Pattonville
@Work
An e-newsletter from the
Pattonville School District
June 12, 2014
Learning from the experts
Pattonville STEM Camp provides students hands-on labs with industry experts
A
pproximately 25 Pattonville middle
school students tackled topics
such as forensics, genetics, robotics
and flight engineering through Pattonville’s middle school summer STEM
Camp (science, technology, engineering
and math). The week-long camp was
a hands-on, activity-based workshop
allowing students to explore robotics,
computer programming, engineering,
biomedical science and more with the
help of industry experts. The camp was
held June 9 through 11 at Pattonville
High School for students who are entering grades six through eight in the fall.
“We are very excited for the labs and
experiences that the students will gain
this summer,” said Kyle McFarland,
a science and biomedical instructor
Pattonville High School teacher Kyle McFarland assists, to his right, Parker Hoynacki, left, and
at Pattonville High School who is the
camp instructor. “Besides the many labs Jared Martinez with a lab organized by experts from Monsanto.
they will do at the high school, the students will also have the opportunity to experience guest speakers, demonstrations and
labs from a variety of St. Louis companies.”
Students began their week by touring Ameren’s Renewable Energy Center and learning from a guest speaker about
alternative energies and what Ameren is doing to meet the energy needs of tomorrow. Labs were centered around energy and
renewable energies. The following day, a guest speaker from Monsanto talked about the company’s role in biotechnology and
led students as they performed labs/simulations centered around forensics, genetics and genetic engineering. On the final day
of camp, engineers from Boeing spent the day with students discussing what Boeing does and performing activities and labs
that included robotics, flight and engineering transportation vehicles.
“What we have lined up will give students an excellent outlook at the many possible careers that are available in the
STEM field,” McFarland said.
An expert from Monsanto assists students with a lab on genetics.
Students participate in an aerodynamics lab with experts from Boeing.
Board lodges balanced budget for 2014-2015
T
he Pattonville Board of Education on June 10 reviewed and
lodged for action an $88 million balanced budget for the
2014-2015 school year. The board is expected to approve the
budget during its June 24 board meeting. The district anticipates
a balanced budget as a result of voter approval of Proposition P
in November. Proposition P will provide additional revenue and
prevent the need to cut $10 million from the district budget on
the heels of having cut $8 million between 2007 and 2013. Pattonville can also begin rebuilding its reserves (savings account).
Districts must maintain a certain level of reserve funds in order
to cover expenses until tax receipts arrive. When the amount of
reserves falls to a low level, the district must borrow money for
a short term in order to cover expenses like payroll until the tax
receipts arrive. Pattonville estimates it will have enough in reserves in two years to avoid the need for short-term borrowing.
The budget was established based on several other factors:
• Zero increase in health costs - The rising cost of health
insurance continues to be a major concern nationally, but
due to proactive measures in prior years, the district had
just a 3.5 percent increase in 2013-2014 and will have a
zero percent increase in 2014-2015.
• Two-year agreement with staff - For the first time since 2010,
Pattonville has been able to enter multi-year agreements with
teachers and support staff for salaries. Under this two-year
agreement, teachers will receive a total increase (net of turnover)
of 2.77 percent in 2014-2015 and 2.34 percent in 2015-16. Support staff will receive a total increase (net of turnover) of 2.84
percent in 2014-2015 and 2.80 percent in 2015-2016.
• Virtually no change in property values - Pattonville’s budget
is based on no change in residential and commercial property
values and a 2 percent decline in the value of personal property.
• Return to normal textbook purchasing - Last year, Pattonville spent $600,000 on textbook and instructional materials purchases. This year, the cycle will be close to what it
was prior to the district’s economic challenges - $1 million.
• Addressing commercial tax appeals - Pattonville is setting
aside funds in a reserve saving account in order to refund tax
revenues if the casino and other large commercial property
owners are successful in their appeals. This continues to be
an area of focus for the district (see sidebar at right).
Last November, Pattonville voters approved Pattonville’s Proposition P, an operating levy increase that enables Pattonville to maintain its current levels of programs and staffing. Prior to the passage
of Proposition P, Pattonville had not seen an increase in revenue
since 2007. Three factors contributed to this: declining property
values, reductions in state funding and continued tax appeals by
large commercial property owners. Pattonville had already cut $8.1
million from its operating budget, including reducing positions
and closing a school, so passage of the tax levy increase meant the
district did not have to enact the following cuts that were outlined in
Proposition P informational materials: Reduce 80-100 staff members (administrators, teachers,support staff); limit transportation to
students who live three miles or more from school; enact indefinite
salary freezes; move to fee-based after-school and extracurricular
programs; and place an indefinite freeze on textbook adoptions.
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Pattonville’s budget
factors in ongoing
tax appeals
A
ddressing commercial property tax appeals continues to be a budget focus for
the district. The most significant is the continued tax appeal of the district’s largest taxpayer
(Hollywood Casino). The district is setting
aside in a reserve fund $3 million annually
from the operating budget and $600,000 from
the debt service budget in order to refund tax
revenues to the casino should it continue to be
successful in its tax appeals.
“Successful appeals impact every property
owner in the district since 88 percent of our
revenues come from local property taxes,”
said Ron Orr, chief financial officer.
When successful, tax appeals by large
commercial property owners trigger a process called recoupment. School districts’ tax
revenue is based on the value of property
in the district, as determined by the county
assessor’s office. This is known as assessed
valuation. State law allows the district to
increase its tax rate when the assessed value
of property declines, but only to a level where
revenues remain flat. The law is designed to
provide stability to homeowners and school
districts both when property values increase
and when they decrease. When property
values increase substantially, school districts
must reduce their tax rates to limit revenue
growth. When used, recoupment does not
increase a district’s revenue, but allows it to
remain flat from year to year or to recover lost
income due to tax appeals.
Pattonville’s 2014-2015 budget includes
$2.2 million in recoupment based on successful tax appeals dating back to 2005.
“Because Pattonville’s tax rates were based
upon incorrect assessed valuation during the
years impacted by the appeals, recoupment
enables the district to calculate what those tax
rates should have been had officials known
the correct assessed value of those properties
during that time frame,” Orr said. “Even as we
make these adjustments, we are committed to
keeping our residential levy as low as possible, as promised to voters when they approved
Proposition P last November.”
New director of transportation selected
T
he Pattonville Board of Education on June 10 approved the selection of Jennifer Simpson as Pattonville’s director of transportation. Simpson will begin her new role on July 1. Simpson has been the
director of transportation for the Wentzville School District for the past 11 years, where she manages a
staff of more than 200 employees who transport approximately 9,000 children on a daily basis. In 2012,
she earned the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Administrator of the Year Award.
Prior to her work in Wentzville, she was a recreation supervisor for the YMCA of Greater St. Louis and
for the Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation Department. She holds a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic
recreation from the University of Central Missouri.
Jennifer Simpson
Alumni
Success
Quinn
Klenke,
Class of
2009 - Klenke
was featured in
the employee
spotlight section
of the Pattonville
Fire Protection
District newslet- Quinn Klenke
ter. He is in his first year as a firemedic with the district.
Quinn credits his interaction with Pattonville firefighters
and medics during his years at Pattonville High School as
his inspiration for going into the profession. He learned
CPR at Pattonville High School from a firefighter and
also visited with them during football games. According to the article, he is now a swift-water technician and
is working on his boat technician. He recently became a
certified CPR instructor and returned to PHS to the teach
the course at his alma mater.
Graduates in the news
Pattonville: “I wouldn’t be
at SIUE, I don’t believe. I
wouldn’t have been exposed
to teachers whose caring
ways inspired me to enter
the education field. A teacher
who shows students they
truly care is totally different
than just being a teacher.”
Perkins is in the third year
of her teacher education
program. She works as a
tutor in the athletic department and serves as a resident
assistant. She is also a 2014
Springboard Student Leader,
where she serves as an executive board member. The
Springboard program enlists
Candace Perkins
student leaders to support
SIUE admission staff with helping new students register
for classes and make the transition to university life.
Candace Perkins, Class of 2011 - Perkins was
featured in the VICC Volunteer newsletter, a publication
of the St. Louis voluntary transfer program. The article
details Perkin’s quest to earn her elementary education
degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
(SIUE). In the article, Perkins said her Pattonville teachers inspired her to go into the profession and said her
path would have been different if she had not attended
Fulton honored by state representatives
M
Missouri state representatives Jill Schupp, left, and Sue Meredith, right, present
Dr. Mike Fulton with a state proclamation.
issouri state representatives Sue Meredith and Jill Schupp recently visited a Pattonville school board meeting to present Pattonville Superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton
with a state resolution in his honor. The resolution recognized Fulton for earning the
2014 Robert L. Pearce Award from the Missouri Association of School Administrators
(MASA). Fulton was selected for the award by a committee of his peers. Seven MASA
districts nominated a superintendent for the award, which is given annually to an outstanding Missouri superintendent of schools. Fulton has been Pattonville’s superintendent
since 2007, but has served the district for nearly two decades in several capacities including assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; assistant superintendent for
planning and assessment; and director of planning, assessment and research.
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Superintendent’s Update Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D., Superintendent
Drummond cheers on police friends
Days before school ended, Drummond Elementary School students
and staff participated in a unique and
memorable event. On the afternoon of
May 22, the entire school filed outside
to watch, cheer on, high-five and support participants of the Law Enforcement Torch Run as they ran through
the Drummond campus. Students held
up handmade signs encouraging the
St. Ann Police Officer Elliott Miller, far left, leads the runners as he carries the torch. Miller is
police officers, detectives, command
Drummond’s D.A.R.E. officer. Below, students cheer on Holly Talley, a St. Ann police officer who
staff and administrators from various
serves as a school resource officer in the Ritenour School District. .
municipalities, including those that
serve Pattonville. The Torch Run is
a campaign that raises awareness and funds for the
Special Olympics.
“The importance of this was two-fold,” said
Drummond counselor Carla Robertson. “First, the
Torch Run is for Special Olympics, and we embrace
all kids. And, second, it’s important to show character in supporting our community. It’s also an opportunity to see police do different things and that they
are advocates for children.”
Bus inspection ends with 100
percent pass rate
Recent news segments on TV and in other media
have covered the topic of bus inspection safety in the St. Louis region. Pattonville’s score was lower than the standard the district
expects. The day before the inspection, the buses were powerwashed in preparation for inspectors from the Missouri State Highway
Patrol. The powerwashing caused water to go into lights and other electrical parts resulting in some failures in light bulbs and buzzers. By the end of that same inspection day, 100 percent of Pattonville’s buses passed inspection. Pattonville places a high priority
on the safety of students, and the district will continue to focus on ensuring every bus remains in good, working order at all times.
Heights students wrap others in kindness
The Pattonville Heights Middle School after-school Chain
Links Club completed their biggest project of the year in May and
delivered fleece blankets to children in area hospitals through their
Kuddles for Kids blanket service project.
In January, students received 290 raw pieces of fleece, paid for with
money donated by Wagner Portrait Group. Club members spent the
next several months cutting the edges into fringes and then tying the
fringes. Students then took a field trip to deliver the blankets. This year,
the blankets were donated to children at Mercy Children’s Hospital,
Shriners Hospital for Children and the Our Little Haven preschool and
foster program. In past years, they have given the blankets to others in
Pattonville Heights Chain Links members Laura Harder, left,
need, such as those in homeless and tornado shelters. The group also
and Camryn Porzelt cut fringes on one of 290 blankets their club
salvages pieces and takes appropriately sized pieces to the Animal
made to share with children in hospitals and foster homes.
Protective Association (APA) for the dogs to have.
“The Chain Links kids get a bigger picture of the world,” club co-sponsor Dawn Osman said. “They get to see there are people out there in need. They know the blankets are going to kids in the hospital. To kids that are less fortunate than themselves.”
Continued on next page...
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Superintendent’s Update Michael A. Fulton, Ed.D., Superintendent
Bridgeway finishes One School, One book
Where is the Pattonville
Class of 2014 going?
Students, family members and
staff at Bridgeway Elementary
School gathered
around a common
experience this
spring – reading
the same book,
one they could
Students in Tara Perk’s class at Bridgeway
all talk about no
Elementary School show off some of their
matter their read- “Frindle”- inspired artwork. “Frindle” was the
ing level, address book chosen for the whole school to read
together.
or age.
“It was a great way to bring the school together as a community of students, parents and staff,” third-grade teacher
Jenny Prost said. “It’s great to share that love of reading and
to show that reading is important.”
Every family at Bridgeway received a copy of the same
book, “Frindle” by Andrew Clements. Throughout the
program, students took the book home and read it with their
families a section at a time. Classrooms also participated in
a variety of “Frindle”-related activities, including daily trivia
questions related to the book and a door-decorating project.
Students who had correct answers to trivia questions were
entered into a drawing for prizes.
Each week there was also a Frindle Friday activity. One
Friday was Wacky Word Day, where students made up their
own word with their family and shared the words with their
classmates. Another was Inspirational Ink where students
wrote a letter and presented it to a teacher who inspires them.
Listed below are the universities and military
branches Pattonville’s Class of 2014 have indicated as their after-graduation plans:
Allen Community College
American University
Asbury University
Ball State University
Baptist Bible College
Boston University
Colorado School of Mines
Concordia UniversityChicago
Creighton University
Delta State University
Drury University
Emory University
Fletcher Technical
Community College
Fontbonne University
Graceland University
Howard University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Jefferson College
Kansas State University
Lamar State College
Lindenwood University
Maryville University
McKendree University
Millikin University
Mineral Area Community
College
Missouri Baptist University
Missouri State University
Missouri University of
Science and Technology
Morehead State University
Murray State University
Northwest Missouri State
University
Ohio State University
Quincy University
Ranken Technical College
Regency Beauty Institute
Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology
Saddleback College
St. Charles Community
College
St. Louis College of
Pharmacy
St. Louis Community
College-Florissant Valley
St. Louis Community
College-Forest Park
St. Louis Community
College-Meramec
Drummond choir sings at Busch
Congratulations to the Drummond Singers, a choir group
from Drummond Elementary School, on its recent performance at Busch Stadium. The choir was chosen to perform
the song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” during the seventh-inning stretch of the June 3 St. Louis Cardinals baseball
game against the Kansas City Royals. In order to sing at the
stadium, the choir had to sell 300 specially-priced tickets
($15 each) to the game, but ended up selling more than 400.
The choir is directed by vocal music teacher Jessica North.
Fiddle Fest finalizes orchestra year
Orchestra students and families from Pattonville Heights
Middle School and its feeder elementary schools celebrated
the end of the year by participating in “Fiddle Fest.” The
event is a barbecue, picnic and orchestra performance at
Vago Park and serves as an end of the year event for families
and students. Students ended the event with group performances of “Lean on Me” and the ever-popular “R U Fish
Food.”
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Saint Louis University
St. Mary’s College
Southeast Missouri State
University
Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale
Southern Illinois
University-Edwardsville
Southwest Baptist
University
Stephens College
Tacoma Community College
Tennessee State
University
Truman State University
University of Alabama
University of Central
Missouri
University of ColoradoBoulder
University of Denver
University of Indianapolis
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Memphis
University of MinnesotaTwin Cities
University of Mississippi
University of MissouriColumbia
University of MissouriKansas City
University of MissouriSt. Louis
University of Oklahoma
University of Southern
California
University of Tampa
Webster University
Westminster College
William Woods University
Xavier University
Military
U.S. Marines
U.S. Navy
Business Bits: Actions taken at the recent school board meeting
Board Actions
The Board of Education on June 10:
• Reviewed and accepted evaluations of the district’s gifted
education program and career and technical education
programs; to view the reports go online at the district’s
BoardDocs website (weblink shown at right);
• Approved paying $1,179,327.90 in regular bills;
• Approved paying $114,250.7 in cafeteria bills;
• Approved paying $271,640.91 for purchases made on
Pattonville’s purchasing cards, which earned the district a
rebate of nearly 1 percent or $2,449.10;
• Adopted the local plan for compliance with state regulations for the early childhood program as updated by the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
• Adopted instructional materials for high school pre-calculus courses at a cost of $19,320;
• Lodged for action revisions to policy regulations CC-R
(Pattonville School District Organizational Chart) and
DLC-R (Expense Reimbursements) and Policy JHG (Reporting and Investigating Child Abuse/Neglect); a vote is
expected at the June 24 meeting;
• Approved payment to Missouri School Boards’ Association for the 2014-2015 annual membership dues for
$9,702;
• Awarded a bid to Automatic Controls Equipment Systems
for $10,131 to work on the building automation system
for the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)
system at Willow Brook Elementary School; and
• Renewed a printing paper supplies agreement with Xpedx
for the 2014-2015 school year for $41,071.50.
Link with us Online
Pattonville Website
www.psdr3.org
Facebook
www.facebook.com/PSDR3
Twitter @PattonvilleSD
www.twitter.com/PattonvilleSD
Online Calendar
www.psdr3.org (Click on Calendar tab)
BoardDocs (Board agendas/materials)
www.boarddocs.com/mo/psdr3/Board.nsf/Public
Your Board of Education
Tami Hohenstein, President
Ruth Petrov, Vice President
Cindy Candler, Secretary
Ralph Stahlhut, Treasurer
Robert Dillon, Director
Andrea Glenn, Director
Jeanne Schottmueller, Director
New Hires
•
•
•
•
•
Allison Bennett, elementary gifted education teacher, ALPHA Center at Holman
Andrea Eagle, social studies teacher, High School
Katharine Lambdin, third-grade teacher, Willow Brook
Natalie Passarelli, English teacher, High School
Stuart Thomas, custodian, Parkwood
Retirements
•
Fred Pipkins, bus driver, effective June 3, after serving Pattonville for 13 years
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Making News
Special recognition of Pattonville students, staff and volunteers
Pattonville High School
State Speech and Debate
Three students medaled during the
Missouri State High School Activities
Association state speech and debate
championship at Mizzou. Brian
Dufrenne and Will Chaney advanced
to the quarterfinals in policy debate.
Tom Sarsfield made it to the finals in
international extemporaneous speaking, where he placed eighth in Missouri. They are coached by speech and
debate teacher James Frazier.
Brian Dufrenne
Cappies Theater Awards
Members of the Pattonville theater program were nominated for the
Cappies awards program. After each show, Cappies critics decide on
“Critics’ Choices,” which is the first step in the Cappies nomination
and award process. Pattonville’s two nomination-eligible productions
Shown are Pattonville High School’s Cappies honorees Emily
this year were the fall play, “And Then There Were None,” and the
Tobar, left, and Daniel Noles.
spring musical, “The Sound of Music.” Two students from Pattonville
were selected as winners in their category. Madison Farrar won for Outstanding Cappies Critic and was also nominated for stage crew
for the play as well as Outstanding Critic Team. Anna Pirrie won for lead actress in a musical and was nominated for lead actress in a
play and for female vocalist in a musical. The following students were selected from Pattonville as Critics’ Choice in their designated
category: Chaz Fox, lead actor in a play and ensemble in a musical; Eleanor Gershman, stage crew for the play; Marshall Leek, lead
actor in a musical and Outstanding Critic Team; Katie Licameli, sound and props for the play and Outstanding Critic Team; Daniel
Noles, featured actor in a play; Jacob Painter, supporting actor in a play and comedic actor in a musical; Jessie Reynolds, stage crew for
the play and Outstanding Critic Team; Jessica Tarin, costumes for the play and Outstanding Critic Team; Emily Tobar, featured actress
as well as ensemble in a musical; Christie Trembley, costumes for the play; Sarah Vik, featured actress in a play and supporting actress
in a musical; D’Marco Williams, sound for the play; and Savannah Wilson, sound and props for the play. Other members selected for
ensemble in a musical are Emily Burgess, Mia Lee, Bryce Prichard, Abby Schnable and Lesley Walker. Other members selected as part
of the Outstanding Critic Team are Maggie Decker and Kaitlin Gant. Teacher Lara Corvera directs the thespians.
Students on the GO! awards
Katie Breakfield and Alexandra Rauscher were among the first scholar athlete award winners in a newly created Students
on the GO! scholarship program. Seniors chosen for the awards completed the Students on the GO! program this year and
submitted an application detailing their educational accomplishments and community service in order to receive the $1,000
scholarships. Students on the GO! is a team-based program to engage students in an active and healthy lifestyle year-round.
High school students participate in five months of training to run or walk the GO! St. Louis half marathon in April. More than
200 students from 10 area high schools, including many from Pattonville High School, participated in the program this year.
Teacher scholarship award
Beth Moritz, an English teacher, was awarded the Cooperating School District Health Insurance Trust Scholarship, which was established to assist highly deserving teachers to continue their professional development.
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