Backer refutes real estate claims, admits wrongdoing advocating for students with special needs
23 hours ago
KSD School Board member Julie Backer admitted she stepped out of line advocating for students with special needs in an interview with TKC, but also provided documents refuting the real estate claims against her. A 51-page censure resolution with supporting documents detailing Board Policy violations ...
UPDATE: Dr. Jeff Arnett responds to KSD School Board dispute
Ethan Peter, web editor
February 12, 2020
UPDATE: February 13, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Jeff Arnett made an additional statement to TKC about his departure from KSD after being appointed superintendent in 2018: While the approach of one individual was particularly disappointing, the dynamic among the seven board members was equally surprising. The co...
KSD School Board President Darnel Frost and board member Julie Backer announce joint statement Feb. 10
Ally Ortmann, associate editor
February 11, 2020
At the KSD Board of Education meeting Feb. 10, an agenda item set to present a resolution to censure board member Julie Backer was not moved forward. KSD School Board President Darnel Frost amended the previously distributed meeting agenda, announcing that Backer and the board had agreed on a joint statement of resol...
KSD School Board President Darnel Frost responds to Feb. 1 impromptu meeting
Megan Cleveland, editor-in-chief
February 7, 2020
At an impromptu meeting, KSD Board of Education President Darnel Frost, called for Julie Backer, school board member, to recuse herself from the search for the new superintendent Feb. 1. In a statement to TKC Backer said she was, “shocked and and dismayed by the actions of Darnel Frost, school board member,...
School board member Julie Backer responds to accusations
Ally Ortmann, associate editor
February 4, 2020
At an impromptu meeting, Kirkwood School District Board of Education President Darnel Frost asked board members to look into censuring fellow board member Julie Backer Feb. 1. Frost then called for Backer to recuse herself from the search for a new district superintendent, claiming she has acted in a disrespectful manner and violated school board policies during her tenure. Backer was not in attendance at the meeting...
Search for new superintendent update
Megan Cleveland, editor-in-chief
January 10, 2020
Since announcing her retirement Nov. 8, the KSD school board has spent the past two months searching for eligible candidates to fill the position of Dr. Michele Condon, KSD superintendent. According to Chad Kavanaugh, KSD school board member, the board intends to release the number of candidates within ...
School board election results
Izzy Colón and Thomas Birmingham
April 3, 2019
Kirkwood citizens came out to the polls on Tuesday, April 2 to cast their votes in the school board election. Mark Boyko and Darnel Frost were elected. The results were updated throughout the night by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. TKC compiled the final results: Frost - 4,266 40% Boyko - 3,700 34.7% Ricks -2,593 ...
Update: Controversy around Tom Ricks grows as Kirkwood responds to pastoral letter
Thomas Birmingham, Maisie Bradley, Izzy Colón, and Logan Crews
March 31, 2019
Grant Trokey, 2016 KHS graduate, had attended Greentree Community Church for as long as he could remember. For two years during high school, he played with the worship band a few times a month and attended camps with the church. Then, at age 18, he came out as gay. Within a month, he found he was no lon...
Pastoral letter from school board candidate Tom Ricks causes controversy online
Thomas Birmingham, Maisie Bradley, Izzy Colón, and Logan Crews
March 28, 2019
With the Kirkwood School Board election approaching Tuesday April 2, Jake Lyonfields, a self-described community organizer, made a Facebook post calling to #RejectRicks on Sunday March 24. The “Ricks” in the hashtag refers to Tom Ricks, a candidate for the Kirkwood School Board and the lead pasto...
Mind The Gap: Racial Achievement at KHS
Elliott Notrica, writer
May 2, 2018
Although every student at KHS sits at the same desks and walks the same halls, each individual does not necessarily have equal educational opportunities. A 2015 KSD task force report, co-chaired by previous school board president Darnel Frost and assistant superintendent Dr. Bryan Painter revealed acad...
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