Pattonville by the Years

 

1806

• The United States acquired the area of Missouri from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the Missouri Territory was organized on June 4, 1812. The first school in the north St. Louis County area was located in Marais des Liards (later to be known as Bridgeton). In 1806, Lewis Rogers established a public school to educate white settlers and Native Americans. The school became known as the Moravian School, named after a Moravian minister who was passing through the area, learned of the need for an instructor and offered his services as a teacher. Lewis Rogers’ institution was the earliest direct ancestor of the Pattonville School District.

 

1821

• A small part of the Missouri Territory became the 24^th state of the union on Aug. 10, 1821. With the area continuing to grow, a legislative framework emerged to support and define public education. The new state constitution set up school funding in townships, each measuring about six square miles.

 

1835

• In 1835, Missouri lawmakers enacted legislation to establish school guidelines: a minimum school term could be no less than six months, and school boards were established to manage school affairs, including the hiring of teachers. 
• In 1835, Walker D. Shumate started a private boarding school for boys. The one-room Shumate Academy, which also may be known as Oakley Seminary, was located on the rerouted St. Charles Road, east of the wedge intersection of Owen’s Station Road (now Natural Bridge). The school served the entire township, an area bordered by the Missouri River east to Ashby Road and from Anglum (Robertson) south to Olive Street.  The Rev. Walker D. Shumate, Jacob Brown and A. Ross served as trustees. The charge for board, washing, lodging and tuition in the English Department, per 10-month session, was $100 Courses taught were Algebra, Arithmetic, Composition, English Grammar, Geography, Geometry, History, Latin and Greek languages, Orthography, Penmanship, Reading, Surveying and Navigation.

 

1836

• In 1836, the Mount Pleasant Schoolhouse emerged east of the Fee Fee community (near modern-day Midland and Lindbergh). Established by Absolom Link, its trustees were John Allhousen, William Spurr and William Hawkins. By 1836 there were three important schools serving the area: Shumate Academy, Mount Pleasant and the Moravian School.

 

1845

• By 1845, the one-room Shumate Academy was bursting at the seams with 60 to 75 pupils. To meet the challenge, the trustees decided to divide the area into three new districts:
  • The western area, around Spurrville (modern Westport Plaza), became Creve Coeur and was run by Henry Leonidas Dorsett;
  • The eastern area, south of modern-day Old St. Charles Road, became Mount Pleasant and was run by Campbell Link; and
  • The northern area, the Bridgeton/Anglum (or Robertson) area, became District No. 1 and continued under Walker Shumate’s administration.

 

• The board of trustees hired teachers by direct examination instead of by certificate. The taxes of each district were often less than $100 annually. The township boards selected the texts, and students received the books if their parents could afford them. Among the texts were: Noah Webster’s “Common School Speller and Dictionary,” Tytter’s “Outline of Ancient History,” Frost’s “History of the United States,” Smith’s “Arithmetic and English Grammar,” Comstock’s “Natural Philosophy,” the Eclectic series of readers and “The New Testament as a Reader.” 

 

1849

• By 1849, 59 students attended school in the new District No. 1. On Sept. 29, 1849, James Lackland and others made a petition to divide the district:
  • The western half of District No. 1 became the Mount Airy District, which kept the old Shumate Academy schoolhouse. Mount Airy’s board included William McKelvey and Oliver Perry.
  • The eastern half of District No. 1 became the Fee Fee District. Fee Fee’s board included John Quisenberry and Elliott Patton. 
• Because the old Shumate Schoolhouse was part of the Mount Airy district, the new Fee Fee District was left without a schoolhouse. Classes for the new Fee Fee District were temporarily held in the Fee Fee Baptist Church.

 

1850

• In 1850, Mrs. Sarah Long donated an acre of land on Fee Fee Road for a new school.  The Fee Fee District constructed Fee Fee School, a one-room brick structure measuring about 16 by 20 feet. Pattonville Grade School, a two-room brick school, would be located across the street in 1907 to replace the Fee Fee School. At about the same time the Fee Fee School opened, a white-framed, Penn School was erected on modern day Creve Coeur Mill Road on Fee Fee Creek. 
• As the decade of the 1850s began, five key public schools served the original area: Fee Fee School, Penn School, a new school in Creve Coeur, Mount Pleasant School and Shumate Academy. In Bridgeton, the Moravian/Episcopal School also continued; it was later known as Bridgeton Academy. Each school was in its own district and had its own board of trustees.

 

1860

• In 1860, brothers John and Elliott Patton opened a general store on the northwest corner of the intersection of Fee Fee and St. Charles roads. Across the street, Thomas T. Lucas began his blacksmith shop. Adie Road, these new businesses, the nearby Baptist church and Fee Fee School provided the core for an emerging community called Fee Fee, later to be known as Pattonville.

 

1864

• In 1864, during the war, the legislature incorporated a new school district, which included Bridgeton and Bridgeton Commons. Bridgeton Academy, formerly the Moravian School), became part of this district.

 

1869

• In 1869, another public school opened. The Junction School was a white-frame building located at the intersection of St. Charles Rock Road and Natural Bridge Road. This one-room school could seat 30 students and was said to be across from the original Shumate Academy site.

 

1876

• In 1876, St. Louis city and St. Louis County officially split, and the community of Fee Fee was granted a post office. The government placed the new post office in the Patton General Store, and John R. A. Patton was named the new postmaster. The name of the community was changed to Pattonville. John Patton’s store was on the same side as the present-day Branneky True Value Store.
• In the 19^th century, education in the Pattonville area was generally offered only through the eighth grade. If Pattonville students desired a high school education, they took ferries to St. Charles.

 

1880

• In 1880, the one-room brick structure which had served as the Fee Fee School for 30 years was torn down to make way for a frame building. The new building had a large classroom, two anterooms and a stone basement. The new Fee Fee School, paid for with a $4,000 bond, was commonly known as Mrs. Ford’s Bonnet because of the large cupola on the front of the building. Behind the building, there was a stable for the teacher’s horse. 

 

1907

• After 27 years of use, the walls of Fee Fee School had many initials burned into them from the red-hot stove poker, and spitballs decorated the ceiling. For waste-paper disposal the children provided themselves with holes, burned through the floorboards, with the point of a smoldering oak tree-limb.
• The damaged Fee Fee School was replaced in 1907 with a two-room brick building on the west side of Fee Fee Road, south of present-day I-70.  The new Pattonville Grade School stood across the road from the former Fee Fee School. The first teachers in this new building were Mr. Pistor and Miss McCalpin. Some of the family names that appeared on the rolls were: Amelung, Asmus, Balwin, Bangert, Becker, Boden, Branneky, Brown, Ertle, Fister, Fitzwater, Gentry, Gittemeyer, Gosejohan, Kist, Leach, Osthoff,  Richardson, Scholle, Sherman and Their, among others. The board of directors were Charles C. Branneky, Hy Gosejohan and Thomas E. Hisle. 

 

1920s

• The Pattonville Grade School became too small, and sometime between 1925 and 1927, renovations on the two-room brick structure took place. Renovations included four classrooms, an auditorium and basement playrooms. The teachers at this time were Grace Rollins, Geraldine Rouse, Betty Russell, Christine Schutte and Mabel Schutte. The school directors were Nicholas Boden, Charles Hecht and August Hollenberg. Even with the renovations, one auditorium had to be used for two classrooms, and more were soon necessary.
• By the 1920s, many teachers started teaching with a certificate obtained by passing an examination given by the county superintendent.

 

1930s

• By the early 1930s, the state began requiring certification. To obtain certification, teachers went to summer school and evening classes at Washington University and Lindenwood College. Some took correspondence courses from colleges and universities. Teachers at Pattonville kept ahead of the state requirement, receiving their degrees and life certificates.
• As the 1930s began, the district was made up of only a portion of its present area.  The district supported just one grade school, which at the time was an elementary program with facilities for grades one through eight. Pattonville, being the largest district in the area, taught all eight grades each year. Other smaller districts used a traditional alternating-school practice where they offered first, third, fifth, and seventh grades one year and first, second, fourth, sixth, and eighth grades the following year. 

 

1930

• In April 1930, the district voted at a special election to change its organization from rural to town school status. Prior to the election, the school was known as Fee Fee District No. 16. After the voters approved the switch, the board of the new town district approved the name of “School District of Pattonville, St. Louis County.” Serving on the new school board were: James E. Avery, president, Chris Asmus, Oliver Branneky, August Hollenberg, James Palitzsch and Ben Walz. Almost all board members were former Pattonville students. C.C. Birch became Pattonville’s first superintendent.

 

1931

• For the first time since 1924, a bond issue in the neighboring Ritenour School District barely passed. Even though enrollment in Pattonville increased by 37 pupils, from September 1930 to September 1931, bringing the total to 306 pupils, members of the school board did not believe it was the right time to get voter approval on a bond issue.
• In 1931, Missouri enacted a law entitling students to attend a nearby high school, with the tuition to be shared by the sending district and the state. The district’s share of the tuition was $40 a year. Pattonville students graduating from grade school attended high schools such as Ritenour, Normandy and University City. 

 

1932

• The inconveniences of Pattonville students attending other area high schools urged the board of education to consider organizing a secondary school. As early as 1932, board member Oliver Branneky suggested consolidating with Mount Pleasant and Maryland Heights to build a high school that would accommodate students in grades 7 through 12. Rufus G. Russell, the county superintendent, suggested the Bonfils, Junction and Penn districts also be included. A meeting was scheduled for board members from those districts but the idea never progressed. 

 

1933

• By 1933, the overcrowding in Pattonville Grade School was becoming severe enough that the board voted to disallow out-of-district students from attendance. Prior to the vote, out-of-district students were allowed to attend, paying $4 per month in tuition.  The county superintendent again urged building additional rooms, but the matter was tabled.

 

1934

• With increasing numbers of students aspiring to attend high school, the board decided to build its own high school. In April 1934, voters approved a bond issue to build Pattonville High School. In July 1934, the board decided it would be less costly to build a new school, rather than to add onto the present one. Besides the cost, the current grade school property was too small. Thus, an eight-acre plot of land on Banks and St. Charles Rock roads was purchased from Fannie Adie for $800 an acre. This location was formerly the homestead of the Sam Adie family, early settlers of Pattonville. In the spring of 1935, and with the aid of government funds, construction of a high school building was started. 

 

1935

• Pattonville High School was scheduled to open in September 1935, but the building was not ready. During the first semester of the 1935-36 school year, the grade school reorganized to accommodate the small high school enrollment. High school students met in the teachers’ room in the basement and in the principals’ office of the grade school. 

 

1936

• On March 17, 1936, eighth-graders, freshmen, sophomores and juniors (approximately 76 pupils) began moving day. On a blustery Friday in March, the students walked with their books and belongings under their arms to their new school. The building contained four large classrooms, two on each floor, an office on the first floor, another small room on the second floor to be used as a typing room and a basement to be used as a large, all-purpose room and furnace room. The hall was lined with student lockers. The restrooms were located down a concrete path in the backyard.
• With the basement of the grade school now empty of high school students, a group of civic-minded women known as the Lindenwood Club offered to equip one of the basement rooms of the grade school for a kindergarten. The offer was accepted, and a morning kindergarten class started in 1936.
• Early in 1936, the state high school inspector and county superintendent inspected Pattonville’s two schools. Their letter of approval indicated that the high school was rated second-class, and its three-year program was approved. They highly commended the district on its high-quality faculty, buildings and course of study.
• The area was growing, and overcrowding at the grade school was still a concern. The county’s statistics for the 1936-1937 school year indicate that although 242 children were enrolled, the average daily attendance was only 181.
• In 1936 Junction School, now the site of DePaul Hospital, and Penn School merged. The original Penn building was torn down.

 

1937

• The first commencement exercises for Pattonville High School were held on June 18, 1937. Two students graduated: Irma Meuth and Marguerite Nunley.
• The district began providing transportation for students who lived two miles or more from school. Merle McCoy transported students to and from school each day in his personal vehicle, a 1934 Chevrolet.

 

1938

• With the addition of a senior year to the high school program, the school was rated first class. Many amenities of a typical high school continued to be lacking, including an auditorium, gymnasium, hot lunch, librarian and science laboratory. The school offered a limited inventory of library books. Student assembly programs were held at Fee Fee Baptist Church, with students walking several blocks along St. Charles Rock Road.
• Pattonville High School’s second graduating class, the Class of 1938, consisted of John Abraham, Ruth Mensendiek, Earl Payton, James Peachee and Anton Weber. Abraham was the first male to graduate from Pattonville High School and was inducted into its Wall of Fame during Veterans’ Day ceremonies in November 2009. He visited the school for the event.
• In 1938, when the government was providing financial aid to public schools, the basement of the grade school was refinished and the board purchased indoor toilet equipment and washing facilities for the boys and girls. This was the birth of Pattonville’s transportation system.
• Students were making history as they established guidelines and procedures for the future. The student body voted to have a student government, and the student council selected Nile green and white as Pattonville colors. During his induction in the Pattonville High School Wall of Fame in 2009, John Abraham said his late wife, Ruth Mensendiek, by nature of being the lone female graduate in the Class of 1938, was the one who came up with the green and white colors for the school. The students also selected an alma mater, which is still in use today.
• In 1938, the eighth grade, and later the seventh grade, were moved to the high school, providing two extra rooms at the grade school for sixth-graders. Soon after, plans were made for a new elementary school. Property across Fee Fee was purchased, and two portable buildings were erected on the property while a new school was being constructed.

 

1941

• Although many thought the new high school building would suffice for 10 or more years, the growth of the community necessitated an expansion. In the summer of 1941, an addition to the north side of the high school was built. The new rooms were equipped for classes in home economics, manual training and commercial subjects. Restrooms for the boys and girls were also added.
• In the early 1940s, the community of Pattonville kept growing rapidly. The development of two new subdivisions, one at the north end of the district between Long Road and Cypress Road, and the other west of Fee Fee Road, brought many new students and an influx of construction. The onset of World War II brought more people to the area, and more children were entering the Children’s Home, which also increased enrollment. The building industry continued to boom and some of the elementary school grades again became overcrowded. The building of more schools became necessary. A second kindergarten class, this one in the afternoon, was also necessary.

 

1943

• In the spring of 1943, the second addition to the high school began. By fall, four classrooms, an office, a storage room and a large study hall and library in the basement were ready for occupancy. 

 

1945

• The district’s first transportation system came into being when the district purchased one bus in 1945 to transport students living two or more miles from school.

 

1946

• In 1946, Pattonville High School became fully accredited by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

 

1947

• In 1947, the first organized lunch program appeared in Pattonville when the district acquired the mess hall and barracks of Camp Crowder, where Holman Middle School now stands. It was run by PTA members. Pattonville opened full-service kitchens in the 1950s when volunteer moms and students helped pack, cook and serve.

 

 

1949

• Pattonville absorbed several districts in the early 1950s. During the 1949-1950 school year, Penn and Bridgeton school districts were annexed into the Pattonville School District.

 

 

1951

• During the 1950s, many changes were made to schools all over the country. Mergers, annexations, consolidations and reorganizations were common. In 1947, there were 88 school districts in St. Louis County. By 1951, only 32 remained. In the 1950s, the state Department of Education began accrediting school districts, and Pattonville received full accreditation.
• In 1951, Pattonville again reorganized. Junction and Mount Pleasant merged with Pattonville, and Pattonville officially became known as the R-3 District. Within five years, the number of elementary classrooms more than doubled.

 

1954

• Remington Elementary School was built from 1954 to 1955 by the Maryland Heights School District, and it opened in the fall of 1955, after classes had already begun, with Carroll E. Naves as its first principal. It is located at 102 Fee Fee Road in Maryland Heights. The school was named after Mabel Brewster Remington, who began her long teaching career at Penn School in 1894. She taught in the Maryland Heights School District for 19 years. She retired in 1950 and passed away in 1952.

 

 

1956

• By 1956, the Pattonville R-3 School District consisted of one high school and five elementary schools. The high school, located on St. Charles Rock Road, consisted of grades seven through 12. The elementary schools consisted of grades kindergarten through sixth and were as follows:
  • Penn-Junction Elementary, located on Penn Junction Road just off Branneky Lane and Creve Coeur Mill Road.
  • Bridgeton Elementary, located on the north side of Natural Bridge Road and west of Lindbergh.
  • St. Ann Elementary, located on Ashby Road south of St. Charles Rock Road.
  • Mount Pleasant Elementary, located at Lindbergh and Warson Road.
  • Pattonville Grade School, located on Fee Fee Road north of St. Charles Rock Road.
• The first section of Holman Junior High School opened in 1956. Holman’s first principal was Buford Lauer. In an afternoon ceremony on Aug. 28, 1960, Holman Junior High School was dedicated in honor of Pattonville superintendent M.A. Holman and his first wife, the late Mary Alice Holman, who taught at the school until her death in 1959. The school board decided to change the name from Pattonville Junior High School before the building was completed.

 

1959

• Willow Brook Elementary School opened in the fall of 1959 with Vernon Boddy as its first principal. It was built in Willow Brook subdivision. The school is located at 11022 Schuetz Road in Creve Coeur.

 

1962

• In 1962, after being twice turned down by Maryland Heights citizens, voters elected to merge the Maryland Heights School District with Pattonville R-3. The Maryland Heights High School, located at 115 Harding, became the Pattonville Administration Building, and Maryland Heights’ Remington Elementary remained an elementary school. At the time of the merger, Roy Clark was principal of Remington
• The decision to use Maryland Heights High School as an administration building meant the Maryland Heights High School students had to attend Pattonville High School, and Pattonville elementary students were integrated into Remington Elementary.
• Due to rising enrollment, many new buildings were built in the 1960s.

 

1963

• Bridgeway Elementary School, located at 11635 Oakbury Court in Bridgeton, opened in the fall of 1963 with Howard Graves as the principal. The school was named for the subdivision in which it is located.
• Northwest Plaza was built in 1963 and became the largest source of tax revenue for Pattonville at the time.

 

1964

• In 1964, Pattonville’s first summer school program opened on June 15 with 505 students in grades one through 12. The program included enrichment classes as well as classes for review and make-up work. Ken Buhlig was the first summer school director. Also in 1964, Pattonville initiated a program of elementary libraries. Computer services were added to the libraries in 1979.

 

1965

• During the 1964-1965 school year, Briar Crest Elementary and Parkwood Elementary schools were built. Both opened in the fall of 1965. Nelson Smith was the first principal of Briar Crest, which is located at 2900 Adie Road in St. Ann. Mrs. Forest Kaiser submitted the name Briar Crest in a school-naming contest. According to Nelson Smith, the area had a street designated (but never built) behind the school property that was to be called Briar Crest. James Burgess was the first principal of Parkwood Elementary. It was built on Parkwood Lane and named by the school board. Its address is 3199 Parkwood Lane in Maryland Heights.
• In 1965, Mount Pleasant Elementary School became the first school west of the Mississippi River to use closed-circuit television to teach students.
• Pattonville institutes a formal school public relations program with Mr. Robert Guttman as the first director of school-community relations. Mr. Guttman served in this role until 1995.

 

1966

• Pattonville Heights Seventh and Eighth Grade Center was built from 1965 to 1966 at 195 Fee Fee Road in Maryland Heights. It opened in October 1966 with Ken Buhlig as its first principal. The school was dedicated on Nov. 9, 1966. The school’s name came from combining Pattonville and Maryland Heights.

 

1967

• In January 1967, a new science program, educators incorporated astronomy and planetarium instruction into the curriculum, and Pattonville became the first school or college in Missouri to have a planetarium/observatory facility located in one of its buildings. The facility was located at Pattonville Heights.
• Rose Acres Elementary School at 2905 Rose Acres Lane in Maryland Heights was built during the 1965-1967 school year. It opened in the fall of 1967 with Wayne Cashion as its first principal. It was built on Rose Acres Lane, the only entrance into the school at the time. The school was dedicated on Jan. 15, 1968.
• Carrollton Oaks Elementary School opened in September 1967 with 18 classrooms. The school was located at 4385 Holmford in Bridgeton. James Edwards was the first principal of the school. The school was dedicated on Jan. 6, 1968.

 

1970

• In 1970, Pattonville became the first high school in the St. Louis region to offer college credit courses. The school developed a partnership program with Saint Louis University.
• In the 1970-1971 school year, Pattonville had its highest enrollment in its history with 13,020 students, served by 16 schools: 13 elementary (K-6) schools, two junior high schools (7-9) and one high school (10-12).

 

1971

• The new Pattonville High School opened in 1971. It was located at 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Road in the village of Champ (and later annexed into Maryland Heights at the request of the Pattonville Board of Education). The school was completed in phases, the first two of which were completed in September 1970. By December 1971, three phases were complete. The school was formally dedicated on Jan. 7, 1973.

 

1974

• In 1974, a preschool program for children ages 2 through 5 began in conjunction with the child development class at Pattonville High School.
• In the 1974-1975 school year, Pattonville began its outdoor education program by offering the week-long Camp Pioneer for fifth grade students.

 

1975

• In 1975, Pattonville’s early childhood program pilot, funded by the state department of education, began with between 50 and 80 children.

 

1978

• In 1978, Bridgeton Elementary, Mount Pleasant Elementary and Pattonville Elementary School buildings were closed due to declining enrollment.

 

1979

• In the 1979-1980 school year, Pattonville recognized its first group of staff members and volunteers with the Pride of Pattonville Award, which honors individuals for service to Pattonville above and beyond what’s expected.

 

1981

• In August 1981, Pattonville became the fifth school district in St. Louis County to participate in the voluntary interdistrict plan to desegregate the public schools in St. Louis city. In August 1983, the board voted to accept the final settlement agreement for continued participation in the voluntary desegregation program, which gave Pattonville five years to reach an enrollment with 18.7% Black students.
• In June 1981, the board of education approved the extended-day kindergarten pilot program and the following organization of schools: K-5, 6-8, 9-12, Traditional K-8 and career education.
• Pattonville’s first logo was designed in 1981 and featured an apple, two students and the slogan, “PSD, There’s No Better Place To Learn.” It was used on district vehicles, signs and in publications.

 

1982

• Pattonville initiated a gifted program for elementary and middle school children through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• In 1982, the district put a board-approved reorganization plan into motion. Penn-Junction and St. Ann elementary schools were closed. All elementary schools became K-5. The junior highs were changed to 6-8 middle schools, and the ninth grade moved to the high school. Two alternative programs, a traditional school for grades K-8, and a POSITIVE School, a high school drop-out prevention program now located in a wing at Pattonville High School, were developed. POSITIVE School (Pattonville Occupational School Including Technical Individualized Vocational Education) School opened 1981-1982 school year.

 

1983

• In 1983, Pattonville began offering an extended-day kindergarten option on a tuition basis to meet the need for full-day kindergarten.

 

1984

• Computer literacy courses began at all Pattonville elementary schools. The plan was to provide every student hands-on experience with computers.
• The first Board Student Administrative Action Committee (BSAAC) meeting was held in October. BSAAC was developed to provide an opportunity for board members and administrators to meet and discuss items of importance with high school students.

 

1985

• Briar Crest Elementary became the first Pattonville school to serve breakfast.
• In May 1985, the board approved the sale of Penn-Junction School to Grace World Outreach and the Bridgeton School to the First Korean Presbyterian Church of St. Louis.
• Pattonville began its teacher recognition program. Since that time, Pattonville has been home to two Missouri Teachers of the Year and several finalists.
• Pattonville’s school-community relations department earned a Gold Medallion Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for its internal staff two-way public relations program. Pattonville has had a formal communications program since 1965. 

 

1986

• In February 1986, the community approved a bond issue that provided funds for a new community auditorium at Pattonville High School.
• Pattonville began offering developmental screenings of children up to 2 years of age. This was the beginning of the Parents As Teachers (PAT) program.
• In the 1986-1987 school year, Pattonville began sponsoring free dinner theaters for members of its 55+ Club.

 

1987

• The Pattonville Retirees Association formed with Wilma Dolan as president.
• The YMCA Latchkey before- and after-school childcare program began in Pattonville elementary schools.

 

1988

• In February 1988, Pattonville dedicated the new Pattonville Community Auditorium/Fine Arts Complex at Pattonville High School, providing the latest equipment for the performing arts to students, staff and the community. In addition, a fully-equipped television studio was put into operation with television production classes added to the high school curriculum. The auditorium complex houses the music, speech, drama and play production classes.
• In May 1988, the Holman Middle School “A” Complex (also known as the old high school) was torn down.

 

1990

• In 1990, Pattonville established the PATTCARE Foundation to help Pattonville families and staff members in crisis. The foundation was initially financed through staff donations alone.
• Pattonville began its English Language Learner  (ELL) program for students whose first language is not English. The program was originally called English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Up until 1995, the district averaged between 15 and 20 students in need of service. The program began to grow larger over the years.

 

1991

• In April 1991, Pattonville board members began looking into the possibility of Pattonville High School being annexed by Maryland Heights.
• Pattonville became one of the first school districts in the region to enter the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program, which trains older adult volunteers to work one-on-one with elementary students on reading skills.
• Smoking was banned on campuses in 1991, when the board of education adopted a smoke-free campus policy.

 

1992

• A $31 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue approved by voters in February 1992 provides elementary gymnasium additions as well as air conditioning, improved accessibility and the installation of a fiber optic cable infrastructure to facilitate the use of modern technology (computer and telephones) in all Pattonville schools. Classroom space was added to most buildings, along with a student commons area at the high school, which provided housing for a new Student Council Store, a student credit union, concession stand, administrative offices and student gathering areas. The bond issue also included some remodeling such as updated wiring and lighting. The Pattonville Learning Center was built with funds from this bond issue as well.
• In May 1992, the Pattonville Wellness Run/Walk was held for the first time and Holman Middle School hosted its first Serve-A-Thon, a day in which teams of eighth-graders go out into the community at different locations to offer volunteer services to the community.

 

1993

• In 1993, Pattonville High School was named a Missouri Gold Star School by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Both awards honor schools for exemplary performance and achievement.
• On the first day of classes in 1993, Pattonville opened a Student Credit Union, a branch of the Educational Employees Credit Union, inside the commons area at Pattonville High School. Students were to be trained in banking and credit as part of the high school curriculum.
• Pattonville began its Support Staff Employee of the Year recognition program.
• A significant change occurred on the state level when a new law required a seven-member board of education.
• Incoming freshmen in the fall of 1993 (Class of 1997) were the first class of students required to perform 50 hours of community service in order to graduate.
• During the 1993-94 school year, Pattonville began a new, voluntary drug-testing program for student athletes, members of the drill teams and cheerleading squads.
• Pattonville launched a new program designed to promote safety and discipline on school buses by purchasing video cameras to use during transportation times.
• In November, “Pirate TV” aired on cable, offering Pattonville a showcase of local events and high school news.
• During the 1993-1994 school year, the district broke ground on an “adult-sized” gymnasium at Remington Traditional School as part of a special agreement between Pattonville and the city of Maryland Heights. The city agreed to pay for the extra costs associated with building the gym to be regulation adult-sized and its share of ongoing operational costs in exchange for use of the facility at no additional cost to the city.

 

1994

• In 1994, Pattonville put into motion a strategic planning process. On Dec. 13, 1994, the Board of Education adopted Pattonville’s vision and the mission statement, “That All Will Learn to become responsible citizens in a nurturing environment where: diversity means strength, knowledge means freedom and commitment means success.” The new mission statement and a new logo came out of the district’s earlier strategic planning process, which began in 1987.
• In September, the Pattonville Education Foundation formed with James Valk as president. The foundation was developed to help secure funds for school district programs through grants to Pattonville educators.
• In December, Pattonville High School became part of the city of Maryland Heights after a boundary swap with the village of Champ.
• A new partnership with Fred Weber Inc. and local construction trade unions enabled Pattonville High School students to take part in a home construction class. Fred Weber provided a site for a new home to be built, along with finances for the project, then took ownership of the house once it was built. Several more houses were built through the years as part of this partnership.

 

1995 

• Pattonville Learning Center opened, bringing together intergenerational programs such as Parents As Teachers, a preschool, programs for senior citizens and classes for community learners. The building was officially dedicated on Nov. 19, 1995.
• Pattonville published its first and only history book. The book project was organized by Bob Guttmann, who retired in 1995 after 30 years as Pattonville’s director of school-community relations. His successor, Jeff Arnett, saw the publication through to completion. The book chronicles the history of Pattonville from its origins back in 1845.
• In the fall of the 1995-1996 school year, Pattonville launched its first website. The site was developed through a partnership with the Cooperating School Districts of St. Louis.
• Students in Pattonville first began using the internet in the classroom through a pilot project at Parkwood Elementary School in the fall of 1995. Plans at the time were to expand the use of the internet to all Pattonville schools as funding became available.

  

1996

• In March 1996, Pattonville received a loan with a 2% interest rate from the Department of Natural Resources to construct a pipeline to channel methane gas from Fred Weber, Inc., landfill to heat Pattonville High School. Fred Weber paid to construct the pipeline from the landfill to the high school property line and to provide the methane gas to Pattonville free of charge. At the time, it was estimated to save Pattonville between $30,000 to $40,000 annually on heating costs. The district began using the new pipeline to heat the school during the 1996-1997 school year. The project earned Pattonville a national Pinnacle Award from the Association of School Business Officials International in 1997.
• As of June 30, 1996, all projects included in the 1992 bond issue were completed on time and nearly $10,000 under budget.
• In December, Pattonville launched a new website with a new design and new address: www.pattonville.k12.mo.us.

 

1997

• Dr. Hugh Kinney was named superintendent of the Pattonville School District. He began his position July 1, 1997, following the retirement of Dr. Roger Clough who served 12 years as superintendent.
• Pattonville is recognized nationally for its long history of engaging the public in its decision-making. Pattonville was one of three districts in the nation to be featured in a national video conference on “Engaging the Public in Public Education,” sponsored by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.
• Pattonville High School received its second Gold Star Award from the state of Missouri. State officials said it was rare for a school to earn the award twice.

 

 

1998

• On Jan. 14, the Board of Education approved allowing Pattonville to host the Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students (PEGS), which serves students in St. Louis and St. Charles counties. The program was first housed at Carrollton Oaks Elementary School.
• For the first time, graduation ceremonies moved from Pattonville High School to Riverport Amphitheater with the Class of 1998 to allow for more seating capacity and improved shelter from inclement weather.
• In the 1998-1999 school year, Pattonville began training parents, staff and students to serve on school improvement teams (SIT). These leadership teams (made up of half parents/students and half staff) develop and implement improvement plans for each school. The SIT teams originated as part of Pattonville’s new strategic plan, which was approved by the board in June 1998.
• Pattonville begins its CHARACTERplus program, which incorporates lessons on important character traits such as respect and responsibility, into the curriculum.
• Pattonville High School receives the prestigious National School of Character Award.
• In June, Pattonville’s board approved a five-year comprehensive school improvement plan (1998-2003) with three goals: Students demonstrate significant improvement in their understanding and application of state standards; schools will develop and implement school improvement plans for their own buildings; and the district will develop a plan that addresses critical issues (such as the airport expansion).

 

1999

• In January, the board of education approved a new technology plan for the district that established a ratio of one multimedia, internet-connected computer for every four students, a computer for every teacher in the district, technology training for staff members and the addition of technology competencies (what students are expected to learn) into the K-12 curriculum.
• In February, voters in the city of St. Louis approved a sales tax that will result in a settlement to end court supervision of the voluntary interdistrict transfer program. The program was continued in a modified form, with funding provided by the state.
• Pattonville became home to its first National Board Certified teacher (highest certification a teacher can attain).
• Pattonville reached an agreement with Lambert International Airport for the replacement of Carrollton Elementary and Carrollton Oaks Elementary schools. Both schools were bought by the airport as part of its plans to add a runway expansion west of its property. The airport provided Pattonville funds to purchase land and build a replacement school.  Jim Schwab, principal at Carrollton Oaks, was tapped to be the principal of the new school. Pattonville purchased 17 acres at the site of the Hope Lutheran School (formerly Pattonville’s St. Ann Elementary School) in St. Ann as the location for its new school. Pattonville went on to lose 2,000 homes and businesses and more than 560 students as part of the expansion.

2000

• On April 4, Pattonville voters approved a $37 million bond issue that required a 10-cent tax levy increase. The bond issue funds were used to pay for replacing roofs, air conditioning, electrical systems, boilers and windows; improving restrooms and parking lots; fencing playgrounds; upgrading and purchasing technology; creating elementary science labs; upgrading middle school labs; building a new high school science wing and library; and converting the former high school science wing into classrooms (eliminate traveling teachers). An additional 10-cent tax levy increase to provide for the ongoing replacement of technology did not pass.
• Pattonville offered free, full-day kindergarten at all schools for the first time in the 2000-2001 school year. Parents were given the option of choosing a half-day program, but more than 99% opted for the full-day program.
• With the infusion of new technology funded by the 2000 bond issue, Pattonville implemented a comprehensive technology training program for staff members. Staff were required to complete 30 hours of training in order to receive a new computer.
• In October 2000, Valerie Maxwell, a math and language arts teacher at Pattonville Heights Middle School, became the second Pattonville teacher to earn the Missouri Teacher of the Year Award.

 

2001

• Pattonville earned Missouri’s Distinction in Performance Award the first year it was bestowed upon Missouri school districts (during the 2001-2002 school year). The award recognized school districts for high performance on multiple measures of academic achievement. By the 2011-2012 school year, Pattonville was one of only 24 school districts out of nearly 500 in Missouri to earn the award every year it was given. Pattonville was the most diverse school district in Missouri to achieve the honor every year before the state discontinued the distinction.
• Laurie Wenzel was named Pattonville’s first director of early childhood. The position was approved by the board as part of a district-wide early childhood plan.
• Pattonville began work with a parent committee to adjust school attendance boundaries in light of the impending closure of Carrollton and Carrollton Oaks elementary schools and the opening of Drummond Elementary School.
• Pattonville High School was named a National Service Learning Leader School.
• Pattonville revamped its website for the third time and obtained a new address: www.psdr3.org. The site was redesigned using elements from designs from students at Parkwood Elementary and Pattonville High School.
• Technology grew in Pattonville as 2,000 new computers were made available in the schools (funded by the 2000 bond issue). All computers had wireless internet access. Portable classroom sets of laptops on carts were made available in the schools for use in the classroom.
• An organizational meeting was held to establish a new Pattonville Alumni Association. Pat Bryant (Class of 1972) was elected its first president.
• On April 24, 2001, the board of education approved a recommendation from Pattonville High School’s School Improvement Team to increase graduation requirements from 22 to 24 units of credit, beginning with the Class of 2004. The state’s minimum was 22. The high school surveyed various public and private high schools in the St. Louis area and found that, on average, most schools required more than 24 credits to graduate.

 

 

2002

• On Jan. 22, the board of education approved a recommendation made by the parent redistricting committee for redistricting Pattonville’s elementary attendance boundaries. The changes took effect in the 2002-2003 school year when Carrollton and Carrollton Oaks elementary schools closed (due to the airport buyout) and Robert Drummond Elementary School opened.
• On Jan. 22, the board approved a proposal for Pattonville to assume responsibility for providing early childhood special education services. Previously the services were provided by the Special School District (SSD). SSD continues to provide special education for Pattonville students in kindergarten through 12^th grades.
• In April 2002, Pattonville was granted A+ Schools status by the state board of education. Students who meet certain eligibility requirements who graduate from an A+ School can receive two years of state-paid tuition to any Missouri community college or vocational technical school. The Class of 2002 was the first eligible to earn the incentive.
• In May 2002, Pattonville awarded its first honorary diplomas to veterans of foreign wars who were unable to complete graduation due to their military service. The diplomas were awarded during Pattonville High School’s commencement ceremonies and were made possible after a new law was passed, providing state honorary diplomas to veterans who served their country in times of war.
• Robert Drummond Elementary School opened in August. The school was built with funds from Lambert International Airport as a replacement school for Carrollton and Carrollton Oaks elementary schools. The school was named after Robert Drummond, who served on the Pattonville Board of Education for 30 years (1972 to 2002), one of the longest tenures in Missouri for a school board member. After his retirement from the board, Drummond continued to volunteer at his namesake school as an Oasis reading tutor for students. The school is located at 3721 St. Bridget Lane in St. Ann, the same address as the former St. Ann Elementary School.
• In the 2002-2003 school year, Pattonville High School began using weighted grades in a move designed to encourage students to take more rigorous courses. Students received extra “weight” for their grade if they earned above a “C” in advanced placement, college credit, honors and gifted courses.
• Parents gained online access to their students' grades and information when the district launched the PowerSchool online student information system in the 2002-2003 school year.
• In June 2002, Pattonville’s board of education was honored as the Missouri Outstanding Board of Education.
• Pattonville dedicated its newest school, Drummond Elementary School, on Aug. 29.
• On Nov. 8, Pattonville dedicated its new science wing and library additions at Pattonville High School.

 

2003

• On Jan. 6, Pattonville fulfilled a promise from the 2000 bond issue by opening up the high school library for community use after school hours.
• Pattonville was one of 14 districts nationwide to earn the President’s Technology Award from the American Association of School Administrators. The award recognizes vision and leadership in technology to advance teaching, learning and achievement.
• Pattonville High School implemented the Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering program for the first time in the fall of 2003.
• Pattonville High School implemented the Algebra for All program for the first time in the fall of 2003. The program allowed students to learn algebra at their own pace, earning credit in the course as they mastered the material. Students moved on through the course units after achieving at least an 80% mastery on module assessments.
• Pattonville and the Pattonville Alumni Association debut a new alumni newsletter, called the “Green and White Gazette.”
• On Aug. 12, 2003, the Pattonville Board of Education approved Pattonville High School’s plan to eliminate the valedictorian and salutatorian program, beginning with the Class of 2006. Instead, the school moved to a program to recognize top graduates through a cum laude system, similar to universities’ recognition programs. Recognition is based on the graduates’ weighted grade point average: (summa cum laude, 4.03 and above; magna cum laude, 3.75 to 4.02; and cum laude, 3.50 to 3.74).
• Pattonville was awarded full reaccreditation by the state of Missouri and earned a perfect score on its state reaccreditation review. The state said the district’s comprehensive school improvement plan was an example of cohesive planning and could serve as a model for other districts. The state also lauded the board of education for providing numerous opportunities for patrons, parents, students and staff to have input into the programs and policies of the district and said the level of participation could serve as a model for other districts as well.
• On Sept. 23, 2003, the board approved a contract with a firm to lay concrete foundation and cement flatwork to enable Pattonville High School’s home construction program to build a 1,500 square foot storage building behind Pattonville High School.
• The final projects of the 2000 bond issue were completed by the end of 2003.

 

 

2004

• Wise investing of funds from the 2000 bond issue enabled Pattonville to plan a series of projects for the summer of 2004 to enhance safety and security in the schools. These projects were over and above what was originally planned in the 2000 bond issue. Projects included reconfiguring front entrances in the schools so visitors must enter the school office after the school day begins, installing new security cameras at the middle and high schools, building a new weight room at PHS to replace the unsafe and moldy one under the stadium and adding parking and reworking traffic configurations at Pattonville Heights Middle School and Willow Brook Elementary School.
• Pattonville was awarded the Missouri Commissioner of Education’s Award of Excellence for Professional Development. The award recognizes select school districts in Missouri who can clearly demonstrate that their professional development program contributes to improvements in instruction and student achievement.
• On April 13, the board of education approved allowing eighth-graders who completed two semesters of Algebra I in middle school to have the option of receiving high school credit for the class.
• A change to Pattonville’s instrumental music program approved by the board on April 27 allowed fifth graders to take orchestra classes and eliminated fifth grade band. The move allows band classes to be offered daily at the middle school level.
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Hans Meeder from the U.S. Department of Education visited Pattonville High School in preparation for a series of regional summits around the nation on improving high schools in America. He toured the school, learned about Pattonville's efforts and successes in improving student achievement and held a roundtable discussion with Pattonville students, staff and parents. Meeder complimented Pattonville on the programs and initiatives at the high school that were designed to ensure all children achieve.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on April 27 approved a new logo for the district and usage guidelines. Andrew Scherer, a graphic artist in the Pattonville printing department, created the design, which incorporates three stars and an open book, based on input from the district logo design committee. The previous logo was designed in the 1980s.
• The board of education on May 11 approved changes to the schedules of Pattonville’s two middle schools, which were designed to enhance student achievement and better assist students as they transition between grades. The changes took effect in August 2005. Changes included: additional challenge courses for seventh and eighth graders in math, communication arts, science and social studies (previously these classes were only available at eighth grade in all four subjects and in math at seventh grade); the addition of electives and enrichment courses in the core subject areas (communication arts, math, science and social studies); more double dosing opportunities where students who experiencing difficulty in a core subject area could take two sections of that subject instead of one; the addition of an elective academic lab; the elimination of the previous 30-minute-a-day advisement period; and the implementation of transitional activities for incoming sixth-graders.
• Two science teachers and two students demonstrate their human anatomy and forensic science class websites at the U.S. Secretary of Education’s “No Child Left Behind E-Learning Summit Virtual School House” in Orlando, Fla. The students demonstrated the websites and software used in these courses for Secretary of Education Rod Paige. There were six school districts in the U.S. represented at this national conference.
• Amy White, a first-grade teacher at Willow Brook Elementary School, was named one of six finalists for Missouri Teacher of the Year.  She was also named Pattonville's Elementary Teacher of the Year, as well as the district Teacher of the Year.

 

2005

• On Feb. 22, the Pattonville Board of Education approved a plan to implement an Information Technology Academy at Pattonville High School, effective in the 2006-2007 school year.
• Laura Hartsock, a science teacher at Pattonville Heights Middle School, won a national Teacher of the Year award from the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, a non-profit organization created by the families of the astronauts who were lost during the last flight of the Challenger space shuttle. She was one of five national Teacher of the Year recipients for 2005.
• In August, Pattonville launched its first full-day preschool classes at Bridgeway Elementary School.
• Pattonville began studying future facility needs for its aging facilities.
• Using leftover bond issue funds from the 2000 bond issue, Pattonville began constructing a new activities center at Pattonville High School to be used for physical education classes and after-school activities.
• The board of education on Nov. 8 approved three policies that update Pattonville High School’s graduation requirements to comply with new changes made at the state level, effective for the Class of 2010 (except for the science requirement, which was already in the works for the Class of 2008). The new state requirements increased the number of credits to graduate from 22 to 24. The state also raised the number of units of credit required to graduate in communication arts, mathematics and science and added a personal finance class requirement. Pattonville already required 24 units of credit to graduate and met or exceeded the unit requirements in communication arts and social studies.
• Dr. Hugh Kinney, superintendent of the Pattonville School District, was named the Missouri Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). Kinney received a plaque acknowledging his selection, a $500 scholarship for a student in Pattonville and a commemorative ring.

2006

• A dedication ceremony was held for the newly constructed Activities Center at Pattonville High School. The center replaced the weight room that previously existed beneath the high school stadium bleachers, but also provided additional space for physical education classes and extracurricular activities. The facility was built with funds remaining from the 2000 bond issue, as well as funds from Pattonville’s operating budget. It is a two-room, 6,200-square-foot facility. One half of the building holds the weight room; the other half is a high-ceiling multipurpose room. Restrooms were also added in the building’s foyer for use by those in the building, as well as persons attending events at the softball field.
• Pattonville began contracting with the ACE Learning Center to help prevent students from dropping out and reclaim some students who had already dropped out. ACE is an off-campus program that allows students who are struggling in the traditional school setting and are at serious risk of dropping out to earn credits and continue on to graduation. Students completing ACE requirements can graduate with an ACE high school diploma, while students completing all of Pattonville’s graduation requirements (which includes more credit hours and community service) can graduate with a Pattonville diploma.
• Pattonville schools hosted a series of one-hour “Building Blocks” community meetings designed to study and prioritize needs associated with improving and repairing Pattonville schools. A meeting was also held with early childhood parents and staff to discuss needs for the early childhood program at the Pattonville Learning Center. The meetings were part of Pattonville’s process for developing a new facilities plan to address the future maintenance, safety and repair needs of its schools.
• Pattonville’s food service began moving to comply with the Missouri’s Eat Smart Guidelines for healthier eating among school children. Pattonville increased the fiber in its foods; eliminated snacks that exceed 35% of calories from fat with more than 200 calories per unit; reduced the amount of sugar in cereals and snacks; offered fruits and vegetables daily, with fresh fruits and raw vegetables being offered at least four times a week; served only reduced fat or fat free dressings; and curtailed the sale of sugary drinks.
• Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt visited an Algebra for ALL class at Holman Middle School as a way to emphasize the importance of math comprehension. The visit followed a math and science summit that Blunt convened to identify ways to ensure students have the tools they need for long-term success. During his visit to Pattonville, Blunt touted the district’s Algebra for ALL program and commended Pattonville for changing its curriculum to improve its math program for students.
• The board of education on June 13 approved a new facilities plan for the district and asked voters to approve a $19 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue on Nov. 7, 2006 to fund improvements and repair projects included in the plan. The facilities plan included projects for every school, ranging from building additions to renovations to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). About 80% of the projects on the lists fell into one of the following categories: HVAC improvements, building additions/entrance changes, fire protection systems, new ceiling tiles, lockers and storage, new flooring, restroom improvements and upgrades to the athletic fields and fencing at Pattonville High School.
• Dr. Hugh Kinney, Pattonville superintendent, went on sick leave, for surgery and recovery for a brain tumor. The board of education named Dr. Donette Green, who served as Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for special services, as the interim superintendent. Because Kinney announced his retirement effective June 30, 2007, the board planned to select a firm to conduct a search for a new superintendent to begin work in the 2007-2008 school year.
• Judith Mitchell-Miller, Pattonville High School gifted education teacher, was named Outstanding Missouri Gifted Educator by the Gifted Association of Missouri (GAM). 
• Local voters approved Pattonville’s $19 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue on Nov. 7 by a 76% favorable vote, the highest favorable vote recorded for a ballot issue in Pattonville in the past 25 years.
• Nearly 80 Pattonville students participated in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak to an astronaut-in-training live during his mission in an underwater lab off the Florida coast. The Pattonville science students journeyed to the St. Louis Science Center for a live link-up with Robert Behnken, who is also a 1988 graduate of Pattonville High School. He was one of four NASA astronauts-in-training who were taking part in exercises at an undersea lab. Students saw Behnken live via a webcam in the dining room of the underwater lab. They asked questions via a phone link and viewed NASA video footage from previous underwater missions. Students from science classes at Holman Middle School, Pattonville Heights Middle School and Pattonville High School attended the link-up.
• Social justice became a focus for the district. In the summer of 2006, the first group of Pattonville School District staff members began a year-long journey into greater understanding of others when it participated in Teaching and Leading as Social Justice Advocacy (TLSJA) training. Building and district-level administrators attended the same training the year before. The program involved a two-day retreat and 24 hours of follow-up training over a year.

 

 

2007

• Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt visited a playroom in the Pattonville Learning Center, using the location to announce a recommended $2 million increase in the state’s budget for the Parents As Teachers (PAT) program in Missouri. Blunt also met privately with Pattonville administrators, a PAT parent and a PAT national staff member to discuss the program and its future. During the press conference, Blunt delivered his news before a crowd of Pattonville PAT families, parent educators, board members, PAT National Center staff and a host of media. He was also joined by his wife, Melanie, and toddler son, Branch, who enjoyed playing in the playroom while his father fielded questions from the media.
• Pattonville High School began training all freshmen physical education students on how to perform life-saving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• Pattonville High School moved its commencement ceremonies to the Family Arena in St. Charles, a change designed to save the district more than $6,000 in rental fees, security and labor costs. For the last few years, Pattonville held its graduation festivities at UMB Bank Pavilion (formerly Riverport Amphitheater).
• In May, middle schools in the Pattonville School District launched the first of an annual tradition, the Pattonville Area-Wide Middle School Book Battle. More than 30 middle schools from the St. Louis area (including Pattonville Heights Middle School, Holman Middle School and Remington Traditional School), participated in the event. The Book Battle is a trivia-night styled event in which teams of students answer questions based on a pre-designated list of 20 books they have read, giving  students the opportunity to meet and discuss current books of interest that include a variety of genres and reading levels. 
• Dr. Mike Fulton was named as superintendent of the Pattonville School District effective July 1, 2007. The Pattonville Board of Education approved his selection on March 17 after an extensive selection process that began with 29 candidates. Fulton was chosen to replace Dr. Hugh Kinney, who planned to retire June 30. Fulton was Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and worked for Pattonville for 12 years prior to being named superintendent.
• Construction began in the summer of 2007 on the first phase of bond issue projects from the 2006 bond issue.
• Dr. Hugh Kinney, superintendent, died on June 27, 2007, after receiving treatment for brain cancer. He served Pattonville for 10 years.
• Pattonville was awarded a grant through an initiative by Gov. Matt Blunt to expand math and science-related after-school programs. Pattonville earned a $10,000 grant as part of $1 million in grants awarded to 98 schools in Missouri through Blunt’s METS (Math, Engineering, Technology and Science) initiative. Funding allowed Pattonville’s community education program to provide a Mad Science camp in the fall and spring semesters at Bridgeway, as well as a four-day spring break camp in March 2008. 
• Physical education classes at the middle schools evolved to emphasize physical fitness in addition to the typical team sports taught in classes. Pattonville Heights Middle School and Holman Middle School began using new fitness centers in the fall of 2007 which resembled neighborhood adult gyms. They included a running track, weight and strength machines, and cardio equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals and stair-steppers.
• The board of education on Nov. 27 voted to name the library at Pattonville High School the “Hugh A. Kinney Community Library” in honor of and dedication to Pattonville’s late superintendent, Dr. Hugh Kinney. The 13,500-square foot library was built with funds from a bond issue approved by voters under Kinney’s leadership in 2000. The facility opened for student use in October 2002. The library is open beyond the school day to students and Pattonville residents.

 

 

2008

• Pattonville’s record of academic performance enabled it to forgo an on-site visit and full-scale review when it went through its reaccreditation process by the state of Missouri in the spring of 2008. Reaccreditation takes place every five years. In the past, all districts that were undergoing a reaccreditation review had to submit to an on-site review that included visits by a team of state officials, interviews, questionnaires and the compilation of volumes of documentation. Under new regulations effective in 2006, school districts that met all criteria related to academic performance and a shortened list of process and resource standards could receive a waiver from the on-site review and full-scale review process. Pattonville met these requirements and received a full waiver of the accreditation on-site review.
• Pattonville earned a perfect score on a reaccreditation review conducted Jan. 16, 2008, by the state of Missouri. Dr. Bob Taylor, Pattonville’s state supervisor, was in the district to conduct the review and indicated Pattonville scored 100% on its compliance checklist. Pattonville’s record of academic performance enabled it to forgo a full-scale review. Like other districts who qualify for the mini-review, Pattonville must maintain its high performance on the district’s state standards, which are evaluated annually through the state’s Annual Performance Review (APR) reports, in order to avoid having to undergo the full-scale review in the future. 
• A new telescope was installed at the 41-year-old observatory/planetarium facility at Pattonville Heights Middle School. The new telescope, a 10-inch Meade telescope, replaced a 20-year old telescope that was installed in the 1980s. It was purchased for $4,000 with a grant through the NASA ROSES ORIGIN program as part of an Educational and Public Outreach subgrant.
• Jacquelyn McDuffie, a sixth-grade teacher at Remington Traditional School, was named the Missouri Middle School Teacher of the Year.
• Pattonville students witnessed a Pattonville graduate take his first flight into space. United States Air Force Major Robert Behnken, a 1988 Pattonville graduate and a NASA astronaut, was aboard the space shuttle Endeavor during a mission to the International Space Station that took place March 11 through March 26. 
• Drummond Elementary School recognized its first group of students to attend all six years since the school opened in 2002
• In the summer of 2008, Pattonville launched a newly redesigned website that featured a news feed, comprehensive calendar and frequently changing photo highlights.
• School board meetings went paperless as the board moved to using BoardDocs, an online agenda program. Board members received laptops to access information and participate in meeting and board duties.
• Pattonville began using an automated phone calling system called IRIS to provide immediate updates to staff and parents during emergency situations or for important updates.
• In the fall of 2008, Pattonville began work on updating its strategic plan, after completing a demographic study over the summer. The planning process involved parents, students, board members, staff members and community residents on the district CSIP Steering Committee. Members of each school’s School Improvement Team focused on student achievement, while another subcommittee addressed critical issues such as facilities, safety and staffing ratios. A new subcommittee working under the critical issues subcommittee and with the school improvement teams also addressed student activities and athletics with the goal of promoting student achievement and student involvement in school.
• The library at Pattonville High School became the Hugh A. Kinney Community Library during a renaming and dedication ceremony on Aug. 26. The library was renamed in honor of Dr. Hugh Kinney, who served as superintendent of Pattonville for 10 years.
• In the summer of 2008, Pattonville High School was awarded continuing accreditation by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). The award was approved by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission. AdvancED is a national panel and the parent organization of NCA CASI. Pattonville  High was re-accredited after submitting progress reports and hosting a quality assurance review team from NCA the previous school year. Schools are accredited on a five-year term after meeting or exceeding AdvancED quality standards. NCA-accredited schools must meet high standards, engage in continuous improvement and demonstrate quality assurance. NCA’s standards for quality schools cover vision and purpose, governance and leadership, teaching and learning, documenting and using results, resources and support systems, stakeholder communications and relationships, and commitment to continuous improvement.
• In August, 13 seniors at Pattonville High School returned to school a week early to spend time learning about getting ready for and applying to college during the school’s first-ever Pattonville College Academy. This weeklong workshop was a unique opportunity to help students who are first-generation college-bound students with the college planning and search process. The academy covered goal setting, college resume writing, how to compare colleges, how to start the college search, college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, letters of recommendation, essay writing tips, ACT test taking tips and campus visits. Students interacted with college recruiters and also visited three college campuses in the St. Louis area during the program.
• The Pattonville Board of Education was named one of five finalists for the 2008 Outstanding Board of Education Award sponsored by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA).

 

 

2009

• A 2009 report by the St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable (BLR) detailing the region’s progress on reducing the achievement gap between Black and white students showed Pattonville among the Top 5 school districts in the region for: Highest achievement levels for Black students in communication arts for third and eleventh grades and in math for fourth and eighth grades (based on MAP index scores); Greatest percentage of Black students scoring in the advanced category for fourth grade math and eleventh grade communication arts; and smallest achievement gap between Black and white students in eleventh grade communication arts; and highest attendance rates for Black students (at 95%).
• The new Chuck McKinley Memorial Tennis Courts at Pattonville High School were rededicated on May 8, 2009, in honor of McKinley, Pattonville Class of 1959. McKinley was a 1963 Wimbledon champion. At the rededication ceremony, Pattonville officials unveiled a new interpretive sign which explained the story of how a pipefitter’s son from St. Ann grew up to become a top-ranked tennis player in the world.  The sign included photos and highlights of McKinley’s tennis career as well as the stories of three former state tennis champions who graduated from Pattonville. Former state champions included McKinley’s younger brother, Bob McKinley, Class of 1968, McKinley’s nephew, Jack Gorsuch, Class of 1974, and Blake Strode, Class of 2005. The seven new courts were built as a result of the no-tax-rate-increase bond issue passed by voters in 2006. The original six courts, built in the 1970s, were originally dedicated in McKinley’s memory on July 24, 1987.
• The majority of the remaining projects from a $19 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue were completed by the end of 2009. One of the last large construction projects in the bond issue was the addition of a four-classroom wing at Willow Brook Elementary School, which replaced temporary classroom trailers that had been used for a number of years.
• Remington Traditional School was named to Missouri’s lists of highest performing schools 10 times based on scores on the 2008 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests. Remington Traditional School tied with one other school in Missouri for the highest number of times appearing on the lists. Remington made the lists in 10 out of 14 possible categories. This was the 11th year Remington appeared on the state’s Top 10 lists of highest performing schools. Other Pattonville schools that have made the list in the past include Parkwood and Rose Acres elementary schools. Pattonville School District was one of only 12 school districts out of more than 500 statewide that achieved “Top 10” list status 10 or more times in the report. After 2009, the state ceased to create the rankings and publish this report.
• Pattonville earned a $500 Ingenuity Grant from the Northwest Chamber of Commerce for “Extreme Makeover-Pattonville Edition.” Several high school classes assisted with this project, which involved redesigning and remodeling the room of a Parkwood Elementary kindergartner, Hannah Maxwell. The project was modeled after the popular television show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The TV production class filmed the makeover to create a video to show to the Northwest Chamber membership. Other classes instrumental in the program included housing and interior design, marketing and woodworking.
• On May 12, Pattonville’s board of education approved an updated strategic plan to guide the district for the next five years. Pattonville’s plan, known as the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (or CSIP), focused on the following three goals: improving student achievement for all students; involving parents, students, staff and community members in the decision-making process for their schools through School Improvement Teams; and addressing critical issues such as finances and facilities. More than 200 parents, students, staff and community members played a role in developing the updated plan. Although the three overriding goals of the plan remain unchanged from previous years, the proposed plan includes updated strategies to help meet those goals.
• Willow Brook Elementary celebrated its 50^th anniversary. The school commemorated the occasion with an all-school photo of students and staff posed in the shape of the number 50. A Golden Jubilee Celebration was held on Oct. 16. The day started with a school-wide celebration where students shared what they enjoy about Willow Brook, retired staff members shared their memories and the Willow Brook Singers provided entertainment. Students enjoyed cupcakes and also sang Happy Birthday to the school. Hallway display cases reflected different decades at Willow Brook. Later, a reception was held for current and former staff members and honored guests.
• Pattonville began a pilot in the fall of 2009 to explore additional ways to get middle school students involved in after-school activities. Two sports opened to eighth-graders at Holman and Pattonville Heights middle schools and Remington Traditional School. About 45 students participated in the first six-week season of cross country and prepared for a Pattonville-sponsored middle school cross country meet on Oct. 10 at Pattonville High School. The Pattonville High School cross country coaches and students ran the meet, which was set up just like a high school meet, using a two-mile course. In the winter, eighth-graders participated in a six-week session of volleyball, concluding in a three-school tournament. In the spring, another six weeks of cross country took place, with the students running in the Pattonville Wellness Run/Walk in May.
• Pattonville honored its first male graduate by inducting him into Pattonville’s Wall of Fame during Veterans’ Day ceremonies in November. John Abraham, who was on hand for the festivities, was the first male to graduate from Pattonville High School. He was one of five to graduate in the Class of 1938 shortly after the high school opened on St. Charles Rock Road. The first graduating Class of 1937 consisted of two females (Marguerite Nunley and Irma Meuth). Pattonville High School was built in 1935 and opened in the middle of the 1935-1936 school year on an 8-acre lot at Banks and St. Charles Rock roads. Abraham was a D-Day veteran who led his men ashore as an Army lieutenant during World War II. He received the Bronze Star for his efforts to save wounded men and a Purple Heart for being wounded while fighting along the Siegfried Line. He served  in the Army from 1941 to 1945 and was a life-long resident of the Pattonville area. His wife, Ruth (née Mensendiek), as the only female in his graduating class, was the woman who picked green and white as the Pattonville colors, a legacy that still lives on today in the Pirate Nation.

 

2010

• For the first time in school history, Pattonville High School was granted a charter for a chapter of the Spanish National Honor Society. Students who excel in taking Spanish in the modern languages program were inducted into the honor society during a ceremony that featured a renowned author, Gary Soto. Educators invited Soto to participate because they named their new chapter after Soto, and students in Pattonville’s advanced Spanish classes studied his work. The new chapter was dubbed “Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish National Honor Society) Gary Soto Chapter.”
• The final projects from the 2006 bond issue were completed and involved improvements at several school cafeterias.
• Planning began on developing a new facilities plan. On Jan. 26, the board of education reviewed a list of preliminary projects identified by staff and parents in each of Pattonville’s schools. In November and December, the district spent time gathering information needed to assemble a preliminary list of needs. District officials reviewed projects that had been identified in the 2006 facilities plan that were not part of the 2006 bond issue due to higher priority needs at the time. District facilities leaders also gathered input from school principals and each building’s School Improvement Team, which are leadership teams made up of half parents and half staff members. They combined this information with suggestions made through a district committee focused on athletic and activity needs in order to come up with a preliminary facility plan. The initial cost estimates for all the needs identified through this process was nearly $70 million, however the district pared down the estimate to around $40 million by identifying projects that could be accomplished in a future facilities plan. In February, Pattonville completed a community survey to gauge the community’s priorities with regard to facility updates, and the district began a community engagement process to share the preliminary plan with its school community and gather feedback and suggestions.
• For the second time in eight years, the bond rating for the Pattonville School District was upgraded, despite challenging economic times, enabling the district to save money on interest rates for future bond issues or refinancing existing bond issues. The district was able to save $3.3 million in interest fees in recent years by refinancing bond issues or paying off bond issues early. In 2002, Standard and Poor’s upgraded Pattonville’s bond rating from A+ to AA-. In April, the rating was upgraded again from AA- to AA after Standard and Poor’s reviewed Pattonville’s financial data. Standard and Poor’s is an international firm that provides investment research and analysis, credit ratings and financial data on companies and investments worldwide.
• On June 22, Pattonville’s board of education approved a new facilities plan for the district and asked voters to approve a $41 million zero tax rate increase bond issue during the Nov. 2, 2010 election. The new facilities plan addressed issues related to maintenance, repairs, safety and fitness and included projects at every school in the district. Major projects included upgrading lighting district wide to more energy efficient systems, replacing intrusion/fire alarm systems, replacing doors and windows, building tracks at both middle schools and constructing a pool and replacement stadium with turf field.
• Pattonville’s food service program met the highest tier of the Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines for school breakfasts and lunches. At Pattonville High School, the food services department provided more choices to students. The high school added a serving line dedicated to offering natural, unprocessed foods, including hot and cold wraps, pasta bar, baked fish and build-your-own chef salad. The high school cafeteria also introduced fruit and yogurt smoothies as a lunch choice.
• From 1997 to 2010, Pattonville reduced 157 staffing positions (administrative, support and teaching) through retirements and attrition, resulting in a cumulative savings of $22 million. During the same time period, class sizes stayed the same or were lowered and student achievement improved. These savings were achieved by developing an approach to staffing and budgeting that prioritizes the learning needs of students. The district also decreased spending on items such as buses and equipment by the 2000s. As a result, in the prior two years alone, Pattonville cut nearly $3 million from its budget through staffing reductions and reduced spending. Pattonville planned to trim the operating budget another 2% to 4% in order to address the economic downturn and ensure balanced budgets in the future.
• Prop K, Pattonville’s $41 million zero tax rate increase bond issue, passed with a 76% yes vote on Nov. 2.

2011

• Pattonville earned Missouri’s Distinction in Performance Award for the 11^th year in a row. The award recognized school districts for high performance on multiple measures of academic achievement. Pattonville became one of only 24 school districts out of nearly 500 (K-12) in Missouri to earn the award every year it was given.
• Due to economic conditions in the country, Pattonville and other school districts in Missouri were dealing with declines in property values and reduced state funding for programs such as transportation and summer school. Compounding the budgeting and planning challenges in Pattonville were an increase in tax appeals by large commercial businesses. Pattonville worked to trim between $2.5 to $3 million from its operating budget over the next two years. District administrators reviewed budgets at the district level to find efficiencies. During the 2011-2012 school year, the curriculum and instruction office and the technology department were reorganized to save more than $150,000. Retirements and the elimination of one-year positions or consulting contracts enabled work to be restructured in these departments at a reduced cost. Other cuts worth nearly $54,000 were realized through savings in trash services district-wide and reduced expenditures in the school-community relations department. Utility savings of approximately $300,000 were anticipated via energy efficient lighting installed in Pattonville schools as part of the November 2010 bond issue. Other areas where the district sought efficiencies were transportation, summer school, liability and worker’s compensation insurance, departmental and school spending reductions, and staffing. As in the past when someone vacated a position, the district reviewed that position to determine if it needed to be filled or if the work could be accomplished another way, without hiring a replacement staff member.
• On April 22 (Good Friday), an F4 tornado ripped through the Pattonville communities of Bridgeton, Maryland Heights and St. Ann, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. Major roads, such as Old St. Charles Road, were blocked by debris. Only one school suffered minor damage, Bridgeway Elementary. One day of school was missed as officials rerouted bus schedules around closed areas. Pattonville students and staff blanketed the community on that day to help with recovery efforts. In the days and weeks afterwards, Pattonville students, staff and families continued to reach out to their neighbors, cleaning up debris, collecting food, clothing, donations and cash, hosting community events, delivering meals to clean up crews and more. No one died during the tornado, which had wind speeds of more than 200 miles per hour.
• Pattonville High School educators received a $15,000 teamwork grant through Emerson Electric’s Gold Star Grant Program to help connect Pattonville students to experts in college admissions, finance and planning. The funds were used to purchase computers, camcorders, memory cards and portable hard drives to enable Pattonville students to interact with college admissions and planning experts via Skype and view pre-recorded videotapes of professors, college admission representatives, current college students and Pattonville alumni from all over the country.
• Pattonville began the first round of work on the 2010 bond issue projects during the summer of 2011.
• On May 31, Pattonville broke ground on a new pool, stadium and other facility improvements at Pattonville High School. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on the 50-yard line of the school’s 36-year old stadium. Junior and senior class officers from Pattonville High School joined school board members and administrators in turning over clods of dirt using golden shovels provided by SM Wilson, the construction management firm hired to manage the high school projects. Conceptual designs of the new pool and stadium facilities were also on display courtesy of the architectural firm Christner Inc. Pattonville’s pep band entertained the audience before the ceremony began.
• Due to budget constraints brought on by the economic recession, Pattonville redesigned its summer school model to reduce the program’s costs, while still providing a meaningful summer learning experience for students. The changes for summer school 2012 saved the district nearly $300,000 in local costs. Students needing academic review services in preschool through eighth grade attended a 10-day “Jump Start” program held prior to the start of school, with federal Title I funds covering the costs at Title I elementary schools. The enrichment program for Grades K-8 became a half-day, fee-based program held at the end of the regular school year. The high school program remained a credit recovery/credit advancement program with reduced offerings. The community education office and high school activities department continued to offer fee-based programs and camps in the summer.
• The Missouri School Boards’ Association recognized Pattonville’s Board of Education as one of two finalists for Missouri’s Outstanding Boards of Education awards, in the parent and community engagement category. The Pattonville Board of Education, along with Joplin’s school board, was selected for this honor due to the outstanding leadership they provide to their districts.
• Members of the Pattonville High School marching band experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event when they marched in the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series Championship celebration parade on Oct. 30 in downtown St. Louis. Pattonville’s band was one of four invited to participate in the event. They joined the procession of World Series champions from Market Street to Busch Stadium, along with the Budweiser Clydesdales, Fredbird, Team Fredbird and the Cardinals Rally Squirrel. Pattonville’s band has been performing at Busch Stadium for a number of years, including concerts outside the stadium on Clark Street before a game, concerts inside the stadium in Ford Plaza and field-level performances such as the National Anthem. Band director Dennis McFarland said those performances and the relationship Pattonville’s band program built with a representative of the St. Louis Cardinals led to the invitation to perform in the parade.
• Pattonville High School implemented its Pirate Connections program in order to help students get ready for college and career after graduation. The twice-monthly program took place during contact time and enabled teachers to help students begin planning for college and a future career, including covering the college admissions process.
• The board of education on Dec. 13 approved a proposal to alter Pattonville High School’s graduation requirements and modify high school summer school offerings. The changes were designed to provide students more options for taking coursework geared toward their interests while also helping Pattonville reduce budget costs related to summer school and staffing. The changes were: continue to offer credit recovery and credit advancement courses in summer school on a reduced scale to meet budget constraints; enable students to earn the personal finance credit (state requirement) by passing the state-provided assessment without taking the course (effective summer 2012); develop a plan in 2012-2013 to offer online credit recovery and credit advancement courses during the school day or after school; and alter graduation requirements to give students more options, beginning in 2012-2013. A requirement that students take child development or parenting was eliminated, but the classes continued to be offered. While the board decided to keep an oral communication requirement which few other districts required, the high school was tasked with developing recommendations to expand the course options that would enable students to fulfill that requirement. Those changes were implemented in the 2013-2014 school year.
• Pattonville High School institutes a health occupations course. During the year, students learn 64 hands-on healthcare skills, along with human anatomy, disease processes and the fundamentals of healthcare. The first semester of the course provides students the foundation and skills to function safely and competently in the field. They are taught a certified nurse assistant (CNA) curriculum in the classroom. The second semester is spent in the field, gaining clinical experience in a hospital and skilled nursing facility three to four days a week. After successfully completing the course and a final exam, students receive both CNA and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification. They can also earn four hours of articulated college credit through St. Louis Community College or two hours of dual college credit through the Missouri State University system.

 

2012

• The board of education on Jan. 10 approved a bond refunding to save Pattonville nearly $750,000 over the next eight years. The board authorized Stifel, Nicolaus and Co. to refinance debt owed on bonds from the year 2004 at a significantly lower interest rate, a move to save an estimated $741,119 in interest payments between now and 2020. Including this refinancing resolution, Pattonville has been able to save more than $4 million in interest fees in the last decade by refinancing bond issues or paying off bond issues early. The savings affects Pattonville’s debt service fund which pays for bond issue projects and cannot be used for the day-to-day operations of the school district such as salaries, transportation and textbooks.
• A state election in 2012 gave Pattonville a rare distinction. In the previous four years, the Missouri Future Educators Association (FEA) selected a Pattonville High School student as its state president. Sophomore Joe Johnson was elected as the 2012-2013 Missouri FEA president. His sister, Chrish Johnson, was his predecessor, the 2011-2012 state president (she was also elected to the central regional vice president of the National FEA). Previous Pattonville students who served as Missouri FEA president were Mallory Arens (2010-2011) and Tiffany Laughlin (2009-2010). 
• Pattonville’s middle and high schools enticed young readers by adding iPads and e-books to its menu of options available for check-out. iPads were available in the libraries at Holman Middle School, Pattonville Heights Middle School, Remington Traditional School (only grades 6 through 8) and Pattonville High School. Pattonville’s collection at the time included more than 200 e-book titles and audiobooks. The district has also loaded educational apps on the iPads for students to use while the devices were checked out. The iPads were purchased using Pattonville’s technology savings fund.
• Pattonville piloted iLearn.PSD, a new digital learning initiative, during the second semester at Pattonville High School. Through iLearn, high school teachers developed Moodles (online learning management tool/website) for each of their courses to provide students with access to content 24/7. The high school also piloted the use of iPads and MacBook Airs in English and Algebra classes to determine which device would work best for student learning. As a result, in August 2012 every student at Pattonville High School received a MacBook Air laptop to support them in their learning. Students used the laptop during the day and at home to access their course Moodle and produce work.
• On March 27, Pattonville began work with parents, students, community members, staff and area leaders to update its strategic plan. The updated plan focused on designing schools to prepare students to meet international learning standards; updating the district Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) goals and identify specific action steps (building and district) to meet international learning standards; identifying and addressing budget issues; and ensuring Pattonville is highly competitive academically and in the quality of its programs. The CSIP update process included members of each school’s school improvement team, as well as parents, teachers, board members, administrators and community members collaborating in various work groups. The work groups included: resources; community connections; and before- and after-school activities.
• In 2012, the St. Louis Athletics and Activities Association realigned its conference structure. In the 2014-2015 school year, Pattonville was moved into a new division with the following high schools: Kirkwood, Parkway North, Ritenour, Rockwood Summit and Webster Groves. This move placed Pattonville in a highly competitive environment for every sport and provided the district with a cadre of teams that offered the same or similar sports and levels (freshman, junior varsity and varsity). Pattonville added girls lacrosse, girls field hockey and water polo, a co-ed sport, to its interscholastic athletics and activities program in 2012-2013. The sports were added to ensure gender equity in athletics as required under federal law. The cost of adding the programs was paid for through administrative cost reductions at the Pattonville Learning Center.
• New summer school changes designed in 2011 take effect, however enrollment for the enrichment program is insufficient to hold the program in June 2012.
• Work on several bond issue projects throughout the district took place this summer, with the new stadium and pool at Pattonville High School scheduled for completion in the 2012-2013 school year and the remaining projects from the 2010 bond issue finished in the summer of 2013.
• Pattonville hosted an open house, ribbon-cutting ceremony and pep rally on Aug. 10 to celebrate the completion and opening of the new Pattonville stadium. Pattonville held its all-staff orientation in the new stadium instead of its usual place in the community auditorium.
• The addition of a new canopy at Rose Acres Elementary School in the summer unearthed a small time capsule in a cornerstone near the front entrance. The capsule contained two items: a memo from the 1967 Board of Education and Superintendent Bob Foutes and a newsletter that included articles about an upcoming January 1967 bond issue to fund the construction of Rose Acres and Carrollton Oaks elementary schools. The memo noted that Rose Acres was due to be substantially completed by July 15, 1967 and indicated construction began on the school on March 31,1966. William B. Ittner Inc. was the architectural firm that designed the 26-classroom school, and the cost of construction was $478,940. Construction crews returned the time capsule to the cornerstone after completing the portion of the canopy near where it was located.
• Pattonville alumni were the first to show their work in Gallery G, a new public art gallery which opened in Pattonville High School on Aug. 23. The inaugural exhibit featured glass work, ceramics, printmaking, digital art, painting, textiles and other artistic mediums from Pattonville alumni. The creation of the gallery was funded with a $750 grant earned by gallery director and art teacher Beth Kathriner from the Pattonville Education Foundation. The former office space was transformed to a sleek gallery by Pattonville students in John Hopkins’ home construction class last year.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Oct. 9 approved a proposal to close Briar Crest Elementary School at the end of the school year. The proposal was made due to prolonged economic challenges facing the Pattonville School District and extra capacity available in the district’s other elementary schools. Most of the Briar Crest attendance area was absorbed by Drummond Elementary School, with a smaller portion going to Bridgeway Elementary School. This change required moving some of the current Drummond attendance areas to Bridgeway and Parkwood elementary schools.
• Pattonville’s early childhood education program was selected as the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) FutureBuilders Early Childhood Education Program of the Year.
• In October, Pattonville earned 14 points out of 14 on an annual state report that measured a school district’s performance on indicators of academic success. In previous years, such a perfect score would have earned Pattonville a Distinction in Performance Award for its academic accomplishments, however DESE discontinued giv­ing the Distinction award as it transitioned to a new accreditation system called MSIP 5 (Missouri School Improvement Program) that went into effect in the 2014-2015 school year.
• Anjali Fernandes, a senior at Pattonville High School, was selected as one of two delegates in Missouri to attend the 51st annual United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. in March. Only two representatives from each state are chosen for this unique educational opportunity.
• Pattonville was awarded a $2,000 grant from the American Association of School Adminis­trators (AASA) and the National Joint Powers Alliance. Pattonville social worker Mike Siebe submitted the grant to support the work of the Pattonville Community Action Team (PCAT), a group of Pattonville staff members and community members working to help stabilize and support Pattonville families in need. Over the past year, Pattonville engaged the faith community, financial institutions, land­lords, charitable organizations, governmental entities and many others in the Pattonville community that are concerned about the financial instability of many Pattonville families. PCAT serves as a forum to discuss related trends and develop solutions that directly impact families.

 

2013

• On Jan. 4, members of the Pattonville boys and girls swim and dive teams marked the opening of the new Patton­ville Aquatic Center by stretching out across the new pool and holding more than 25 yards of green ribbon for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The pool facility was funded by the November 2010 no-tax-rate-increase bond issue. Festivities included an open house and a community swim and an alumni swim and dive meet with former Pat­tonville swim coaches John Hamilton and Bill Rinesmith as the honorary coaches on Jan. 5.
• Pattonville School District was awarded a $500,000 competitive Innovation High School Grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a program titled “Pattonville’s Pathway to Success.” Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced the award on Feb. 7. Funding for the grant comes via the Community Development Block Grants funds, administered by the Department of Economic Development (DED) as part of a Pathways to Prosperity pilot program. Pathways to Prosperity, initiated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is focused on helping schools create pathways that combine rigorous academics with strong techni­cal education and lead to success after high school. Missouri is one of six states chosen by Harvard University and Jobs for the Future to participate in the pilot. Pattonville’s program was designed to increase the graduation rate and success of students after graduation by creating career options and encouraging students to enter career paths in the areas of advanced manufacturing, health/medical professions and information technolo­gy. A focus was placed on increasing the percentage of low- to medium-income students who enter those high-demand fields.
• Willow Brook Elementary School was one of 15 schools in Missouri to be named a State School of Character for 2013. The award honored schools for their outstanding work in character education and recognized them as models for other educators in their states. Nation­ally, only 45 schools received the State School of Character designation.
• New athletic sports were added at Pattonville High School: co-ed water polo, girls lacrosse, girls field and girls field hockey. The change in offerings brought Pattonville up to par with other schools in its new athletic division and ensured Pattonville students had a full venue of state-sanctioned offer­ings (excluding gymnastics). 
• Bridgeway Elementary School students, parents, staff and friends raised approxi­mately $25,000 on March 22 by hosting a head-shaving event for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The organization raises funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. Ninety-five volunteers, including 10 Bridge­way staff members and dozens of students, shaved their heads, and another 10 cut their hair for Locks of Love during the event.
• For the first time, Pattonville High School earns a ranking in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best High Schools list. The high school ranked in the Top 20 high schools in Missouri and the Top 10 percent of high schools in the nation on U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best High Schools Rank­ing List.
• Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon visited Pattonville High School on April 22 to recognize the school for being selected as an Innovation High School - a des­ignation that enables Pattonville students to connect to high-demand jobs through college credit, appren­ticeships and internships while still in high school.
• Briar Crest Elementary School hosted the Briar Crest Backyard Boogie on May 17. The community event celebrated the school’s history and community as it prepared to close at the end of the current school year. The event included a barbecue and live entertainment.
• Art teachers from every Pattonville elementary and middle school collaborated with their students  in Grades 5 through 8 to create two massive chandeliers that were installed at the Pattonville Learning Center in the summer. The art installation was inspired by and modeled off the work of renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly.
• The board of education on June 25 approved an updated strategic plan to guide the district through 2018. Pattonville’s Comprehen­sive School Improvement Plan (or CSIP) included three goals that remained unchanged for 15 years, as well as updated strategies to meet those goals. CSIP’s three goals were focused on: improving student achievement for all students; involving parents, students, staff and community members in the decision-making process for their schools through School Improvement Teams; and addressing critical issues such as finances and facilities. In the 2012-2013 school year, approximately 200 parents, students, staff and com­munity members played a role in developing the updated plan.
• Pattonville held a community forum on Aug. 6 to engage residents on the state of the district and the need for a possible tax levy increase on the ballot later that fall. The forum enabled parents, staff and community members to learn about and provide feedback on challenges facing the district and possible solutions.
• Pattonville was honored with a Pinnacle Award from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The award recognized outstanding and creative practices that improve the efficiency of schools and contribute to the growth of the school business management profession, while making a difference in the education of the nation’s students. Pattonville was chosen for the award for its iLearn program at Pattonville High School. iLearn.PSD was a digital learning initiative that supports student learning by giving Pattonville High School students access to resources any time, any place via a one-to-one laptop program.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Aug. 26 approved a resolution calling for an operating tax levy increase election on Nov. 5, 2013. The tax rate increase was needed to maintain and protect the qual­ity of programs and staffing in the Pattonville School District as well as overcome a looming op­erating budget deficit of $10 million. Voters were asked to vote on Proposition P, an overall tax rate increase of $0.9972 per $100 of property’s assessed value. Due to St. Louis County’s unique four tax-rate system, Pattonville was able to voluntarily limit the increase to 35 cents for residen­tial homeowners for as many years as possible.
• The Pattonville Board of Education was named a 2013 Outstanding Board of Education for Governance, Leadership and Accountabil­ity by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA). Pattonville’s board was one of 10 school boards selected by MSBA as Missouri’s Outstanding Boards of Education for 2013. The award program recognized outstanding performance in six categories: teaching, learning and assessment; human and organizational capital; climate, culture and orga­nizational efficacy; school finance resources; physical and environmental resources; and governance, leadership and accountability. This was the first year Outstanding Boards of Education awards were aligned to six specific categories of the Missouri Public Education Vision Project.
• On Nov. 5, voters approved Pattonville’s Proposition P, an operating levy increase that enabled Pattonville to maintain its levels of programs and staffing. The passage of Prop P prevented the need to cut $10 million from the district’s operating budget. Pattonville had already cut $8.1 million from its operating budget since 2007, including reducing positions and closing a school. After more than 6,100 votes cast during the election, the tax increase received a 70.28% favorable vote. Passage of the tax levy increase meant the district would not have to enact the follow­ing cuts that were outlined in Proposition P informational materials: Reduce 80-100 staff members (administrators, teachers, support staff); limit transportation to students who live three miles or more from school; enact indefinite salary freezes; move to fee-based after-school and extracurricular programs; and place an indefinite freeze on textbook adoptions.
• Pattonville’s board of education on Nov. 26 awarded a bid to lease solar panels to save the district more than $920,000 in utility costs over the length of the 20-year lease. The board accepted a bid from Brightery to lease up to 19 solar panels (one for each existing meter at each school) at $150 per panel per month. Installing the panels on the roofs of Pattonville’s schools was estimated to provide 4% of the district’s electrical use, thus saving the district on its regular heating and cooling bills.
• Pattonville’s CHARAC­TERplus program celebrated its 25th year with a recognition and celebration program at the Pattonville Learn­ing Center on Dec. 9. Pattonville was one of the first school districts in St. Louis to imple­ment a character education program when it became involved in a joint initiative started in 1988 by educators, parents and business leaders. CHAR­ACTERplus was the nation’s largest community-wide initiative in character education. Pattonville’s CHARACTERplus program interweaved lessons on positive character traits into the district’s curriculum and school environment, emphasizing important traits such as respect, responsibil­ity, courage and service.

 

2014

• The Northwest Chamber of Commerce awarded its Community Development Award to the Pattonville School District in January. The award is given to an organization or individual to recognize their efforts and contributions toward advancing and improving the local community. 
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Jan. 14 approved curriculum recommendations for a pharmacy technology course, which began the second semester of 2013-2014 school year. The program enabled students to earn a certificate that qualifies them to work as a pharmacy technician. The program was funded through the school’s federal Innovation High School Grant, since the course supports the grant’s health occupations pathway. 
• The Character Education Partnership (CEP) in Washington, D.C. named Willow Brook Elementary School as one of nearly 50 finalists in the 2014 National Schools of Character (NSOC) program.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on April 8 approved changes to the middle school schedule to increase the amount of time students spend in the core subject areas of English language arts (ELA), math, science and social studies. The change came after parents, staff, students and administrators at Holman and Pattonville Heights middle schools spent nearly two years studying and engaging other parents and staff on changing the schedule in order to improve student achievement. The School Improvement Teams (SITs) from Heights and Holman joined efforts in the fall of 2012 to begin researching characteristics of high-performing schools. After researching options, holding parent meetings and surveying parents and staff, the teams recommended moving to a seven-period schedule (as opposed to the previous eight-period schedule). Under the new schedule, each class would meet for 52 minutes with students participating in four core classes and three non-core classes daily. The change offered an additional 23 hours of instruction per class annually. Surveys showed 90% of parents and 73% of staff members supported the new schedule.
• More than 300 students, staff, families and community members took the stage to have their heads shaved and/or hair cut (and donated to Locks of Love) to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research through Pattonville’s district-wide fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Volunteers from all Pattonville schools and the Pattonville Learning Center raised approximately $100,000 by collecting pledges to shave their heads in solidarity with children who have cancer.
• Pattonville superintendent Dr. Michael Fulton was selected by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) as the recipient of its annual Robert L. Pearce Award for 2014. Fulton was selected by a committee of his peers. Seven MASA districts nominated a superintendent for the award. The award is given annually to an outstanding Missouri superintendent of schools and includes a $500 cash award to the recipient and a $500 scholarship for a student in the award winner’s school district.
• Pattonville High School’s varsity drill team celebrated the 40th anniversary of staging its variety show by enlisting drill team alumni in the celebration. All former and current coaches and drill team members were invited back, and more than 100 participated in a performance showing snippets of routines through the ages. Alumni prepared for the event by attending rehearsals and/or practicing with videos shared via Facebook. The special performance took place during the Friday night performance of a three-night run of the annual drill team variety show in March.
• Mickey Schoonover, director of school-community relations for the Pattonville School District, was chosen to receive the Professional of the Year Award from the Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA). The award recognizes an individual who has made a valuable contribution to either an education institution or MOSPRA in promoting school PR and/or has made a difference in the life of students. Schoonover, who has her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), served as MOSPRA president and eastern director.
• The Pattonville Board of Education honored Ron Kuschel, who served on the school board for 21 years by approving a resolution on April 22 naming the main gymnasium at Pattonville High School “Kuschel Court.” Kuschel has been a long-time Pirate fan, attending countless athletic and academic events. Kuschel’s family was on hand during the board meeting as the board unveiled a plaque commemorating the gymnasium’s new name.
• Drummond Elementary School took a new approach to ensuring all students were proficient and performing on grade level or above. Educators at Drummond designed and are implementing a “learning level” structure that created customized learning to help students move from where they were in their learning to where they need to be in order to reach proficiency or higher in English language arts (ELA), math and science. In the learning level structure, students in Grades 1 through 5 were assigned to a homeroom teacher based on their chronological age. During the ELA, math and science instructional time, however, students were grouped based on their learning level. 
• Summer learning pilot projects at Drummond Elementary School and Holman Middle School were designed to help prepare students for entering school next fall. Drummond’s summer pilot project was designed to help nearly 30 third-grade students improve their math and literacy skills during the summer. The seven-week program reinforced and improved their learning through practice at home on a district-provided iPad mini and instruction at school via periodic check-in days. Students were required to complete a specified number of minutes each week in Dreambox (an online math program) and Education City (an online literacy program) that was monitored by Drummond staff. Six times during the pilot, the students attended Drummond for a four-hour session to meet with their teacher, review their individual learning plan and participate in small-group instruction.
• Pattonville High School students began competing in a new activities and athletics conference structure beginning in Fall 2014. The move was a result of a conference restructuring in 2012 by the St. Louis Athletics and Activities Association, composed of 32 area high schools divided into three conferences. Pattonville moved from the Suburban North Conference into the newly established Suburban XII Conference, South Division. Pattonville moved to a division with the following high schools: Kirkwood, Parkway North, Ritenour, Rockwood Summit and Webster Groves. 
• Pattonville staff members participated in a new safety training program designed to better equip teachers and other staff members with how to respond to school intruders. In partnership with the St. Louis County Police and local police departments, Pattonville began training in July on the 4E (Educate, Evade, Escape and Engage) program developed by Tier One Tactical Solutions, an organization founded by veteran St. Louis County Police officers.
• Volunteers at the Pattonville Learning Center broke ground on a new Pattonville Youth Garden adjacent to their building. The 4,000 square foot garden was the idea of Simon Amies, Pattonville’s web and database administrator. Amies wrote a grant which earned Pattonville $1,000 from Gateway Greening to provide compost and a sign for the site.
• Pattonville began contracting with Chartwells this school year to manage the district’s food services program while retaining its own local food service employees. Pattonville food services employees received training on incorporating more homemade, healthy options into their menus, as well as marketing tips and strategies to give a restaurant-like appearance to the schools’ food and serving lines.
• The Pattonville School District was ranked in the top tier of districts nationally, in Missouri and in the St. Louis region on a report recently released by Niche, an online service that ranks more than 100,000 public and private schools and districts in the nation based on dozens of statistics and opinions from students and parents. Pattonville ranked in the Top 5 percent of all districts measured - 428th out of 8,738 - for best school districts in America. The district is ranked as the 9th best public school district in the St. Louis metro area (out of 105), placing it in the Top 10 percent locally, and the 11th best public school district in Missouri (out of 284), placing it in the Top 4 percent in the state. 

 

2015

• Pattonville High School was chosen to participate in a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) pilot project which will expand offerings for students interested in computer science both locally and nationwide. PLTW was developing a four-year course sequence in computer science and writing the second-year course called Computer Science Applications. The course built on the basic skills learned in the first-year course, Computer Science and Software Engineering, to teach students authentic Android app development. The course was designed to cover all learning objectives in the College Board’s AP (Advanced Placement) Computer Science framework. The partnership entailed working with PLTW in the spring on the course development and then pilot teaching the course during the 2015-2016 school year. Approximately 50 teachers from around the country were chosen to participate, and Pattonville High School teacher Jeremiah Simmons is one of them.
• Missouri’s new commissioner of education Margie Vandeven visited Drummond Elementary School on Jan. 23 to see the school’s proficiency-based learning program at work. She visited three fourth-grade classrooms at the school and then spent time with Drummond and Pattonville administrators reviewing how the school monitors students’ progress in the program. Since 2013, Drummond has been piloting proficiency-based learning as a way to help all students meet or exceed grade level proficiency.
• Pattonville earned national certification for biomedical sciences. The national recognition through Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program distinguished schools for successfully demonstrating a commitment to PLTW’s national standards. Certification also provided Pattonville students with the opportunity to apply for college credit or receive college-level recognition when they successfully complete select certified courses at Pattonville High School. 
• Yulia Kotets was surprised during an all-school assembly on Aug. 27 with the news that she was one of six finalists in the state for Missouri Teacher of the Year. Kotets was an English Language Learner (ELL) specialist at Willow Brook Elementary School and was named Pattonville School District Teacher of the Year last May. She was Pattonville's nomination for the state award.
• Pattonville High School was one of only 37 high schools in the nation selected to pilot the third in a series of new computer science courses offered by the national nonprofit program Project Lead the Way. The course built on two other courses offered at Pattonville High School: Computer Science and Software Engineering. Teacher Jeremiah Simmons was trained in the summer on implementing the new course, which prepared students for the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science A course. 
• Dr. Mike Fulton, superintendent of the Pattonville School District, was named the 2015 Missouri Superintendent of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). Fulton represented Missouri in the National Superintendent of the Year program conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).

2016

• Pattonville High School hosted hundreds of educators from throughout the region on Feb. 6 during EdCamp St. Louis. The event was a unique professional learning experience where participants determined the agenda and led the sessions offered once they arrived. Many Pattonville educators were among those in attendance, learning from other educators or sharing their knowledge. A number of Pattonville High School students also volunteered for the day, helping with organization or entertaining attendees. In addition, Pattonville teachers were leaders in organizing the event.
• More than 50 Pattonville High School students were inducted into the school's first National English Honor Society (NEHS). The NEHS is the only national organization exclusively for high school students and faculty who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments.
• Twelve students at Pattonville High School were at the forefront of a movement to make Pattonville a more cohesive school community and help better prepare younger students for success in high school and beyond. The Pattonville United movement originated as part of a discussion by students in the Board Student

Administration Action Committee (BSAAC) at the high school. The initiative used student leadership to better connect students across grade levels and focused on helping students become ready for high school and ultimately, college and a career.

• Rob Lamb, a science teacher at Pattonville High School and a 1998 Pattonville graduate, was selected to receive the 2016 Robert E. Yager Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA).
• In an effort to simplify Pattonville's re-enrollment process for current families, improve accuracy and save time, Pattonville moved to an online registration system that eliminated the need for parents to fill out an annual packet of registration forms. Parents had to go online and set up a PowerSchool Parent Portal Account, which many middle and high school parents already had in order to review their child’s grades and attendance information.
• Members of the Pattonville High School 1986 state championship baseball team were honored during the April 16 Pirate varsity baseball game against Priory. The recognition celebrated the alumni's 30th year anniversary of winning the state title and served as a reunion event for the 1986 team.
• Rose Acres Elementary School earned the honor of being named a Lighthouse School by The Leader in Me program, a program founded by the Franklin Covey Co. The recognition honored schools for achieving outstanding results in school and student outcomes by implementing The Leader in Me process and for the extraordinary impact the school is having on students, parents, staff and the greater community. 
• The Pattonville Board of Education was named a 2016 Outstanding Board of Education for Teaching, Learning and Assessment by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA). MSBA’s statewide board awards encourage effective board practices and recognize outstanding board performance in six categories.This was the third time since 2002 the board earned the statewide award.
• Dale “Woody” Woodard, a Pattonville OASIS tutor at Drummond Elementary, was chosen to receive a 2016 Lieutenant Governor’s Veterans Service Award. The award recognizes Missouri veterans who provide exemplary volunteer service to their communities. In May, Woodard celebrated the completion of his 10th year as an OASIS tutor in Pattonville. He served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1975.
• Pattonville High School science teacher Christian Dornhoefer, math teacher Steve Edler and assistant principal Jon Fitzgerald experienced life aboard one of the world's largest warships as part of the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Visitor program. They toured the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and interacted with the crew as a way to learn more about incorporating relevant STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) lessons into the courses at Pattonville High School. After arriving in San Diego, California, the Pattonville staff flew out to the aircraft carrier while it was at sea via a Navy C-2 Greyhound cargo aircraft. arriving on the ship required an arrested landing with a tailhook. The educators spent time meeting with the ship's leaders and interacting with sailors, touring the ship and observing its operations. When departing the ship, they again boarded an aircraft and were launched off the flight deck with an aircraft catapult.
• The Pattonville School District was ranked No. 8 among the Top 20 large employers on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Top Workplaces list for 2016. No other school district was ranked higher on the Top Workplaces list, which recognizes the Top 100 large, mid-size and small companies in the St. Louis region. Honorees are chosen based solely on feedback provided by employees via surveys from an independent national research firm.
• Michelle Dirks, the lead cook and cafeteria manager at Drummond Elementary School, was accepted into the Missouri Culinary Skills Institute Workshop. She is one of only 20 statewide to be accepted into the program this summer after being nominated by the Pattonville food services department.
• A 1987 Pattonville graduate, Allison Stout, a library technology specialist at Remington Traditional School, was named a St. Louis Region 8 Teacher of the Year. She was among nine awardees from the St. Louis region and several throughout the state who were considered for the honor of Missouri Teacher of the Year. Stout was named Pattonville Teacher of the Year. 
• Pattonville's food service department earned its second consecutive Regional Account of the Year Award from Chartwells School Dining Services. The award recognizes associates and teams that deliver business excellence as a result of accomplishing the objectives established for a fiscal year. Pattonville was chosen as the top account for the year from among 65 school districts in the South Central region and competed for the national award. The district's two-year-old partnership with Chartwells and the addition of its network of resources resulted in Pattonville students having access to more food options and increased access to fresh produce and healthier meals.
• Pattonville parents, students and staff joined together during the school year to collaborate on plans to improve their individual schools and begin development of a new facilities plan. 
• The Pattonville School District hosted one of nine regional meetings on education  held across the state by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
• Education (DESE). The St. Louis regional meeting at Pattonville was held Sept. 28 at Pattonville High School. DESE held a series of public meetings around the state to give parents, students, educators and other members of the public an opportunity to provide feedback on Missouri’s priorities for education. The department planned to use the feedback as it developed a vision for the future of Missouri public schools.
• Pattonville Heights Middle School eighth-grader Tyler Wright set a world record for largest male afro and was featured in the 2017 edition of "Guinness World Records," released worldwide on Sept. 8. Wright traveled to New York City and made the rounds of news media outlets such as the Huffington Post and Univision as part of the book's launch.
• The Pattonville High School Pride of Pattonville marching band enjoyed a new trailer for its equipment and props during marching band season, thanks to charter sponsors and donors who made it possible. While the trailer was donated by Steve and Sandy Ellison of Ellison Real Estate Holdings, two local businesses were official charter sponsors of the trailer: Serra's Pizzeria and Shamel Auto and Tire. Serra's contributed a financial donation and Shamel's owner, Richard Shamel, guided the band throughout the donation process and volunteered to store the trailer at his store. Sponsors were invited to the unveiling of the trailer and a special ceremony before the homecoming game on Sept. 23.
• More than 80 parents, students, staff and community members attended a Facilities Open House on Oct. 24 at Holman Middle School to review details on a new proposed facilities plan for the district and provide feedback and suggestions. After the open house, Pattonville worked to finalize a plan to be funded by a no-tax-rate-increase bond issue. 
• Rose Acres Elementary School celebrated its 50th anniversary by hosting a 50th Birthday Party celebration on Nov. 19. Current and former students, staff, families and friends attended the event. The party included a scavenger hunt for various items that were popular through the decades Rose Acres has been operating. When guests arrived, they picked up a scavenger hunt paper in the lobby and started searching through the school for these items. Guests were also able to dance to popular music from each decade and view a slide show highlighting Rose Acres through the years. Birthday cake and a photo booth with props rounded out the event.
• Pattonville's Board of Education on Nov. 22 approved the superintendent's recommendation to enter into an agreement with the Riverview Gardens School District to allow students currently attending Pattonville from Riverview to continue at Pattonville through the end of this school year should Riverview regain provisional accreditation in January 2017. Under state statute enacted as part of the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993, students residing in an unaccredited school district have the right to attend any school of their choosing in the same or adjoining county. The receiving district has the right to require full tuition from the unaccredited district for each of its transfer students. Once Riverview becomes accredited or provisionally accredited, this state statute no longer applies and students would be required to return to their home school district. The agreement with Riverview was made at the request of Riverview and in cooperation with several other receiving school districts in the region.

 

2017

• The Pattonville Board of Education on Jan. 10 approved a new facilities plan for the district and voted to place a $23 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue to fund the plan on the April 4 election ballot for voter approval. The new facilities plan included projects at all schools in the district. These included enhancing school safety and security; ongoing maintenance and repair of aging facilities, including energy efficient updates; alleviating space issues at elementary schools by creating an early childhood center at the former Briar Crest Elementary School; and providing facilities to help students get involved in school and address their long-term fitness and health needs.
• Pattonville High School hosted a basketball celebration honoring the 1976-1977 team that advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state basketball championship, the farthest a Pattonville boys basketball team has advanced in school history. A recognition ceremony took place between the varsity girls and varsity boys basketball games on Jan. 20. A number of Pattonville boys basketball legends throughout the years were on hand, including Brian Grawer, Corey Tate and Darrow Washington, three of Pattonville's top scoring players in school history.
• Pattonville High School senior Keturah Gadson was one of two Missouri students selected as delegates to the 55th annual United States Senate Youth Program. As a result of this distinction,Gadson was invited to visit the White House, where she met President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Both posted tweets commemorating the occasion.
• Voters on April 4 approved Pattonville's Proposition K, a $23 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue to fund repair, safety and improvement projects at every school in the district. After more than 6,700 votes were cast in the election, the bond issue received a 80.11% favorable vote. Approximately 57% was required for the measure to pass.
• Three board members were sworn into office during the April 11 meeting of the Pattonville Board of Education. Sworn into office were returning board members Andrea Glenn and Brian Gray and new board member Mindy Ridings. Glenn was the first African American/Black person elected to the school board in Pattonville. 
• The Pattonville School District organized and hosted a two-day conference to enable adults and students to work together to create research-based solutions to different learning challenges. Design Challenge was co-sponsored by Discovery Education and held June 5 and 6 at Pattonville Heights Middle School. The event featured keynotes and breakout sessions by Fred Bramante, founder and president of the National Center for Competency-Based Learning; Ray McNulty, dean of the school of education at Southern New Hampshire University; and experts from Discovery Education.
• Students and staff in the Pattonville School District raised approximately $4,000 to help school children in the Philippines as part of a district-wide fund-raiser organized by the Pattonville United student group. The Pattonville High School leadership group chose to raise funds for the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, an organization which purchases yellow boats to help students get to school. The foundation originated as a way to help children who used to swim to school by providing safe and dry boats for transportation between islands. At a cost of $212 per self-paddle boat, the students set a goal of raising enough money to purchase at least 10 boats. The students surpassed their goal by raising enough to purchase 18 boats. Seven schools participated in the fund-raiser, along with the Pattonville Learning Center and high school (Holman Middle School, Parkwood Elementary School, Pattonville Heights Middle School, Remington Traditional School, Rose Acres Elementary School and Willow Brook Elementary School).
• The Pattonville Board of Education was named a 2017 Outstanding Board of Education for Human and Organizational Capital by the Missouri School Boards' Association (MSBA). MSBA's Outstanding Board of Education awards encourage effective board practices and recognize outstanding board performance in six categories. Pattonville's board was one of 16 boards out of more than 500 statewide to receive an outstanding board award and the only board in Missouri to receive an award in its individual category. This is the fourth time since 2002 the board has earned state-level recognition.
• Eight Pattonville High School students who spent the past year working together to create a mobile app for the Pattonville School District unveiled their final product and shared their journey during a presentation to an audience of parents, students, staff and community members on June 1. The app became available for download that spring from the App Store for iPhones or Google Play store for Android phones. Students in Jeremiah Simmons' Computer Science Capstone class began work last summer on developing the app for Pattonville at the request of Mickey Schoonover, Pattonville director of school-community relations. Under Simmons' direction, the students worked with Pattonville’s community relations department as a client to develop an app that works on iOS and Android smartphones. During the app launch celebration, students shared how class was more like going to work every day and how they learned important soft skills such as teamwork, communication, presentation skills and working through struggles in addition to computer programming. The following students helped create the app: Mustapha Barrie, Kevin Bowers, Keturah Gadson, Ethan Holtgrieve, Mitchell Skaggs, Nathan Skelton, Michael Thompkins and Josh Zahner.
• When Pattonville junior Dakari Streeter threw a discus 161 feet and placed third in his event at the 2017 Class 5 state track competition during the spring, he broke a 51-year-old school record. And he did it while the previous school record holder was watching and cheering him on. The previous school record for discus was cemented by Randy Hauser in 1966 when he threw the discus 160 feet and four inches during his senior year. Hauser was in the stands at the state track competition to watch as Streeter tossed the discus and upended a record Hauser held for more than half a century. And it just so happened that the son of the former record holder coached the athlete that inevitably bested his father’s record (Scott Hauser).
• On Sept. 5, Pattonville began work with its parents, students, community members, staff and area leaders to update its strategic plan during its first CSIP

(Comprehensive School Improvement Plan) meeting of the school year. The updated plan focused on ensuring all students become "success-ready graduates" and planning for and addressing critical issues  in the areas of facilities, safety, staffing and finances. Four subcommittees took on different tasks to support this work: student achievement, student responsibility, extracurricular involvement and personal excellence, and critical issues.

• Students throughout Pattonville enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon on Aug. 21 when they witnessed the total eclipse of the sun. Students watched a video on eye safety before viewing the eclipse, participated in a variety of eclipse-related lessons and then witnessed it in person and recorded their observations. Students and staff who viewed the eclipse had special viewing glasses provided by Pattonville for eye protection. Most of Pattonville's schools could view the eclipse in near totality, but one, Willow Brook Elementary School, was able to see totality for a few seconds.
• The year 2017 marked a milestone for the Pattonville School District. Pattonville became a "one-to-one" district for kindergarten through 12th grade, meaning all students had their own laptop or tablet assigned to them for coursework and study for the entire school year. Elementary students (kindergarten through fifth grade) each had their own iPad to use. The devices were kept at school and used as appropriate for the grade level and lesson. In sixth through 12th grades, students were assigned laptops for use at school and home, giving them 24/7 access to resources such as online textbooks and assignments and the opportunity to ask teachers questions when they're not in the classroom.
• Ron Orr, Pattonville's chief financial officer, was chosen by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) to receive one of its 2017 Eagle Awards. The awards recognize school business professionals for their exemplary leadership and dedication to students and are considered the highest honor in school business. They celebrate visionary K-12 leaders who have improved student achievement and enriched their communities. ASBO said the following: "Orr has led his school district in implementing a number of improvements and innovations to ensure the district's financial stability, save millions of dollars and uphold the district's emphasis on being good stewards of community resources."
• Pattonville was one of several districts in the St. Louis region selected to partner with Saint Louis University (SLU) on a program that gave educators from Saudi Arabia a view of what effective education looks like in schools with a diverse student population. The program enabled guest educators to observe, discuss and reflect on effective school improvement initiatives and the practices of effective school district leaders, and provided partner districts with the chance to build understanding and learn from educators from a different nation and culture.
• Pattonville launched Quick Tip, a new online tool to enhance the district’s ongoing efforts to provide a safe learning and working environment. The tool enabled students, parents and staff to share safety concerns with district officials. Quick Tip allows administrators to receive tips any time and respond promptly to concerns that impact students, staff or Pattonville schools. The tool could also be used to thank a staff member, student or volunteer or recognize someone for making a difference or for going above and beyond the call of duty. (The name was changed to SafetyLine at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.)
• Rehema Ellis, the lead education correspondent for NBC Nightly News, visited Rose Acres Elementary School on Sept. 25 as part of a feature story for the national news outlet. Ellis highlighted Richard Overfelt, an 88-year-old professor with Truman State University who taught master's level classes after school at Rose Acres. Ellis, a camera crew and an NBC producer were on hand to videotape fourth-graders in Mary Spitzmiller's class at Rose Acres. Spitzmiller and several other Pattonville teachers used techniques or processes they learned from Overfelt to engage students, build relationships and make learning fun. For their story, the NBC crew interviewed Spitzmiller and several of her students, kindergarten teacher Amy Fitch, first-grade teacher Nicole Hubbard, second-grade teacher Rebecca Caldwell and Principal Steve Vargo.
• Pattonville social worker Carla Gardner was named Missouri's 2017-2018 School Social Worker of the Year by the School Social Workers Association of Missouri. The award recognizes a member who demonstrates outstanding contributions in his or her service to students and their families, shows initiative in providing services and contributes to a positive image for the school social work profession. At the time, Gardner shared her time and services among the following schools: Bridgeway Elementary School, Parkwood Elementary School, Remington Traditional School, Willow Brook Elementary School and Pattonville Heights Middle School.
• The Pattonville varsity football team took second place in the Missouri Class 5 State Championship on Nov. 25 after competing against Staley High School. At the end of the season, Staley was tied with Vianney as the No. 1 ranked high school in Missouri Class 5 football, while Pattonville was ranked No. 5.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Nov. 28 approved renaming the former Briar Crest Elementary School as the Pattonville Early Childhood Center in honor of its transition to a school dedicated to serving children from birth to 5 years of age. 
• Students in a new Applied Science and Technology class at Pattonville High School designed, built and planted a garden and greenhouse at their school as part of a year-long learning project.

 

2018

• The Pattonville School District was at the forefront of a movement to change Missouri’s assessment system in a way that supported students in their learning. Pattonville educators spearheaded the development of the Missouri Assessment Partnership (MOAP), an assessment consortium comprised of public school districts from across the state that seek a change in the way students are tested.
• Students in the Pirates Sports Net class at Pattonville High School were at it again. As they did in the fall with varsity football home games, the students live streamed select winter sports games for Pirate fans who couldn’t make the games in person. The students live streamed  the action on the PattonvilleTODAY Facebook page. PattonvilleTODAY is Pattonville High School's multi-media platform that showcases the work of its student journalists.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Feb. 5 voted to select Dr. Tim Pecoraro as its next superintendent, effective upon the retirement of superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton. The vote followed an announcement by the school board in December that Fulton would not seek an extension to his current three-year contract, which ended June 30, 2020. On Feb. 12, the Shawnee Mission (Kansas) Board of Education approved Fulton as its next superintendent. Fulton retired from Pattonville on June 30 and assumed his duties in Shawnee Mission on July 1. A 1989 Pattonville graduate, Pecoraro served as Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction since 2007. He has worked in Pattonville since 2001, when he was named principal of Briar Crest Elementary School.
• A committee of parents, students, staff and community members met in the 2017-2018 school year to develop plans to address future safety and facilities needs for the Pattonville School District. The critical issues committee worked as part of the district’s overall effort to update its strategic plan, also known as the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). The CSIP plan was presented to the Board of Education on Feb. 27 for approval. One of the committee’s first recommendations, however, was already being put into motion. Pattonville hired Bond Architects to conduct a building-by-building safety audit to evaluate the needs of the district and assess current safety protocols to determine what modifications are recommended.
• The Pattonville Heights Middle School choir was selected to give a once-in-a-lifetime performance for about 800 music educators from across Missouri. They were chosen by competitive blind audition to sing at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) conference after Heights choir director Tracy Baker submitted a recording of last year’s choir singing. The judges chose the group without knowing who the students were or what age group they represented. The Heights choir was the only middle school choir in Missouri selected - nearly all the other groups chosen to perform represented high schools, colleges and community groups. This was the first Pattonville musical group to be invited to perform at MMEA. Thanks to a grant from the Missouri Choral Directors Association, the choir performed an original piece of music written by local composer Jerry Estes specifically for the occasion.
• The Pattonville School District was chosen in March to receive a What's Right with the Region Award by FOCUS St. Louis. The district was among 20 individuals, organizations and initiatives honored for making a difference. The honorees were nominated by the public and selected by a panel of community judges for their impact and service to the community. Pattonville was recognized in the category of "promoting stronger communities."
• The Maryland Heights Police Department sponsored an all-school assembly in March for Pattonville High School featuring Chris Herren, who realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA only to lose it to drug addiction - first alcohol, then cocaine and oxycontin and finally heroin. The presentation was designed to provide a personal look at the dangers of substance abuse. Maryland Heights sponsored the same presentation for Pattonville middle school students in April.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on March 13 approved an updated strategic plan for the district following a months-long process involving parents, students, community members, staff and area leaders. The updated plan, or CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan), focused on ensuring all students become success-ready graduates and planning for and addressing any critical issues that arise in the areas of facilities, finances, safety and staffing.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on March 13 awarded a bid to Care ATC to provide employee health care clinics. Pattonville partnered with the Francis Howell and Parkway school districts to launch employee health care clinics which provide at least one clinic located within each school district. Employees from all three districts also have access to all the clinics in the agreement and are able to use other existing Care ATC clinics in the area. Employees have the option of using their own physicians or using the employee clinic for a variety of health care needs. The model, which has been shown to increase access for employees and reduce health care expenses for employers, was a growing trend being used by other school districts and companies both locally and nationally.
• Pattonville High School journalism students representing the Pirate Press, PattonvilleToday.com and the Echo yearbook got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to cover a presidential visit on March 14. Journalism teacher Brian Heyman secured clearance from the White House for the students to cover President Donald Trump’s arrival at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, alongside members of the professional news media corps. Heyman and the students viewed his arrival on Air Force One as it sat on the tarmac at Lambert Airport.
• The Pattonville Board of Education bid farewell and thanks to a longtime school board member during its April 10 meeting. Ralph Stahlhut, who served on the board for 28 years, decided not to run for re-election in 2018. In tribute to Stahlhut, the board approved a resolution naming the stage at the Pattonville High School community auditorium "Stahlhut's Stage."
• Journalists from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch spent a few days in the Pattonville School District in order to write a feature-length article titled, "Pattonville succeeds by meeting students where they are." The article was featured on the front page of the May 17 edition of the newspaper as well as online at STLToday.com.
• The Pattonville Board of Education was named a 2018 Outstanding Board of Education for Climate, Culture and Organizational Efficacy by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA). MSBA’s awards encourage effective board practices and recognize outstanding performance in six categories. Pattonville’s board was one of 20 out of more than 500 statewide to receive an Outstanding Board award. This was the fifth time since 2002 the board has earned state-level recognition
• Rose Acres Elementary School earned the honor of being recertified as an internationally recognized Lighthouse School by The Leader in Me program. Nearly 4,000 schools worldwide participate in The Leader in Me program but only 420 of them have earned Lighthouse certification. The recognition honors schools for achieving outstanding results in student and school outcomes by implementing Leader in Me processes and for the extraordinary impact the school is having on students, parents, staff and the greater community.
• Pattonville hosted an open house on Aug. 7 for the community to view the new Pattonville Early Childhood Center. The public is invited to tour the newly renovated building and learn about Pattonville's early childhood programs, which serve families with children from birth to 5 years of age.
• Three 2018 graduates of Pattonville High School were among the state's first students to earn Missouri's new Seal of Biliteracy. The recognition program encourages and recognizes the study of a second language and the cultures and languages within the community. The seal is awarded to students who show proficiency in English and at least one other language and who complete a project related to English and the second language. Eric Barcenas and Susana Solorzano Hidalgo earned the Distinguished Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and Shhdwafi Youssef earned the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy in Arabic.
• Twenty-four eighth-graders from Holman and Pattonville Heights middle schools were taking Honors Geometry I at Pattonville High School in the fall of 2018  as part of the school’s accelerated math program. Middle school students who qualify have the opportunity to take the class. Students were bused to the high school for the program.
• The Pattonville homecoming festivities were held with a new parade route. Due to the unavailability of previous years’ staging areas, parade floats were staged at the Maryland Heights Community Center (2300 McKelvey Road), then proceeded north on McKelvey Road, left onto Glenpark Drive and right onto Bennington Place until it reached Pattonville High School. The previous route originated on Mark Twain Lane and proceeded down McKelvey/Creve Coeur Mill Road to the high school. 
• Students at Pattonville Heights Middle School stood atop an Andes mountain and took in the 360-degree view of Machu Picchu in Peru, one of the greatest archaeological and natural treasures in the world. Or at least that’s the way it felt as they took a virtual field trip to the remote location during social studies classes using virtual reality (VR) headsets. The new technology was later made available to classes throughout the district.

 

2019

• Missouri added girls wrestling to its list of sanctioned sports in the 2018-2019 school year, and Pattonville assembled its first girls wrestling team. While a number of schools only fielded teams with a handful of female wrestlers, Pattonville’s team was 19 wrestlers strong. During one of its first competitions, the team took first place out of 16 teams from the region at the Fort Zumwalt East wrestling tournament and had seven girls place in the top 3 in their weight class.
• Five Pattonville students and staff members collaborated to write a chapter for a newly released education book titled "Designing Successful Systems: Stories of Change, Volume 1." The Pattonville chapter was titled "Reshaping the Success Narrative" and was written by Aric Hamilton and Will Polster, Pattonville seniors; Dr. Cara Hiripitiyage, director of secondary education; Dr. Tim Pecoraro, superintendent; and Mickey Schoonover, director of school-community relations. The book was a Connected Learning project edited by Dr. Robert Dillon, a 1992 Pattonville alumnus.
• A team of computer science students from Pattonville High School earned first place and the top prize of $10,000 at World Wide Technology's (WWT) fourth annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Student Forum Hackathon held on Feb. 23 at WWT's global headquarters in Maryland Heights. The students were tasked with developing and building a technology in five weeks that brought people together to promote positive social change. Pattonville's team competed against nearly 200 students from 19 schools.
• Pattonville High School science teacher Amy Schwendemann received a $15,000 grant to add hydroponic towers to the school (in addition to the previously built greenhouse/garden). Hydroponics refers to growing plants without soil. Schwendemann and her students installed towers in the E wing and cafeteria at the high school and worked with teacher Janet Kuhn and her Food Science students to package the produce and share it with students through the school's backpack program.
• Drummond Elementary School hosted a major author event for approximately 1,000 students in third through fifth grades from Bridgeway, Drummond, Parkwood and Willow Brook elementary schools. Twenty-two award-winning, bestselling middle-grade authors took part in the OMG Book Festival, a celebration of books aimed at readers ages 7 to 12.
• The Pattonville School District was selected to receive nearly $475,000 in grants from the Bridgeton Landfill Community Project Fund, a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation. One grant provides $450,000 for a district-wide initiative to hire additional staff to support students' social-emotional needs, and various smaller grants totaling $24,000 serve to better the Pattonville school community.
• Jeremiah Simmons, a computer science teacher at Pattonville High School, was selected as one of 10 Regional Teachers of the Year for the St. Louis region and went on to be named one of 17 statewide semifinalists for Missouri Teacher of the Year.
• Pattonville High School was one of 50 global recipients of a new Giant Moon Map program from the Aldrin Family Foundation. Pattonville was chosen to  receive the donation valued at $5,000 after high school science teacher Amy Schwendemann submitted an application to the foundation. The Giant Moon Map program was launched in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
• Pattonville High School science teacher Amy Schwendemann was listening to the radio when she heard about a crew of local goats that could clear a weedy lot in a matter of days. Over the summer, weeds had overtaken the garden and  greenhouse her Applied Science and Technology classes created in a previous school year, so she enlisted Goats on the Go to help. A trailer full of goats was brought onto campus and spent two days chewing through the weeds for cleanup.
• It's no secret that several alumni return to work for Pattonville each year. Following All-Staff Orientation in August 2019, staff who also graduated from Pattonville gathered for a group photo. More than 130 staff members joined together for the photo, representing approximately 11% of Pattonville certified and support staff. 
• In September, Parkwood Elementary School students had a new library to enjoy, thanks to funding from the 2017 no-tax-rate-increase bond issue. The library was moved to the first floor and former classrooms were renovated to create the library. The school cut the ribbon on the new facility and welcomed its first classes of visitors.
• In the summer of 2019, elementary schools in Pattonville had a climbing wall installed in their gyms as part of the district's updated physical education curriculum. Teachers were finding unique ways to use the walls as part of their classes.
• Pattonville High School was named one of Newsweek’s Top STEM High Schools in America, honoring its excellence in teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Pattonville is ranked in the Top 8% of public high schools nationally. The high school also recently hosted a Project Lead the Way Showcase to demonstrate to Missouri educators its rigorous computer science program. 
• Pattonville High School assistant principal Dr. Jon Fitzgerald was surprised on Nov. 13 with the news he was chosen as Missouri Assistant Principal of the Year by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MoASSP). He was Missouri's nomination for the National Assistant Principal of the Year.
• During the October ACT college entrance exam, approximately 400,000 students across America took the test, and of those, ACT drew the names of four to be winners of its scholarship giveaway. Pattonville High School senior Gavin Alicea was one of those winners. In November, he got a phone call at school with the surprising news: he'd been awarded both a $15,000 scholarship and a $5,000 technology package.
• Thirteen Buddy Benches made from recycled plastic were installed on the playgrounds and campuses of all the Pattonville schools. The Bridgeton Kiwanis Club collected plastic bottle caps and lids to convert into Buddy Benches as a way to foster friendships on the playground. It took 250 pounds (or about five full 55-gallon trash bags) and $300 to create an 8-foot bench. After collecting 2,750 pounds of plastic lids and caps, six members of the Bridgeton Kiwanis Club loaded a rented truck and transported the caps to Green Tree Plastics in Evansville, Indiana. The project started with the Builder's Club students at Remington Traditional and spread throughout the community. Caps, lids and money donations were collected at the City of Bridgeton Parks and Recreation, World Wide Technology, Inc., Hussmann Corporation, Busch Stadium, SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis and at all of the Pattonville schools. Additional monetary donations to help purchase the benches were made by Pattonville Education Foundation to honor past superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton and State Sen. Jill Schupp to honor her father. 
• A shortage of high school sports officials was a concern both in Missouri and nationwide. At Pattonville High School, a new class was teaching students the rules of the games and the duties of an official. Students had the option to become certified as a high school sports official at the end of the semester. 

2020

• In January 2020, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) made its first appearance in America. Pattonville leaders were aware of the emerging global crisis and remained vigilant as it approached the St. Louis region. Pattonville sent a “heads up” communication to families and staff on Feb. 28, 2020. Shortly after, Pattonville leaders met internally to discuss contingencies, even before the county health department held its first meeting with area school officials. On March 15, 2020, Pattonville announced it would close schools for three weeks (one week was spring break), a decision that extended through the rest of the school year due to community transmission of COVID-19. Pattonville ended the 2019-2020 school year with roughly 6,000 students in preschool through 12th grade attending classes virtually. Pattonville’s long-standing one-to-one laptop/tablet learning initiative was key to providing a smooth transition to online learning. Pattonville also provided internet hotspots and technology support to families as needed. Pattonville provided free breakfast and lunch for pickup at several locations in the district. Typical end-of-the year celebrations were held online or with drive-by visits or parades. Pattonville launched a special COVID-19 website to serve as an ongoing hub for information, resources and updates for Pattonville families and staff.
• In April, Pattonville High School assistant principal Dr. Jon Fitzgerald was selected as one of three finalists for National Assistant Principal of the Year. Each year, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. These assistant principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.
• The April 7 school board election was postponed to June 2 following an executive order signed by Gov. Mike Parsons on March 18. The executive order

declared that ballots already printed for the April 7 election could be used at the postponed date of June 2. Five candidates were on the ballot to fill three open seats on Pattonville Board of Education.

• The Pattonville High School Class of 2020 received their diplomas on June 4 during a special Senior Send-Off event at the school. Students and family members remained in their cars as diplomas were given to seniors under the bridge at the main entrance to the high school.
• In June, Pattonville's school-community relations department earned the National School Public Relations Association's (NSPRA) Gold Medallion Award, the highest award given by the association in recognition of outstanding educational public relations programs. Pattonville won in the category of Comprehensive, Strategic, Year-Round Communication Program and was one of only eight in the nation to earn the Gold Medallion this year. The team included Mickey Schoonover, APR, director of school-community relations; Kelly Gordon, community relations specialist and secretary to the board of education; Brian Heyman, multimedia communications specialist; and Alexis Pick, administrative assistant.
• Col. Bob Behnken, a 1988 Pattonville High School alumnus, joined fellow NASA astronaut Doug Hurley on the first launch of a commercial spacecraft on June 3. SpaceX, a rocket company founded by Elon Musk, launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a Crew Dragon capsule with the two astronauts on board from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Their flight marked the first time in world history that a private company sent astronauts into orbit and the first time since the space shuttle that astronauts have launched from U.S. soil.
• On July 29, Pattonville announced it would begin the 2020-2021 school year in phase 3 of in-person learning due to the spread of COVID-19 in the community. This meant all student learning (early childhood through 12th grade) would take place online. A video series was created to help families and staff better understand what virtual learning would look like. 
• Pattonville held its previously postponed graduation ceremonies. The 84th annual commencement took place at The St. Charles Family Arena on July 16, and students were honored with individual recognition and awards during the event that included safety precautions such as physical distancing, temperature checks, limited capacity attendance and mask requirements. Approximately 426 students graduated with the Pattonville High School Class of 2020.
• Pattonville began the 2020-2021 school year with 100% virtual instruction on Aug. 31. After county health officials updated recommendations for elementary-aged student attendance, the district announced on Sept. 9 that preschool through second grade (PreK-2) students would transition to in-person classes under phase 2 of the in-person options. Preschoolers began in-person learning on Monday, Sept. 21, and the first group of K-2 students began on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The county health department continued to recommend virtual instruction for middle and high school students, who at the time made up the bulk of new COVID-19 youth cases in St. Louis County. For families with children PreK-2 who selected the Villemade Virtual Academy, students continued to participate in 100% virtual instruction through the end of the first semester (Dec. 22). Families were later given an option to change their learning plan for the second semester. First semester, 43% opted for 100% virtual, while 57% selected in-person. Parents were given the option to change their learning choice for the second semester, and the figures changed as follows: 30% for the 100% virtual option and 70% for in-person learning.
• Rose Acres Elementary School has been named a Missouri Gold Star School for 2020. In its announcement on Aug. 20, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) honored the Pattonville elementary school as one of seven schools across the state recognized in the program, which uses the same criteria as the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools program. In October, Rose Acres was named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Rose Acres was one of only seven schools in the state of Missouri to receive this honor and the only elementary school in St. Louis County. The National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on their academic excellence. Only 367 schools across the U.S. were recognized this year as a National Blue Ribbon School.
• The Pattonville Community Action Team (PCAT) offered “Healing the Cove,” a series of free online sessions designed to provide Pattonville families, staff and community members with information and support on a variety of topics related to mental health and well-being. Each month during the school year, PCAT offered two to three online sessions on topics facing local families, such as coping with stress, suicide prevention for caregivers, getting control of your finances and helping your child with anxiety.
• In December, Pattonville began participating in a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) program studying COVID-19 transmission and mitigation strategies in schools. Pattonville joined other schools in Missouri to partner with the CDC on the project as a way to evaluate the district's strategies for keeping students and staff safe while attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary results in 2021 in the Missouri study and previous school-related studies in the U.S. showed that in-school transmission of COVID-19 was rare when mitigation strategies were in place.

 

2021

• The Pattonville School District hosted a presentation on Zoom with infectious disease expert Dr. Jason Newland on Jan. 27. During The event, Newland provided an update on COVID-19 and the preliminary results of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pilot program studying COVID-19 transmission and mitigation strategies in schools. Pattonville joined other schools in Missouri to partner with the CDC on this project.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Jan 12 approved a bond refinancing estimated tol save the district $1.3 million , or 8%, interest payments over the next several years. The board authorized Stifel, Nicolaus & Company to refinance $13.5 million in debt owed on the district's 2010 no-tax-rate-increase bond issue. Thompson Coburn was authorized as the bond counsel. The 2010 bond issue did not require a tax increase.
• Three Pattonville teachers earned their certification as a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and a fourth, Tracey Robinson, was among a small group of teachers across the state of Missouri to receive a certification for the third time. Robinson initially received her National Board Certification in 2001 in the area of generalist/middle childhood and renewed in 2010 and 2020. Bridgeway Elementary School art teacher Mollie Ahlers earned certification in art/early and middle childhood, Remington Traditional School reading specialist Jill Ramig achieved certification in Literacy: reading-language arts/early and middle childhood, and Pattonville Heights Middle School reading specialist Jennifer Robin completed the certification process in Literacy: reading-language arts/early and middle childhood. 
• In February, Pattonville announced that Pattonville students interested in getting an early start on college while still in high school would have two additional options in the 2021-2022 school year. Both new options enabled students to earn credit toward their high school diploma while also taking college classes on one of the campuses of the St. Louis CommunityCollege (STLCC).
• Holman Middle School art teacher Montie Richter was named the Missouri Art Education Association (MAEA) Middle School/Junior High Art Educator of the Year award. She was selected by her peers as an outstanding educator who displays great leadership, commitment to teaching and demonstrates accomplishments not only inside the classroom but outside and within the MAEA organization.
• The Pattonville School District partnered with IFM Community Medicine to provide school-based health care services for students with parental consent.
• Pattonville hosted a mass vaccination event for staff through a partnership with the Urban League and National Guard tomorrow on March 17. All certified and support staff working in Pattonville, substitute staff and student teachers were eligible to receive the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine through the clinic. Prior to the clinic, more than 400 Pattonville staff members had already received a COVID-19 vaccine through a collaboration with community partners or by working independently to secure a vaccine for themselves.
• Pattonville was selected as the 2021 Dr. Gary VanMeter Award for Excellence in Risk Management recipient for the large enrollment category of Missouri United School Insurance Council (MUSIC) members. The district was honored for its efforts in establishing a safe educational and work environment for its students and staff.
• On March 8, superintendent Dr. Tim Pecoraro sent a note to families stating, “Our transition to phase 1 (in-person five days a week) has been successful at early childhood through eighth grade and we are ready to move our Pattonville High School students to phase 1 on Monday, March 29.”
• The Pattonville Board of Education on March 9 approved a contract with Ittner Cordogan Clark Group, an architectural firm, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of district buildings and assist Pattonville in developing a new, districtwide facilities master plan. The contract was approved for $86,400 plus reimbursable expenses. Ittner outlined a process for developing a new facilities plan for Pattonville. The process would include an assessment of the condition of Pattonville buildings along with a space needs analysis before the end of the school year.
• For the second year in a row, the COVID-19 global pandemic prevented the opportunity to host an in-person District Appreciation Night. Instead, the district prepared a virtual event that aired on Facebook Live on Monday, May 3. The event, which celebrates staff and volunteers who make a difference in supporting Pattonville students and schools, included pre-recorded video, as well as live surprise announcement of the district's Teacher and Support Staff of the Year honorees for 2021.
• On March 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a study on COVID-19 transmission in schools that was conducted in partnership with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services(DHSS), Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. Pattonville joined other schools in Missouri to assist with this project as a way to help assess the district’s COVID-19 prevention strategies. The study found that in-school COVID-19 transmission was rare, even among close school contacts of those who tested positive for the virus, when schools have in place health and safety precautions.
• In April, the following staff members were selected as recipients of the district’s inaugural Rookie of the Year Award: Kelsey Hibbits, early childhood special education teacher at the Early Childhood Center, and Reem Tahsin, English learner paraprofessional at Pattonville High School. 
• Brian Heyman, multimedia communications specialist in the school-community relations department, was named one of the Missouri School Public Relations Association’s (MoSPRA) 2021 New Professionals of the Year.
• Thanks to a partnership with the Pattonville Fire Protection District, Pattonville offered a vaccine clinic specifically for Pattonville families and students aged 12 and older. Pattonville fire department representatives were on hand to administer the Pfizer vaccine on June 3 with the follow up clinic for the second dose on June 24. 
• Pattonville partnered with the CDC, St. Louis University and Washington University to offer free COVID-19 testing for the Pattonville community. Tests were saliva-based and did not require nasal swabbing. Testing was conducted from the patient's car with results typically available in 24 to 48 hours. One testing site in the region was located at the Pattonville Learning Center.
• The administrative team behind Pattonville’s Pirate Academy was chosen to receive the 2021 Trailblazer Spirit Leader Award by the Institute for Personalized Learning. The Pattonville team was selected based on their dedication to personalized learning and for embodying the “Trailblazer Spirit.” The administrative team for the Pirate Academy at Holman Middle School included Holman principal Dr. Sarah Moran, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning Dr. Tina Plummer, director of innovation and life readiness Odetta Smith and director of secondary education Dr. Cara Hiripitiyage. The team was nominated by Maegan Bowersox, who teaches in the Pirate Academy alongside fellow teacher Emily Difani. Pattonville’s Pirate Academy enables Holman sixth graders to learn core subjects (English language arts, math, science and social studies) in a way that provides students personal choice in how they learn and demonstrate they have mastered key concepts and skills. On the Pirate Academy team, students learn their core subjects through projects that blend the subject areas together. 
• The Child Development playschool program held a 50th year party on May 7 at Pattonville High School and current and former teachers in the family and consumer sciences department were there to celebrate with current high schoolers and preschoolers. 
• Pattonville’s school-community relations department earned a Gold Medallion Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for the second year in a row. The Gold Medallion is NSPRA’s highest award and is the only national award that specifically recognizes comprehensive, strategic school public relations programs. This year, five Gold Medallion winners were selected from among 53 competitive entries by school PR programs across the United States. Pattonville earned the Gold Medallion in the area of COVID-19 communications. Pattonville’s school-community relations department team included Mickey Schoonover, director of school-community relations; Kelly Gordon, community relations specialist and secretary to the board of education; Brian Heyman, multimedia communications specialist; and Alexis Pick, administrative assistant to the superintendent and community relations. This is the third time Pattonville’s school-community relations department earned the Gold Medallion. 
• In the 2021-2022 school year, Pattonville began using Empower Learning’s learning management system (LMS) to report student progress in kindergarten through fifth grades. The platform is also used for students in Holman Middle School’s Pirate Academy and middle school students at Remington Traditional School. Empower replaces letter-based report cards with an online reporting system that provides better insight into students’ progress in mastering grade-level skills, concepts and subject matter (learning targets). Pattonville has developed learning targets that drill down to the specific skills and knowledge students need to master at each grade level, and Empower enables parents, students and parents to view, in real-time, how their student’s learning is progressing on each of those specific skills. Teachers and students are able to identify where a student is on their learning path and set goals for ongoing learning. Specific learning targets are marked as Mastered (MAS), In-Progress (I), or Getting Started (GS) along a student’s individual learning path since not all students are working on the same content at the same time, and therefore are not being assessed on the same things. Teachers will review student progress with families during four progress review periods throughout the school year.
• Pattonville High School English learner teacher Eleanor Taylor was named a Regional Teacher of the Year by EducationPlus. Taylor, the Pattonville School District Teacher of the Year, was one of 10 St. Louis regional honorees and one of only 34 still in the running for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) State Teacher of the Year honor. 
• Pattonville High School was recognized as a 2020-21 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished High School. It is one of just 204 high schools across the United States to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW (biomedical science, computer science and engineering).
• More than 120 parents, students and staff from every school in Pattonville met at a districtwide Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) meeting on  Aug. 31 to review potential plans for facility updates and to prioritize the needs for their buildings. The individual school improvement teams heard an overview from the architects assisting with the plan development and then met and discussed the project lists for their schools.  
• Pattonville POSITIVE School marked its 40th anniversary on Sept. 30 with current and former students and staff returning for a night of celebration. Pattonville Occupational School Including Technical Individualized Vocational Education opened in the 1981-1982 school year after George Ruh wrote a grant to start the school. He was the first director of the program and was on hand to celebrate with about 100 other people. 
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Nov. 2 voted to select Dr. Barry Nelson as the next superintendent of the Pattonville School District, effective upon the retirement of Dr. Tim Pecoraro, the district’s current superintendent. Nelson has served as Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for human resources since 2009. He previously worked as principal of Rose Acres Elementary School for eight years.
• The Pattonville Board of Education on Dec. 14 approved asking Pattonville residents to vote on a $111 million no-tax-rate-change bond issue on April 5,2022 to fund a new master facilities plan for the district. The plan called for adding classrooms to address growth in student enrollment; providing safety and maintenance improvements; and updating school facilities to meet current and future teaching and learning needs. Approval of the bond issue does not require an increase in the district tax rate. The facilities plan included a list of items to be completed at each school in the district.
• Kelly Gordon, APR, is selected as Pattonville’s chief communications officer upon the retirement of Mickey Schoonover, APR, director of school-community relations, on July 1, 2022. Gordon, a 2006 Pattonville alumna, becomes the fourth person to direct the department in its 57-year history. Other directors of the program included Robert Guttman (1965-1995), Jeff Arnett (1995-1997) and Schoonover (1997-2022). 
• Three Pattonville School District teachers earned their certification as a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). Drummond Elementary second grade teacher Ashley Burd and first grade teacher Amber Wilson each earned certification in Generalist/Early Childhood and Remington Traditional English learner specialist Michele Hill achieved certification in English as a New Language/Early and Middle Childhood Path 2. 

 

2022

• Four Pattonville schools earned EnergyStar certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for superior energy performance. They are Parkwood and Rose Acres elementary schools, Pattonville Heights Middle School and Pattonville High School. Energy Star-certified buildings are verified to perform in the top 25% of buildings nationwide. Energy Star is the only energy-efficiency certification in the United States that is based on actual, verified energy performance.
• The Pattonville HighSchool varsity drill team was named the top dance team in the country at the NDA National Championship in Orlando, Florida. This Is the fifth time in program history the team has won a national championship (most in Missouri) and the first since 2000. The team also placed 23rd in small varsity pom at nationals.
• Voters on April 5 approved Pattonville's Proposition S, a $111 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue, which will fund projects at every school in Pattonville. Approval of the bond issue will not increase the district's tax rate. The measure passed with a 79.4% approval rate.
• Voters in the April 5 election who picked up an "I Voted" sticker may have been enjoying the work of Pattonville High School junior Tara Wang. Her artwork was chosen by the public as the best in the 9th-12th grade category in the St. Louis County Board of Elections and St. Louis County Library “ IVoted” sticker contest and printed on stickers handed out during election time.
• Pattonville used virtual learning snow days in the 2021-2022 school year, which enabled the district to retain the previously schedule last day of school, despite having several snow days.