Lebanon R-3 School District Board approves the issuance of $29M in Bonds
From the desk of Lebanon R3 School District
General Obligation Bond Sale Resolution
Joe Kinder from Stifel presented details of the initial sale of General Obligation bonds. The initial sale is estimated to be $29.7 million of the total $41 million bond authorization approved by taxpayers on April 2, 2024. The Board voted 6-0 to select Stifel as bond underwriter, and to select Gilmore & Bell P.C. as bond counsel. The Board also voted 6-0 to approve the issuance of bonds in the amount of $29,705,000.
Career Ladder Program
Career Ladder Committee Chairpersons Mandy Jones and Glenda Helton presented the annual end of the year Career Ladder report. The purpose of Lebanon’s Career Ladder program is to provide an enhanced educational experience for the district’s students through the recognition and reward of productive, effective educators. Missouri’s Career Ladder Program began in 1985, was paused in 2012, and was reinstated by the State in 2022. The Career Ladder Program supports salary supplements for teaching staff to provide compensation for additional responsibilities and voluntary efforts that are not already compensated in some form. The career advancement program is a matching fund program. To fund Career Ladder, the State matches up to 60 percent of the additional salary supplement, and the remaining 40 percent, is provided by the District. This grant is subject to appropriation on an annual basis. This year 273 teachers participated in the Career Ladder program which provided more than $1.2 million dollars in additional compensation to teachers.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the 2024-25 Career Ladder plan.
Curriculum Resource Update and Recommendation for Purchase
The LR3 English Language Arts Curriculum Council comprehensively evaluated the district’s ELA curriculum this year. After recognizing gaps in our current curriculum, the Council identified two high-quality instructional resources that all our K-12 ELA teachers piloted. These materials aligned with structured literacy principles, emphasizing explicit, systematic, and evidence-based reading instruction. Teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and students provided feedback on the piloted resources. The purchase of new ELA instructional resources was recommended to the Board and approved unanimously. These resources will be implemented in the 2024-25 school year. This will ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn grade-level content aligned with Missouri Learning Standards and our Jacket Priority Standards. This ongoing process aims to enhance curriculum effectiveness and student achievement.
Certified Staff Salary Schedule Approval
Each year the Board is required to adopt a budget prior to July 1. According to Board Policy GCPF, the District is also required to notify tenured teachers on or before May 15th of their compensation for the next school year in accordance with the salary schedule and the school calendar. The Board can approve the current year’s schedule for the following year to meet this requirement, and then amend the schedule once the budget has been approved. The Board voted 6-0 to approve the current Certified Staff Schedule as the FY24-25 schedule.
FY 2024-25 Bus Purchase
Mr. Dameron will gave a report regarding the purchase of school buses. The District only received bids from one vendor, and typically we receive bids from at least two vendors. The Board rejected the bid from Central States. Bids will be requested again and presented at the meeting on June 11, 2024.
Signage for the Robert W. Plaster Center for Student Success – Reconfiguring Pylon Sign
The existing pylon sign at the Robert W. Plaster Center for Student Success still shows “The Mall.” The lowest quote to remove the entire structure was $16,550. To replace the signage and paint the existing poles would be $20,438.
The Board voted 5-1 to approve the bid from Pinnacle Sign Group to update the pylon sign at the Robert W. Plaster Center for Student Success in the amount of $20,438.00.
