A $100,000 ARP Homeless and Youth At-Risk grant awarded to the Gasconade County R-2 School District has enabled administrators to acquire resources for at-risk students and purchase a poverty simulator course for teachers.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Staci Johnson on Monday night gave an update on the status of all the district’s grants, beginning with ARP.

“On Jan. 3, all staff will be going through the poverty situation with poverty barriers to understand what some of our families go through,” Johnson said.

The grant covers a variety of resources, including services, assessment, and instruction programs, professional development for teachers and salaries.

A $75,000 grant for a RootEd is currently being used to pay for the salary of College and Career Ready Advisor Elizabeth Hinch. The grant is in its second year of the three year cycle and is in the process of being expended.

A $37,000 Mental Health Services Grant is the process of being expended. The district is utilizing the funds to pay for counselor or professional mental health councilors, and partnerships with outside services.

An Evidence-Based Reading Instruction Program grant is being used to provide LETRS stipends, resources and assessments up to $500 for completion per teacher.

The first year of the preschool expansion program, which provides additional teachers for a second classroom at both the Owensville and Gerald elementary schools, is being paid for with a $320,000 Preschool Start-Up Grant. Funds can be utilized for supplies, equipment, and minor remodeling. All funds have been expended.

A GEER 2 grant will reimburse $11,700 to families for 2019-22 dual courses purchased. The district is in the process of sending reimbursement checks.

“There were 81 students who submitted reimbursement requests for 300 classes, that is tens of thousands of dollars,” Johnson said. “Some students took as may as three or four dual credit classes.”

Reimbursement was determined to be completed at a sliding scale. The more classes a student took, the more reimbursement their families received.

“They were reimbursed between $30 and $300, depending on the courses purchased,” Johnson said. “There is no talk about a GEER 3 grant, but we will reach out if there is one.”

Johnson said she is waiting to hear back from two pending grant applications.

The second round of applications for a $200,000 School Safety Grant is pending approval. Johnson said they expect to hear back at the end of September if the district is awarded the funds. If approved, funds may be used for a visitor management system, cameras, vape detectors, Stop the Bleed kits, and additional secure door entrance kits.

The second pending grant application was awarded to the district previously but was not awarded renewal. The 21 Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) grant application has been submitted.

“They have not sent out approval/denial letters,” Johnson said. “They were supposed to go out at the end of August, so I would assume we probably didn’t get that.”

21CCLC previously funded the STRIVE program at the middle school. The funds may be used for before and after school programs and are awarded in five-year increments that must be renewed each year. If awarded, the district would receive $400,000 to establish before or after school programs for five years.