California School Board welcomes back familiar face

Discussion included a Board Policy, monuments, breakfast/lunch prices and more

Daniel Williams, superintendent of Moniteau County R-1 Schools in California, Mo. (California Democrat file photo)
Daniel Williams, superintendent of Moniteau County R-1 Schools in California, Mo. (California Democrat file photo)


A California native marked his return last week with a presentation to the school.

The meeting was a first for Superintendent Daniel Williams, who left California five years ago after a stint as principal at California Elementary School to become a superintendent in the St. Louis suburb of Winfield. However, it is far from Williams' first time in California or at the schools. The California native was born and raised a Pinto and attended California schools from kindergarten until he graduated high school, as previously reported by the California Democrat in December.

At the meeting, Williams praised the staff for a smooth transition into the position.

"My thoughts on the last two-and-a-half weeks are just of such appreciation of the staff here and the community here in California," Williams said. "... It's been a smooth transition. It feels really good to be back home. Everywhere I go I talk to somebody. It can be problematic when I'm needing to get across town but somebody catches you, but it just feels so good to stop and talk to people and know so many people."

New business

Williams' first meeting as superintendent primarily centered around preparing for the upcoming school year, discussing board policy, monuments, and breakfast and lunch prices.

In new business, the board discussed updating the definition of directory information in board Policy JO-1 to include class lists. The board policy defines directory information as as "information contained in an education record of a student that generally would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed without the consent of a parent or eligible student." Parents and guardians of students can notify the district if they wish for their child's information to not be shared.

"The operating procedure here at California, since before my time as a principal, has been that class lists are posted on elementary doors usually July 1," Williams said. "... There's nothing harmful or personally identifiable in that. I think it is commonly accepted in the community that that's OK to do. ... But it's not specifically identified as directory information in our policy, so really our options are we need to add that as directory information under our policy or stop doing that."

The board agreed to add class lists to the policy.

A community member approached district officials about constructing a bell tower at the high school, leading to questions about how monuments and plaques are approved.

Williams said board Policy FFA, titled "Memorials on Facilities and Grounds," is very strict about what is -- and isn't -- accepted by the district. The policy states "all memorials must be approved by the superintendent, building and grounds supervisor, and building-level administration before being placed within a school building or on school grounds."

Derek VanLoo, board of education president said he was concerned the proposed bell tower might "open a can of worms."

"How many other things are going to come to us that might be a symbol for one but may not necessarily be what the school overall wants to accept?" he asked.

Members agreed to continue addressing each monument or plaque on an individual basis. They requested additional information regarding the bell tower for the August meeting.

The board discussed breakfast and lunch options to prepare for the upcoming school year.

Instead of accepting a bid for a grocer as usual, board members decided to shop throughout the year to get the best deal.

The board agreed to raise all prices by 10 cents, which is the minimum required rise in prices as dictated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). All breakfast prices will be $1.45, elementary student lunches will be $2, middle school and high school student lunches will be $2.30 and staff lunches will rise to $3.05. The last price increase was made during the 2016-17 school year due to a DESE audit.

For new business, the board also:

• Approved a bank depository bid with Central Bank, for a one-year term starting Monday.

• Approved a memorandum of understanding with Central Methodist University, of Fayette, for dual-credit courses offered at California High School.

Old business

In old business, the board discussed remaining bond issue funds and the potential for additional projects. The board was also updated on construction around the district by Assistant Superintendent Matt Abernathy.

Williams said there is currently $1.9 million in proceeds from the bond issue, with some earmarked for ongoing projects. He said remaining asphalt, including a new parking lot and bus lane for the elementary/middle school, will cost around $286,000. Restroom floors, painting and other construction work at the elementary/middle school is still ongoing. The goal is to reopen schools for teachers around Monday, and have all construction complete by Aug. 15.

He also discussed ideas for additional projects to complete with the estimated $900,000-$1 million left over after current projects are completed. Among his ideas were a secure-entry vestibule at the elementary school office and installation of a system offering enhanced protection from intruders, which would consist of a biometric scanner that can activate silent alarms to local and state law enforcement and unlock safes containing advanced defensive measures.

Administration reports

Administrators provided reports on Chromebooks, dwindling parent-teacher conference attendance numbers and professional development for teachers.

Among other things in his first report as superintendent, Williams explained BoardDocs, a web portal streamlining access to board documents -- from meeting agendas and minutes to bids and more -- for community members, board members and administrators. Williams said he used the portal in Winfield, and during the meeting he demonstrated the portal's ease of use. All documents stored by BoardDocs is stored in the cloud, meaning it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

The service costs $4,000 for the first year with a 5 percent annual price increase. Despite the cost, Williams feels the portal would enhance transparency.

"What I have found is operating with full transparency every time you can lends to great relationships with your community," he said.

The open session of the July meeting lasted more than two hours. The board of education will next meet 6 p.m. Aug. 17 in the California High School media center.