St. Joseph School Board hears public concerns ahead of work session
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The St. Joseph School District Board of Education held a town hall ahead of a special work session on Monday, where community members were able to voice their concerns.
Each person commenting during the town hall had up to three minutes to comment on the presentation or any topic related to the district.
During the public comment session, each individual raised different concerns that directly impact the district and the lives of their students.
Community member Jeff Leake said his biggest concern was whether the district would be able to retain quality staff for the 2027–2028 school year following the school closures and consolidation.
“Because with the buildings closing and the consolidation, we will have trouble in the future retaining staff,” he said.
He asked the board how they plan to keep experienced teachers and staff moving forward.
Board member Cassandra Veale responded, saying she advocates for the community and is committed to working with the rest of the board to find solutions.
Another community member Beth Noble her voiced frustration over what she described as poor communication from the district, noting students should come first and that stronger communication would help rebuild trust.
“Why do we wait until school is out for the summer to make an announcement about how some schools won’t be open for summer school?” she asked.
Community member Sydney Pinion, who also filed a lawsuit against board member Kim Miller, raised a separate concern.
She questioned whether the district was using its resources to provide legal assistance to Miller in what she described as a private legal matter.
“I was wondering the cost associated with that when we are talking about taking things away from our teachers and students?” Pinion said.
She also asked whether board members believed it was appropriate to use district resources to pay for legal counsel for one individual in a matter unrelated to district business.
Board members Mike Moore, LaTonya Williams and Cassandra Veale responded that they did not believe it was appropriate to use district resources for an issue that does not involve the district.
After that, the Board of Education moved into its work session.
While board members discussed several key agenda items, they did not take any votes since it was a work session and not a board meeting.
One of the agenda items they highlighted during the meeting was the revised Policies GBH and GBH-AF.
The updated policy removes the ability for staff to use personal communication platforms, such as social media or text messaging, to communicate unless they have prior approval from the building principal.
The next board of education meeting is scheduled at 5:30 pm on Monday, July 27, at the Troester Media Center, located at 3401 Renick St.
