Since December, the Pattonville School District has been 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. Although the study is ongoing, preliminary results in the Missouri study and previous school-related studies in the U.S. have shown that in-school transmission of COVID-19 is rare when mitigation strategies are in place.

 The Pattonville School District will host a presentation on Zoom with infectious disease expert Dr. Jason Newland from 6 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27. During the event, Newland will provide 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.

Six candidates filed to be placed on the April 6 election ballot to fill two open seats on Pattonville Board of Education, however one of the six candidates has since decided that she no longer wishes to be elected to office. Those who filed for the board, in order of filing, are incumbents Jeanne Schottmueller and Dr. Amanda Lieunau Purnell, Brandon R. Wilkes, Tiffany Davis, Nunn Johnson and Monyelle Dotson. Dotson, in a statement to Pattonville (see below), said she no longer wished to be considered for the board, however due to the timing of the election, her name will still appear on the ballot. Find out more about each candidate, and Dotson's statement, below.

Each year, Pattonville School District provides the opportunity for students, staff and parents to honor employees who make a difference through the Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year recognition programs. The honorees of these programs exemplify what it means to be part of the Pattonville community. Nomination forms for the Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year awards are available on the Pattonville website at www.psdr3.org/nominate and throughout the district.