“Good Morning Mehlville-Oakville,” a new breakfast series designed to connect the Mehlville School District with the community, especially the business community, makes its debut Thursday, Sept. 4.

The event begins at 7:15 a.m. at Andre’s South, 4254 Telegraph Road. Breakfast will be served until 7:45, followed by a panel discussion on the district’s technology and 1:1 initiatives and how they relate to community businesses and the workforce.

The school district plans to make “Good Morning Mehlville-Oakville” a monthly event that will take place the first Thursday of every month.

Over the next several months, the event will be tied in to the district’s strategic planning to get feedback from the district’s business community.

The business community breakfast series is the brainchild of Superintendent Norm Ridder, who took the reins of the Mehlville School District on July 1.

Dr. Ridder comes to Mehlville from Springfield Public Schools, where he helped lead that district to great success.

Under Dr. Ridder’s guidance, Springfield’s graduation rate increased from 75 percent to 88.7 percent, attendance went to the highest level in 20 years and the dropout rate fell to half what it was before his arrival.

At Springfield, Dr. Ridder initiated “Good Morning, Springfield!” upon which the “Good Morning Mehlville-Oakville” breakfasts are modeled.

The breakfasts have been quite a hit in Springfield, and today are hosted by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

In fact, more than $45,000 was gifted to the Springfield Public Schools Emergency Preparedness Initiative at a “Good Morning, Springfield!” session earlier this year. We hope the “Good Morning Mehlville-Oakville” breakfast series will be just as successful.

As we’ve said before, we’re impressed with Dr. Ridder as he brings fresh ideas and a different leadership style than what the Mehlville School District has seen in the past.

For reservations and more information about the first “Good Morning Mehlville-Oakville” breakfast, contact Director of Communications and Public Relations John Wolff at (314) 467-5151.

Wolff encouraged attendance at the breakfast, telling the Call, “The more the merrier.”

Well said!