SJSD Board of Education discusses reorganization, early childhood changes
Prajukta Ghosh
ST. JOSEPH, Mo (KQTV)– The St. Joseph School Board of Education met Monday to discuss several key agenda items, including district reorganization and program updates.
A major focus of the meeting was the district’s ongoing reorganization process. Administrators reviewed the current plan and outlined potential next steps.
“The big thing for tonight was having a time frame in mind. We have a facilities plan online, but with the failure in (the) bond of 2025, we now need to update that plan,” SJSD Superintendent Ashly McGinnis said.
McGinnis noted the reorganization remains a work in progress and will continue to be a collaborative effort, incorporating feedback already received from the community.
She said the next phase of the facilities reorganization will focus on determining what is best for students and the community moving forward.
“In the early stages of the district reorganization plan, we had been to all the buildings, had conversations with all the staff, gain their input as far as how we should go with staffing moving forward,” McGinnis said.
She added that the district is now holding one-on-one conversations with staff at Pershing Elementary, Lafayette High and Roubidoux Middle schools to review certifications and years of service to better plan staffing for the upcoming school year.
The board also received updates on Early Childhood Programming. District leaders are considering changes to some early childhood programs for the 2026–2027 school year.
According to SJSD, the goal is to continue serving roughly the same number of students as in the current school year.
However, the programming may look slightly different as the district will work to reduce costs and remain within specific revenue streams.
Another item on the agenda was the potential purchase of supplemental materials for English Language Learners.
These materials would be used to support student help succeed with the Tier 1 benchmark curriculum.