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Eric Knost

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Mehlville Schools Take Another Snow Day on Friday

All Mehlville schools will be closed on Friday because of the interim weather.

Mehlville and Oakville students can sleep in again on Friday because the Mehlville School District is taking another snow day. Superintendent Dr. Eric Knost made the announcement on his Twitter account just after 7:30 p.m. How will you enjoy your snow day? 

Friday, February 8, 2013

Mehlville Parents Focus on Safety at School District Town Hall

Andre's Banquets & Catering sponsored the Mehlville School District's town hall meeting on Feb. 7. Superintendent Eric Knost highlighted the district’s current security practices, what’s changed since Sandy Hook, and what’s left to examine.

Thursday’s Mehlville School District town hall meeting provided a chance for parents to voice their questions and concerns—not surprisingly, several of them focused on school safety. Superintendent Eric Knost has been at the forefront of many of these conversations in the past two months, and took the lead in responding to questions during the meeting, held at Andre’s Banquet Hall. He highlighted the district’s current security practices, what’s changed since Sandy Hook, and what’s left to evaluate. “It’s never okay to say ‘odds are,’ and ‘will never happen here,’” Knost said of the district’s need to be proactive. In addition to making sure staff members who handle the schools’ buzzer systems received additional training on visitor …

D Seidel

10:31 am on Friday, February 8, 2013

video link for those who missed it...http://www.schooltube.com/video/34540c65f0d3471395b4/Mehlville%20Town%20Hall%20Meeting%202/7/13   more ›

Friday, January 25, 2013

Discuss School Safety at Mehlville Schools Town Hall Meeting

Share ideas and concerns for school security with Superintendent Eric Knost and the rest of the Board of Education on Feb. 7.

School safety concerns will be the topic of an upcoming town hall meeting in the Mehlville School District.  Superintendent Eric Knost recalled during the Board of Education's Jan. 10 meeting how safety procedures changed "post-Columbine," and said he believed the Newtown, CT, shooting would have a similar effect in terms of forcing schools to re-examine how they keep students safe. Knost proposed an increased police presence at district elementary schools during peak hours, and the board unanimously approved $35,000 to staff four secondary officers through the rest of the school year. Several board members expressed interest in continuing the school safety conversation. Board member Rich Franz suggested they extend the invitation to …

Friday, January 11, 2013

Mehlville Board Increases Police Presence in Elementary Schools

The school board unanimously approved St. Louis County police officers to work hourly during high-traffic times at the district's 10 elementary schools.

Mehlville elementary schools will have an increased police presence for the rest of the school year. Since the Newtown, CT, shooting, Mehlville School District Superintendent Eric Knost has participated in several conversations focused on student and staff safety. In addition to examining current policies, he’s also looked into methods of deterring incidents within schools. “Things have settled down significantly, but clearly the conversation has to go forward,” he said. The sentiment was echoed Thursday night at the district’s Board of Education meeting. "My wife works in a school, she would have been right there in the hallway had it happened at that school, I know that, and that scared me. I still have kids in the district," board …

Thomas O'Neill

12:29 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013

Schools are no longer a gun free zone. Should never have been in the first place. and the gun free zone signs should be put on the homes of those who thought that it would keep guns away.   more ›

Friday, December 14, 2012

Mehlville Schools Superintendent Reacts to Connecticut Shooting

Superintendent Eric Knost said schools have several safety measures to deter violence, including shootings.

In the aftermath of the devastating shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, the Mehlville School District reiterated its commitment to keep children safe through crime deterrents and a nurturing environment. "You hope and pray you can avoid any such occurrence," said Superintendent Eric Knost Friday. "Being prepared is, I think, the No. 1 deterrent." Knost named several school safety measures—including the schools' buzzer systems, intruder drills, police officers at schools, doors that lock from the inside and overall vigilance by teachers and staff—as the major deterrents the district has to help prevent violent acts, including shootings. Each school is equipped with a buzzer system to regulate visitors, a system Knost said was good …

Karl Frank Jr.

1:34 pm on Sunday, December 16, 2012

And another friend, "To everyone who keeps posting that this shooting happened because God isn't allowed in schools. Please get your facts straight. The Supreme Court has NOT eliminated prayer in school. All that has been restricted is the ability of a teacher, principal or student to lead a prayer during class time or at school-sponsored event. You know, that whole "no law respecting an …   more ›

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Free Full-Day Kindergarten Plan Needs 600+ Class Size for Approval

The Mehlville School District is considering offering full-day kindergarten for free if enough students register this month for next school year. Is your child entering kindergarten? Vote in our poll if you prefer full-day or half-day programs.

Enrollment numbers this month will determine whether the Mehlville School District joins the statewide trend of offering a tuition-free, full-day kindergarten program next year. If more than 600 families enroll their children into the 2013-14 full-day kindergarten class, the school district will recieve enough state funding to fund the program without tuition costs or dipping into the district's budget. Otherwise, the district charges more than $2,000 per year. But there’s a time crunch. Planning for next year’s classes starts in December, so the district is opening kindergarten enrollment in the last week of October. (Look below for instructions on how to enroll.) Superintendent Eric Knost called full-day kindergarten “part of my vision …

Thursday, September 13, 2012

How Are They Doing? Mehlville School Board to Complete Self-Evaluation

Also, during the evaluation discussion at Saturday's Mehlville school board retreat, one member disagreed with the involvement of the Missouri School Boards' Association.

A discussion about the Mehlville school board’s development and evaluation led to a debate about an organization’s role with the board.  The Missouri School Boards' Association (MSBA) is an organization that represents school boards across the state in legislative and administrative efforts. “Not all of us on this board support the mission of the MSBA,” board member Rich Franz said. “In fact, some of us, considerably myself, see the MSBA as a political organization with the separate agenda from what’s of the best interest of the school district.”  The discussion began after Larry Felton presented the board with a self-assessment tool at Saturday’s school board retreat. Each board member will complete an evaluation form and then the board …

Mike Stevens

12:06 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012

I agree, Mr. Franz needs to make his contact information available, or find some way to get community feedback other than at a board meeting where no real discussion can happen between board and community, only comments. Mr. Franz needs to realize that his "vision" for the district isn't one that everyone shares.   more ›

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

New Format Could Help Mehlville School Board Meeting Efficiency

The board approved a new format for their meetings and will implement it in October.

The Mehlville school board is trying to make meetings shorter and more efficient by aligning the agenda around its goals. The agenda format and meeting efficiency were both discussed Saturday, at the board’s annual retreat. The new format was approved unanimously. Superintendent Eric Knost said he’d make adjustments over the next two meetings and implement the new format in October. The format is based on the board’s goals of student achievement, fiscal responsibility and strategic planning. Presentations and reports will be orchestrated to fit into the main topics.  Board member Larry Felton introduced the new idea and said it was growing in popularity across the state. “The main thing we’re adopting if we do this is that we’re going to …

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Mehlville School Board to Focus on Community, Meeting Efficiency at Retreat

The board set a tentative schedule for its retreat Sept. 8 at Rogers Elementary School.

The Mehlville school board will focus on its efficiency and community engagement at their annual retreat next Saturday. For the first time, the retreat will have a tentative schedule, allowing members of the community to come when a specific topic interests them. The retreat is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 8 at Rogers Elementary School. At Thursday’s board meeting, secretary Larry Felton outlined 10 topics for the agenda. The board deleted, narrowed and combined those topics to four work sessions ranging from 30 to 90 minutes. Though the board originally wanted to discuss assessments for student achievement, Superintendent Eric Knost suggested that topic be left in his hands and saved for a workshop later in the year. “I’d like to take …

Monday, August 27, 2012

First Week of School Successful Because of Teachers and Superintendent, One Teacher Said

Trautwein Elementary School music teacher Laurie Brickey told school board members what made the first week of school a success.

Mehlville students went back to school Aug. 16 and completed their first week on Thursday, the same night the school board met in the administration building.  Trautwein Elementary School music teacher Laurie Brickey updated the board with how the first week went, including some people who made it successful.  Brickey is also the president of the Mehlville National Education Association. Here's a transcript she shared with Patch about the first week of school:  "One week ago today, Mehlville teachers and staff were able to greet the students that they had missed over the summer. They truly are the reason we do what we do. In addition to classroom teaching, we are busily presenting curriculum to parents, attending meetings before and after …

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