Boys Hope Girls Hope on Brentwood School Board Agenda

The St. Louis director will talk about the proposal to build a group home on Madge Avenue.

In March, a few streets in Brentwood’s third ward found out that Boys Hope Girls Hope is interested in buying two lots and building an office and group homes for teenagers. Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis provides a home for motivated children-in-need to live in while going to middle and high school. The group would like to build on Madge Avenue, and invited residents of that and nearby streets to an informational meeting at St. Mary Magdalen. If this came about, some of the approximately 20 students could potentially go to Brentwood public schools. Superintendent of Schools David Faulkner invited Brian Hipp, the executive director of Boys Hope Girls Hope St. Louis to a Brentwood Board of Education meeting for an introduction. It's on …

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Daphne Madras

11:22 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013

I cannot believe that traffic would be that much of a concern. I live in the neighborhood and in fact, can see the property from my back porch. We have a business on our block that has employees park on the street and drive up and down it all day long. Yes, it can be a little annoying when people don't obey the speed limit, but I dont sit out front of my house all day long and check on every …   more ›

Brentwood Schools Proposition K Passes, Superintendent Says No More Cutbacks

Superintendent David Faulkner credited parents who care about the schools.

With all five Brentwood polling places reporting, Proposition K, a tax levy for the public schools, has passed with 796 Yes votes to 615 No votes. That's 56 percent of the votes cast were Yes votes. As a result, the school district operating tax levy ceiling will increase by 75 cents. That's about $83 per $100,000 of home value over the 2012 taxes levied, or about $11 per month for the median Brentwood home.  Superintendent of Schools David Faulkner said the schools will not have to worry about any more cutbacks now. Faulkner inherited what he called a financially stressed school district when he began the job in July 2012. He said property values in the district dropped for the first time ever in 2009, and again in 2011. "We’re looking at…

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Letters to the Editor

Brentwood School Board Responds to Tuesday's Turnout

The Brentwood Board of Education "cannot engage in a dialogue or discussion regarding specific comments" during public comment periods at meetings, notes a letter from the board.

The Brentwood Board of Education submitted the following letter to the editor following the recent events surrounding the ouster of Kathleen Behrmann as principal of McGrath Elementary School. Want to submit your own Letter to the Editor? E-mail editor Ryan Martin at ryan.martin@patch.com. Dear members of the Brentwood community, The Brentwood Public School District is dedicated to providing the best education possible to the children of our community. The district is a vibrant and high-quality learning environment committed to preparing our students to function as solid citizens as they move forward throughout their lives. We are writing today to update you on recent developments as the district moves forward to further enhance our …

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Questions Remain After McGrath Principal's Ouster

The school board voted against extending the contract of Kathleen Behrmann, who has worked as McGrath Elementary School's principal since 2004.

*Correction: Patch previously posted an incorrect vote count. One school board member was absent from the meeting. We are very sorry for the error. Parents of students in McGrath Elementary School recently received an email that noted the school district was in the process of hiring a new principal for the next school year. On Feb. 17, Superintendent Dr. Charles Penberthy sent the email, which noted that Principal Kathleen Behrmann would be taking another position in the school district. The email came as a shock to Behrmann, who said she never agreed to a move. She only recently learned about losing her job as principal, Behrmann said. "Frankly, I thought I was doing an awesome job," said Behrmann, who has worked at McGrath since 2000 and…

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Editor's Notebook

Dentistry Fire, Drug Testing Among Most Read Stories in January

Which of the following five stories was most the most important or most memorable?

This year started off with a lot of big stories in the community. In January, Patch's list of most-read stories included a commercial fire at Maplewood Richmond Heights Family Dentistry, an article about a fast food chain possibly moving to downtown Maplewood and updates about a potential drug-testing program for some Brentwood students. One of the most-read stories was empowering for young people, while another was nothing short of heartbreaking. As a Patch user, which of the following five stories was most the most important or most memorable? Please cast a vote in our poll and add your thoughts in the comments section. - No. 1 — Firefighters Subdue Blaze at 1904 House, Home of Dentistry (Jan. 12) The event was described as devastating …

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Pat Maloney (Wilken)

10:43 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012

While it might not be the most memorable, I feel it was the most important and very relevent. I voted for #4. I was very proud of those young girls speaking out. It is not an easy thing to do, when you are a pre-teen or a teenager.   more ›

Aldermanic Races Set as Filing Period Closes in Brentwood

Two out of four races in Brentwood will be contested.

The filing period for residents interested in seats on the Brentwood boards of aldermen and education, and the Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education, closed on Tuesday evening. That means the ballots for the April election have basically been set. Brentwood Board of Aldermen While four seats on the Brentwood Board of Aldermen are up for election, only two of those are contested. Each seat carries a four-year term. In Ward 4, three candidates have filed for one seat. Patrick Toohey, 35, lives on Oriole Lane and works as a financial advisor at Wells Fargo. Toohey is a first-time filer who entered the contest because of his background in financial and operation audits. "I am filing due to the lack of financial oversight in the City of…

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Update: David Faulkner Named Brentwood Superintendent

Faulkner has worked in the Brentwood School District since 2004.

(Update 6:15 p.m. after an interview with David Faulkner) David Faulkner, the current assistant to superintendent Dr. Charles Penberthy, has been named superintendent of the Brentwood School District. The appointment will become effective July 1, the day after Penberthy's retirement begins. "I am thrilled that the board selected me," Faulkner said. "Beyond my excitement, I also know there's a lot of work to be done." (For real-time updates about the Brentwood community, 'Like' us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaplewoodBrentwoodPatch) The Brentwood Board of Education was unanimous in the selection, said Chris Jones, president of the school board, when reached by phone on Monday. After a lengthy selection process, the board chose Faulkner …

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James Baer

8:51 pm on Monday, January 9, 2012

David Faulkner did a great job in Ladue and richly deserves this position. I predict he will do wonders for Brentwood.   more ›

Editor's Notebook

Top 10 Most-Read Stories of 2011 on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch

Do any of these stories surprise you?

Take a look below at the most-read news stories of 2011. Do any of the stories surprise you? As the year comes to a close, do you have anything else to say about any of these stories? Let us know in the comments section. -- 10) Brentwood Parks Director Ousted From City (Dec. 9) The Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted to fire former parks director Michele Frankowski after she had a heated argument with city administrator Bola Akande. The board was divided 4-4 in firing Frankowski, but Mayor Pat Kelly broke the tie, electing to terminate Frankowski's employment. 9) Chris Seemayer is Still Collecting Benefits From Brentwood (Oct. 12) Former Brentwood city administrator Chris Seemayer, who pled guilty to stealing nearly $30,000 from the city he …

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Candidate Filing Opens Dec. 13 in Brentwood

Residents interested in serving on the Brentwood boards of education or aldermen must register in December to be placed on the April 2012 ballot.

Two seats on the Brentwood Board of Education and four on the Brentwood Board of Aldermen will be open on the April 2012 ballot. The filing period runs from Dec. 13 to Jan. 17 for both boards. The municipal election is slated for April 3. Brentwood Board of Aldermen Four aldermanic seats will be open in the April 2012 election. The two-year terms for Barb Clements (Ward 1), Mike Marshall (Ward 2), Andy Leahy (Ward 3) and Lorraine Krewson (Ward 4) are set to expire. For residents interested in running for one of the open aldermanic positions, the city will accept your filing notice at Brentwood City Hall between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Dec. 13 until Jan. 17. Potential candidates are required to meet a few criteria: While candidates were …

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