chalk-painting masterpieces. Professional artists also will showcase their talents for participants to view, according to the event's organizers. Parking shuttles will run from the FCC property at Clarkson and Clayton (next to the Mercy building) to Crestview Middle to help ease parking congestion. A district spokesperson said more than 10,000 people are expected to attend the district’s annual art show, so …

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State Auditors Due to Return to Rockwood School District

Rockwood School District's financial and legislative affairs officer says district leaders are committed to continuous improvement. He is leading the way toward responding to a variety of matters identified by the Missouri State Auditor's staff.

Rockwood School District administrators busily are addressing the recommendations delivered by the Missouri State Auditor's staff on Feb. 27 regarding results of their performance audit of the district. Rockwood's financial and legislative affairs officer Tim Rooney told Board of Education directors and attendees at Thursday's meeting they are getting more effective in important areas, as identified by the audit, as they serve students, families, staff and community. A performance audit includes a review of cash control procedures, expenditures, payroll, capital assets, vehicles and fuel usage and compliance with state laws and district policies. The last time a state performance audit was done with Rockwood, prior to this year's audit, …

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