Development News for Arnold, Missouri

New Curriculum Adopted for High School Government, Advanced ELA

The board approved the adoption of curriculum for high school government, high school advanced ELA, and middle school advanced ELA. The curriculum is directly linked to Missouri Learning Standards and state priority standards, designed as blueprints for teaching that are standard-based rather than resource-based. The advanced ELA curriculum, aligned with AP College Board standards, has increased complexity and depth. The government curriculum ensures background knowledge from prior courses and includes a common constitution test. The new curriculum aims to prepare students for college and career readiness, with a focus on differentiating advanced courses from regular ones.

District to Implement Crisis Alert System with Prop M Funds

The district is proposing the purchase of a crisis alert system called Centix, which will be rolled out to all buildings by October. This system, costing a little over a million dollars, will upgrade the safety and emergency alert system district-wide. It involves installing small beacons in ceilings and outdoor spaces that operate via Bluetooth and a minimal wireless or wired connection. The system will provide teachers and staff with badges, where three presses can trigger a school alert to the office or nurse, and eight presses can trigger emergency alerts notifying law enforcement. The system will also be installed in district facilities like garages. The purchase is proposed as a five-year agreement with Strategics, inclusive of installation and service, and will be paid for using funds from the Prop M bond issue.

District Secures Over $53 Million in Bond and COP Financing

The district successfully sold $48 million in general obligation (GO) bonds and $5.6 million in certificates of participation (COPs) for energy improvements. The GO bonds were oversubscribed by 8.5 times, allowing for lower interest rates. The overall true interest cost for the GO bonds was 4.26% for a 20-year borrowing. Additionally, the district will use a debt service reserve fund to pay down debt, shrinking the debt burden by an additional couple of million dollars. The COPs, a 15-year transaction for energy improvements, also had favorable pricing, with rates not moving from the initial pricing period. The total project fund deposit available is over $49.6 million for the GO bonds and $5.61 million for the COPs. The board approved the bond resolutions.

Edu Climber Data Platform Purchase Approved to Support Student Monitoring

The board approved the purchase of Edu Climber, an educational software platform that aggregates academic, behavioral, attendance, and social-emotional data into a single dashboard. This platform has been used for the last two years and helps educators monitor the 'whole child' and track interventions. Currently, it houses reading success plans and 504s, and will be used for student support teams. The data follows students as they transition between buildings or grade levels. The cost for the program is $63,285.50 and will be paid from the 2026-2027 technology budget.