Volume 19, Number 22
1 Section, 20 Pages
Thursday, June 2, 2016
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Mehlville NEA pleased with new pay schedule By GLORIA LLOYD Staff Reporter Teachers in the Mehlville School District are happier than they’ve been in a long time, their chief negotiator said after the Board of Education unanimously approved a new teacher pay plan last week. Morale is higher than in years, negotiations were the smoothest they’ve been in recent memory and the teachers’ vote to approve the new one-year contract was the highest approval in years, Mehlville High School teacher Ernie Perrica told the Call. (See PLEASED, Page 8A)
Proposal to move SCOPE troubling to some parents By GLORIA LLOYD Staff Reporter Plans for a new school of innovation in the Mehlville School District that call for an alternative school to be moved closer to Mehlville High School has some parents upset. Mehlville could become the first district in the St. Louis region to open a school of innovation focused on project-based learning, pending Board of Education approval next January. The school would open in the former St. John’s Elementary building, (See SCOPE, Page 19A)
Mall demolition formally begins By GLORIA LLOYD Staff Reporter It’s not every day that a developer breaks ground for demolition rather than construction on a project, and it’s not every day that a groundbreaking includes a mini-demolition demonstration — but everyone involved with the groundbreaking for the Crestwood Plaza demolition last week agreed this project was unlike any they’d ever seen. Unlike most groundbreaking ceremonies that herald the beginning of construction, this groundbreaking happened before anyone present (See MALL, Page 6A)
Gloria Lloyd photo
Lindbergh Superintendent Jim Simpson, right, talks to Lindbergh High School students and alumni who staged a ‘sit-in’ at Central Office on the last day of school Friday until Simpson accepted their 800-signature petition that calls, among other things, for a tax-rate increase to fund higher teacher salaries. Earlier in the week, the students walked out of school in protest. To view more photos and a video, visit www.callnewspapers.com.
Lindbergh students join teachers in salary protest By GLORIA LLOYD Staff Reporter Lindbergh teachers have been unhappy over negotiations with Lindbergh Schools administrators since last year, but Lindbergh students joined the cause last week, organizing a walkout and sit-in to ask for higher teacher salaries. Lindbergh High School students and alumni delivered an 800-signature online petition to Superintendent Jim Simpson Friday morning that, among other things, called for the Board of Education to place a tax-rate increase on the ballot for salaries and budget
teacher salaries before anything else. In a half-hour conversation with students holding signs and protesting outside Central Office, Simpson explained that district officials would like to give the teachers more money than the 1.25-percent raise they are offering this year, but simply can’t within the financial realities of a tight operating budget of roughly $68 million that also has to address the district’s surging enrollment growth. “We want to give the teachers everything we possibly can — I hear that there’s money held back that (See PROTEST, Page 5A)
Depending on outcome of election, board prepared to take action on candidate’s qualifications By MIKE ANTHONY Executive Editor Depending on the outcome of the April 5 election, the Crestwood Board of Aldermen was prepared to take action regarding a candidate’s qualifications, according to City Attorney Lisa Stump. Aldermen recently voted in closed session to have Stump
ment, which said city officials and the Board of Aldermen have no authority to investigate a candidate’s qualifications or remove a candidate’s name from the ballot before an election. “Rather, applicable state law provides only for candidates to act to have another candidate’s name removed from the (See ACTION, Page 4A)
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draft a statement clarifying the board’s authority regarding qualifications of candidates. Recently seated Ward 3 Alderman Jerry Miguel called for the May 12 closed session after being shut down earlier this year when questioning city officials about the qualifications of defeated Ward 4 candidate Ismaine Ayouaz. At the May 24 aldermanic meeting, Stump read the state-
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Lindbergh High School students Joshua Berry and Joshua Long have been selected for the 2015-2016 St. Louis Federal Reserve Student Board of Directors. To read this story and view other online content, including photographs and videos, visit the Call’s website at www.callnewspapers.com.
Page 2A Page 3A Page 4A Page 6A Page 7A Page 9A Page 10A Page 13A Page 14A Read more on Page 13A about this Oakville High Page 15A student who received a Kiwanis Club scholarship.
Call Publishing, Thursday, June 2, 2016 - Page 6A
By Mike Anthony
Mehlville different district than it was one year ago What a difference a year can make. One year ago, teachers were leaving the Mehlville School District in droves, employee morale was low and the district’s future looked somewhat bleak. One year later, Mehlville’s future has never looked brighter. Just consider a new teacher pay plan that was approved last week by the Board of Education with a unanimous vote. Teachers approved the new pay plan, which increases starting and ending salaries, with a 90-percent vote. In fact, morale is higher than in years, negotiations were the smoothest they’ve been in recent memory and the teachers’ vote in favor of the new one-year contract came with the highest approval in years, Mehlville High School teacher Ernie Perrica told the Call’s Gloria Lloyd. Perrica, who served as the chief negotiator for the Mehlville National Education Association, or MNEA, said teachers “overall are very happy” right now. That bears out in the number of teachers leaving the district compared to last year. Last year, roughly 55 teachers resigned from Mehlville, and many of those sought work in districts where salaries are higher, including Lindbergh, Rockwood and even smaller districts like Hancock Place. The number of teachers resigning more than doubled compared to past years. And who could blame them, as all employee salaries were frozen for the 2015-2016 school year. This year, 24 teachers have resigned from Mehlville, including three who resigned during the first half of the year, according to Executive Director of Human Resources Mark Catalana. That’s quite a difference, but Mehlville is a completely different district than it was a mere year ago. Since then, the district has experienced an unprecedented surge in positive momentum, culminating with voter approval of back-to-back ballot measures — Proposition R, a 49-cent tax-rate increase, in November and Proposition A, a 4-cent, a no-taxrate-increase tax transfer, in April. Both of these measures are gamechangers for Mehlville, which is becoming the talk of the state on how to do things right. It’s amazing how, in such a short time, the Mehlville School District has been able to effectuate such a remarkable turnaround. That turnaround is the result of the community, teachers, board members and administrators working toward a common goal — making Mehlville a destination school district. What a difference a year makes.
Reader urges ‘constructive dialogue’ on pay for Lindbergh teachers To the editor: The Lindbergh Schools community is currently engaged in a debate around the district’s budget, and in particular, the compensation of our teachers. I encourage all involved to engage in constructive dialogue that involves specific, actionable ideas. It is not sufficient to simply say that we need to pay our teachers more. Any statement on that subject needs to be accompanied with “and this is specifically how we are going to accomplish and fund that objective.” I have been impressed by the district’s history of a balanced budget and diligence in avoiding deficit spending to cover recurring expenses. If more money is needed for teacher salaries, then there are two primary options: generate more revenue through a tax increase or eliminate other recurring expenses. The district can only spend the money that it has available each year. With a tax rate that ranks 18th out of 22 county districts and where the percentage of revenue from local sources is much higher than many other districts, it is not surprising that Lindbergh is lag-
ging in terms of teacher salary rankings. Lindbergh is facing many challenges, including addressing rapid student growth, and district voters have generously approved two tax increases in recent years, so I understand the reluctance of the board to talk about another so soon. But if organic revenue growth is not sufficient to meet the district’s needs, then maybe that position needs to be reconsidered. When I moved into the district, one of the key considerations was the quality of the schools, and I would gladly pay more in taxes to maintain that quality, but for those focused on this year’s budget, the revenue limitations are already in place. If people believe there are ways to currently fund higher salaries without additional revenue, then please be specific in identifying what recurring expenses in the proposed budget you would suggest permanently cutting to fund those salary increases. Charlie Fischer Sappington Editor’s note: Charlie Fischer is the former chairman of the Mehlville School District’s Finance Committee.
• Mall Mayor ‘man of the hour’ for OK of incentives, Burk says (Continued from Page 1A)
knew exactly what they were breaking ground for — no tenants are officially signed on for the $104 million mixed-use development, Mayor Gregg Roby said. Nearly two years to the day since Chicago-based developer UrbanStreet Group bought the property, UrbanStreet managing partner Bob Burk said May 24 that everyone involved in advancing the project deserved a day of celebration, including seeing excavator “Big Daddy” tear down the mall entrance outside the event. First known as Crestwood Plaza and then Crestwood Court, the open-air mall was closed in during the 1980s and thrived until eventually stores began to close. The lone last store, LensCrafters, left in 2013. Roby, Burk and Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Crestwood, welcomed the beginning of the demolition and wielded shovels in the mall parking lot to break ground. Roby, who made developing the mall a priority of his 2014 mayoral campaign, was the “man of the hour” for getting the project’s tax incentives approved, Burk said. The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved $25 million in tax incentives for the proposed $104 million mixed-use development, which could include retail, dining, a movie theater and senior apartments, Burk said — but not a fitness center as originally envisioned, since the city could soon have nearly 10 gyms.
Of the $25 million in incentives, $15 million could come from either tax-increment financing, or TIF, or a Chapter 353 tax abatement. Getting a new development at the former mall site has been the top development priority of residents in Sifton’s Senate district since his term began four years ago, the senator said. “Isn’t it great that this day has finally come?” Sifton said. “Since before I took office as the state senator for Crestwood and surrounding areas, this has been far and away the No. 1 local development issue in my district, without question. I couldn’t even tell you what’s in second place relative to the importance of getting this done for Crestwood and for all the communities in the area. “I want to congratulate Mayor Roby, UrbanStreet and the council members — this has been the city of Crestwood getting this done along with UrbanStreet and along with all the partners you see here ...” The event was also attended by Rep. Jeanne Kirkton, D-Webster Groves, Crestwood aldermen and other current and former city officials, including former Ward 2 Alderman Tim Trueblood, who served as chairman of the city’s TIF Commission and was warmly greeted by Burk when he arrived. Notably absent from the groundbreaking was anyone from Lindbergh Schools, including Superintendent Jim Simpson, who regularly attends area groundbreaking ceremonies.
The school district, which stands to lose most of the diverted property taxes from a TIF or Chapter 353 incentive, supports the redevelopment of the mall, but has concerns about granting tax incentives for a 225-unit apartment complex included in UrbanStreet’s redevelopment proposal. “We have never experienced the community engagement that sparked on this project,” Burk said, noting that more than 700 people attended an open house at the Community Center last year to voice their concerns or support of the project. “It was tough ... it was out of control, but it was wonderful.” The apartments at the site will be senior apartments or UrbanStreet will make payments to the school district to make up for the lost tax revenue, Burk told the Call. As far as Lindbergh’s budgetary concerns, Roby said, “Crestwood Plaza was a cash cow for the Lindbergh School District when it was first built for many years before any other developments were created around here, and 2. I think that Crestwood Plaza again is going to be a huge benefit to Lindbergh School District once it gets developed and it starts producing revenues.” Wearing a custom hard hat after “Big Daddy” tore down a mall entrance, Roby told the Call he had mixed emotions on seeing the mall that used to be such a vibrant part of the city torn down. “I gotta tell you, it’s a little melancholy,” he said. “I actually sold newspapers here when I was like 13, 14 ... You could say I had a paper route here.”
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