Hixson Happenings
17th Issue, March 27, 2019
Reminder-Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, April 4th- Lion's Choice Fundraiser 4pm-8pm
- Thursday, April 11th- Firenza Fundraiser 5pm-8pm
2019-2020 Bus Applications
Current 8th grade parents will need to get next year's bus application from the high school.
Please contact Ms. Edwards at 314-918-4557 with any questions.
Lion's Choice Fundraiser
Firenza Fundraiser
WGHS Cheer Tryout Information
Tryouts: April 8-11
Monday & Wednesday 4pm-6pm
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30pm-6pm
WGHS Dance Team
Proposition E on the Ballot April 2
Voters in the Webster Groves School District will be asked to approve the district's Proposition E in the April 2 election. The district has placed information about Prop E on its website. You can find studies, surveys and other information related to development of the proposition as well as a place to ask questions here https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/domain/3898
Frequently Asked Questions About Proposition E - April 2
Proposition E is a no-tax-rate increase $22 million bond issue on the ballot April 2 to improve safety, accessibility and other space issues in district buildings and relieve overcrowding in elementary schools. Six million dollars would be used for safety and accessibility enhancements that include secure doors and controlled, single point of entry vestibules for all buildings, asbestos abatement, secure interior and classroom doors, secure exterior doors, as well as elevators and chairlifts to improve accessibility, in accord with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The bond issue would include $16 million to add space at Hixson Middle School so that sixth grade can be moved there and to convert the Steger Sixth Grade Center/Givens School campus into a single elementary building.
Didn’t the district just increase classroom space at the elementary schools by installing modular units?
Resident enrollment in the district has increased eight percent since 2009 and is expected to trend up through 2024. Three schools currently have modular units (Avery, Clark and Edgar Road). Nine percent of the district’s elementary students will attend class in a modular in 2019-20. Avery and Clark each have one; Edgar Road has two and the district is purchasing another for next year. If the bond issue is approved, the district would gradually discontinue use of or repurpose the modulars.
Is the district enrollment growing?
Enrollment in the Webster Groves School District has been growing for quite a few years. Since 2009, elementary resident enrollment has increased by 8% and total resident district enrollment has increased by 11%. While a few factors surely attribute to this increase, the data shows an upward trend in the number of children born in the district and a notable increase in the number of students who had attended private/parochial schools prior to entering the district (second-highest of any regional school district from 2009 - 2013).
While we monitor actual district enrollment on a regular basis, the district is in its third year of contracting with Dr. Charles Kofron to develop five-year rolling enrollment projections. Dr. Kofron’s projections are based on the number of children born within district boundaries and the number of resident children who enter kindergarten in the district. While a projected decrease can be observed in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 kindergarten cohorts (2023-24 based on 5 months of actual births and seven months of projected births), resident district enrollment is still expected to increase 2.3% between now and 2023-24, and resident elementary enrollment is expected to increase by 4.1% within the same timeframe.
Why does the district recommend converting Steger Sixth Grade Center/Givens School into one elementary school?
Converting the Steger/Givens campus into one elementary school would provide considerable relief to the overcrowding in district elementary schools, offering the district more space for a longer time than other options considered. Using this space would increase elementary capacity in the district by 396 students.
In addition, use of the Steger/Givens building in this way furthers district efforts to become a more equitable school system by providing more students and families with a neighborhood elementary school.
How did the Board of Education decide to put this proposition on the ballot?
The board’s vote to move forward with the proposition came after about a year of needs assessment/analysis by the district and several months of community discussions including meetings, focus groups and surveys. Superintendent John Simpson said that the decision represents “the best thinking and recommendations” of district administration regarding the path forward for maintaining, improving and right-sizing district facilities to support student learning and achievement.
· How did the district determine the safety, space and accessibility priorities covered in the bond issue?
During the past year, the Building Advisory Committee (a citizens committee) has been actively engaged in the evaluation of district facility needs including a comprehensive Facilities Condition Assessment of existing district infrastructure (buildings and improvements). It subsequently evolved into a broader view of district-wide space, security, accessibility, health/safety and programmatic needs. This assessment was completed in April 2018 and included the identification and cataloguing of all major building systems/components and site improvements, the current condition and expected remaining useful life of each, an estimated cost of repair/replacement and a projected date such repairs/replacements would be needed on a year-by-year basis for the next 10 years.
Data collected regarding space and facility needs in the school district include:
o Accessibility Needs (Fall 2018 by district)
o Asbestos (August 2018 by district)
o Safety and Security (July 2018 by Gallagher Bassett)
o Safety and Security (Fall 2018 by Webster Groves Police Department)
o Facilities Condition Assessment (April 2018 by EMG)
o Enrollment Projections (updated January 2018 by Dr. Charles Kofron)
o Additional Enrollment Data (June 2018 by district)
o Programmatic Needs (updated September 2018 by district)
What safety, accessibility and space improvements would Proposition E fund?
Proposition E would provide $6 million for enhancements that include secure doors and controlled, single point of entry vestibules for all buildings, asbestos abatement, secure interior and classroom doors, secure exterior doors, as well as accessibility improvements such as elevators and chairlifts, in accord with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
· If the district weren’t asking voters to approve a bond issue, wouldn’t the debt service tax rate roll back?
Passage of Proposition E means the school district would maintain its current debt service levy of 56.99 cents. Absent a bond issue, the district would either need to roll back (reduce) the debt service levy or use what would be rolled back to pay off other existing bonds. The reduction of our debt service levy would need to be gradual if we went that route. We have estimated that beginning in 2021-22, WGSD would need to reduce the levy by about five cents if no new bonds were issued. On a $300,000 residential property, this would translate to about $29 in the pocket of the property owner. Naturally, the home owner would continue to see more property tax savings as time passed and the district continued reducing the levy.
If we chose to use that money to pay down other school district bonds, we would maintain the debt service levy at its current level to do so - 56.99 cents for several more years.
Junior Statesmen Softball
Teen Advisory Group
WG Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
Monday, April 1st: Talking about High School and Transition with MPACT officials
Meet the Author
Health and Wellness Event
On April 13, the Webster Groves School District's Wellness Committee will be hosting its first Health and Wellness Event. The event will take place at Edgar Road Elementary school from 9am-noon. All district families and community members are encouraged to attend this FREE event, no RSVP or sign up needed. The event will feature breakout sessions and resource tables from community organizations, free raffle/giveaways, physical activities for families and kids to participate in together, and free food! All sessions and tables are centered around various health and wellness topics.
Kids are welcome to attend any breakout session with their parents or can explore the resource tables and play family games with a parent.
Event breakdown:
9:00-9:45 - 2 keynote speakers. One speaker discussing opioid addiction in one room and the other discussing 5 physiological functions that can help your mental health in another room 9:00-noon - 13 resources tables from various organizations in the community to explore. Lots of free giveaways!
9:00-noon - 9 different family activities both indoor and outdoor (weather dependent) featuring Gaga Ball, nature trail fitness stations, cup stacking, balloons, basketball, and more 10:00-noon - 27 different breakout sessions will happen in 30 minutes increments with a 15 minute break in between. Stay tuned for a list of topics and session times in next week's update.
Containers will be set up at the Welcome table for participants to put their raffle ticket in to win lots of different prizes. For each session you attend, you will get more raffle tickets to use. Raffle items will be announced soon!
Please see the attachment for the flyer for this event and be sure to invite neighbors and friends! If you have any questions please free to contact Dr. Betsy Moppert, Wellness Event Coordinator, at moppert.betsy@wgmail.org.
Box Tops
Hixson Wear
Morning Announcements
Student Handbook
Communication
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