Fox C-6 School District Superintendent Paul Fregeau’s contract has been extended for another year, through the 2026-2027 school year.
Board of Education members voted unanimously Feb. 6 to extend his three-year contract.
He will receive a $4,583.50 pay raise next school year, increasing his salary from $229,175 this school year to $233,758.50 for the 2024-2025 school year.
Fregeau has been the Fox district’s superintendent since the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
When he was hired, Fregeau received a three-year contract that paid him a $225,500 annual salary.
He received a one-year contract extension and a 3 percent raise in March 2022 and his contract was extended by a year in February 2023 but his salary did not increase that year.
Board President April Moeckel said it was an easy decision to extend Fregeau’s contract.
“Our student achievement has gone up,” she said. “That is our No. 1 goal. We are really excited about that. We are thrilled with Dr. Fregeau and the things he has put into place to help that happen.”
Fox’s 2023 Annual Performance Report (APR) score improved from 152.3 (84.6 percent) in 2022 to 162.1 (84.4) for 2023, the latest date for the report. The district’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores also showed improvement.
The district had 49.6 percent of its students score as proficient or advanced in English in 2023, which is up from 48.2 percent the previous year.
In math, 49.1 percent scored as proficient or advanced in 2023, up from 46.4 the year before, and in science, the percentage rose to 45.1 percent from 43.6.
“I think our student achievement has started in the right direction,” Fregeau said. “That is a credit to our teachers and principals and the hard work they have done. I think our focus on providing the teachers with the resources they need to do instruction aligned to the (state) standards is something to be proud of.
“I am very humbled and proud that they (the board) have that confidence in my leadership to extend my contract. I think it is very important to have continuity in leadership to help a district or any organization to improve. It is heartwarming for them to continue to have that confidence in me.”
Moeckel said she, too, believes it is important to have stability in the district’s leadership, adding that she is impressed with Fregeau’s long-term improvement plan.
“There are a lot of great things being put into place, and I can’t wait to see how it all rolls out,” she said. “We have approved the master facility plan. The data we have in that document is so valuable.
“The plan he has put into place based on that is already starting with capital improvement projects like the asphalt replacement at the Seckman campus.
“He also works with (Chief Teaching and Learning Officer) Tracy Haggerty to make a plan for the curriculum to evaluate it on a regular basis.
“It helps student achievement and with teachers staying up to date with their professional development.”
Fregeau said he will continue working to make improvements throughout the district.
“We want to continue to identify funding sources and resources needed to support our teachers in the classroom to provide quality instruction to our kids on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “In regard to the budget, we need to right-size our budget, so we can continue in a sustainable manner.
“In regard to facilities, we need to right-size our district based on enrollment projections and look at ways to get our buildings to where they need to be in regard to HVAC, roofing, parking lots, etc. It is approximately $150 million that we need to look at moving forward.”
Moeckel said she has been pleased with Fregeau’s work for the district.
“He is very honest and hardworking,” she said. “He is at all events. I don’t know when the man takes time for himself.
“It seems like he is always working. All of those qualities play in to him being the best he can be for us.”