North Tech and South Tech to host Open House Events

October 8, 2021 - North and South Technical High Schools, St. Louis County’s career and technical education (CTE) providers, will host Open Houses this fall to introduce students and families to the relevant and rewarding programs available to them in high school. North Tech’s event will be in-person on October 28, 2021, offering sessions from 5-6 PM or 6-7 PM. South Tech’s event will be virtual on November 4, 2021, from 5-7 PM.

Neuwoehner’s Champions of Character Celebrate During Cardinals Game

October 7, 2021 - Neuwoehner students and staff were welcomed into Busch Stadium to celebrate their status as Champions of Character. Neuwoehner was recognized for its commitment to having every student participate in a service learning project during each school year.

Board Brief - September 28, 2021

September 29, 2021 - The Board Brief is a review of actions taken by the SSD Board of Education. It is one more way SSD is working to be transparent and improve communication, helping keep our community informed. Agenda items are linked, where applicable, to the meeting items on BoardDocs. Official meeting minutes will be posted on BoardDocs.

Fishing Field Trip Puts Students in Nature

September 28, 2021 - With cooperation from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and St. Louis County Parks, students and staff from Ackerman School of Special School District were able to soak in some sunshine while going fishing.

Seven SSD Teachers Awarded Grants from Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation

Aug. 30, 2021 - A total of eight SSD teachers and support personnel have been awarded grants from Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation (MRTF). MRTF is a not-for-profit organization devoted to raising funds to award grants to active teachers to enhance their classroom instruction, among other things. Last year, almost 100 grants were awarded to teachers across Missouri.

Haar Helps Paras Joining SSD

August 26, 2021 - Kevin Haar can often be found standing in front of the brightly lit windows of the Learning Center’s third-floor conference room as he welcomes newly hired SSD paraprofessionals (or commonly known as teacher assistants) to orientation. He greets new staff with granola bars and laptops as they stream in to begin their first day as a para for SSD. “I want them to know I am their ally, they can come to me with anything,” says Haar, who joined the Planning and Development team as our Paraprofessional Professional Learning Facilitator on July 1, 2021.

Zonar GPS Installed on All SSD Busses

August 18, 2021 - SSD’s transportation department added a new feature to its bus service: Zonar Advanced GPS. With the new system, SSD buses can now be tracked up-to-the-minute by the SSD dispatch team, as well as parents and students using the Stopfinder app.

SSD Ranks as Top Ten Regional Employer

August 12, 2021 - In St. Louis Business Journal’s July 2021 Employers and Who’s Who lists, Special School District ranked 10th among the region’s largest employers.

New Special School District Leadership for the 2021-22 School Year

August 11, 2021 - Special School District will start the 2021-22 school year with several new partner district directors, school principals, assistant principals, and district administrators.

Schwaegel Joins SSD’s Neuwoehner Administrative Team

August 10, 2021 - Neuwoehner recently welcomed Tiffany Schwaegel as the new Assistant Principal. Schwaegel began her SSD career in 2010 as a special education instructor in the Hazelwood School District. She then served as an area coordinator intern, before joining the Mehlville team as an area coordinator in 2015.

Educator Impact Award for Dr. Wallace

August 10, 2021 - The Titus2 Foundation honored SSD’s Dr. Ronda Wallace with their Educator Impact award at their annual Scholarship Brunch on Saturday, August 7, 2021.

SSD Earns 2021 Aetna Workplace Well-Being Award

SSD is proud to announce that we have received a Making a Difference Gold level Aetna Workplace Well-being Award. Our SSD Wellness team has a strong commitment to supporting and improving the physical and mental health of our employees. This award is the culmination of their dedicated work and our employees’ desire to make their well-being a priority.

2021-22 New Teacher Orientation

August 5, 2021 - Special School District was pleased to welcome 217 new employees to New Teacher Orientation (NTO), held at North Tech, from July 27-29. The three-day event focused on readying recent hires, ensuring they have the supports and resources they need using a mission titled Equip, Empower, Excel.

New Parent Education & Diversity Awareness Liaison Announced

July 29, 2021 - Emily Laboube has been announced as the new Parent Education & Diversity Awareness (PEDA) Liaison. Laboube previously served as a paraprofessional for SSD within the Rockwood School District. For part of the last school year, she held a long-term substitute position as a resource teacher.

SSD Transportation Department Receives Total Fleet Excellence Award

July 29, 2021 - Special School District’s Transportation Department has been awarded the Exemplary School Bus Maintenance Award, for the tenth year running. Provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the award recognizes school districts and/or contractors who have 90% or more of their buses pass the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s spring school bus inspection on the first attempt.