During the June 28 board report, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy mentioned that all virtual learning instruction eligibility will expire via state statute on July 31 with the exception of MOCAP.

“Educere will not be an option and other virtual instruction that was delivered (during the COVID-19 pandemic) will not be,” Hardy said to the board. “With the exception of MOCAP, the state does not plan on doing it.”

“Conversations around distance learning have begun in case we receive any requests from parents,” Hardy reported.

District officials also submitted their AMI plan in June for distance learning during inclement weather days.

The district is among other schools in Missouri that may also receive funds from the “Grow Your Own” program, allocated for local teacher recruitment and retention.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant is available for application.

“We are usually given about three months to write that grant and this year they gave us about a month,” Hardy reported. “It’s been submitted, but as you know that is based on the free and reduced (lunch) rate. Another factor giving me a little bit of hope is there was a question about ‘do you serve a county that is not served by an after-school grant?’ If we do, which Hermann doesn’t have a CCLC either, hopefully that will give us some bonus points.”

Superintendent Dr. Chuck Garner added that the district has won the grant previously.

“If you remember, we got the 21st CCLC for five years, then when we reapplied, we didn’t. It all went to Boys and Girls Clubs and only one or two public schools got it,” Garner said. “It was a very positive after-school program.”

The district won’t find out results of the grant applications until September.

A local program is expected to be re-implemented at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

“The city has agreed to partner again for the district’s school resource officer program,” Garner began. “The plan again is for a 75-25 split in fees with the SRO being on campus during the school year. I am excited this program can come back.”

The goal of the program has always been to be available to the school district to provide added safety and security, be a liaison between local, county and state agencies, develop positive relationships with students, parents and staff and will be a reliable resource for all buildings within the district.

Lastly, during a state budget update, Garner explained budget cuts for the 2020-21 school year that hit in June following a special state legislative session to discuss the authorization of Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA).

“Governor Parson claims that without FRA, he will have to withhold over $700 million from fiscal year 2022,” Garner began. “This will impact some of the education programs.”

The Gasconade County R-2 District could be impacted by the $20 million cut from transportation.

“As you know, transportation reimbursement is woefully underfunded, but we did not build in an increase to transportation reimbursement into our budget because this is a traditional withhold.”

Another $5 million was announced as a potential withhelding from the A+ Dual Credit Scholarship Program.

“This was to begin reimbursing high school students who take dual credit courses and is a significant cut to colleges and universities statewide. This could impact tuition,” Garner said.

Fortunately, the legislature passed legislation June 30 in special session authorizing the continuation of the FRA which matches state taxes with federal funds to fund Medicaid.