The school board discussed the potential impact of policies set forth by President Donald Trump and Governor Mike Kehoe at its Jan. 29 open meeting.

Superintendent Jim Wipke clarified the effect school choice and voucher programs, as mentioned in Kehoe’s State of the State address, could have on the Ladue School District. These programs allow families to redeem the tax money they send to public schools, as their children attend private schools.

Ladue High School Principal Brad Griffith also presented the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion priorities, including the Seal of Biliteracy and Rams Around the World event. Griffith said that Trump’s Jan. 22 executive order ending federal DEI programs would not immediately affect the building.

“Our district is one of the most diverse school districts in the state of Missouri,” Griffith said in an interview after the meeting. “I think it is upon us to recognize and to celebrate that diversity as a part of what makes us, us.”

Additionally, treasurer Kisha Lee presented the Ladue Education Foundation’s donation in grant money, funding a Piano Lab and “Kids on Wheels,” among other programs. The Student Advisory Committee introduced “Flip the Script,” an initiative to curb drug usage. The group will advertise on social media, Ladue High School televisions and a dedicated discussion lunch table.

“There is a problem with drugs in our society,” member Alexandra Tsygankov (12) said. “Whether you see it or not, it needs to be addressed.”