Spaces have been secured and the Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education has approved starting an Early Childhood Special Education Program at Qulin and Fisk in January 2019.
The board discussed this Tuesday at their regular meeting also hearing a report on Poplar Bluff High School's decision to drop the Royals in their basketball schedule.
ECSE is specifically designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a preschool child with a disability, 3 years of age until eligible for kindergarten.
"I think this is awesome for the district," Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said of the new program. "It's a big step in the right direction for us."
The district is expected to hire a teacher for Fisk and Qulin and the number of students expected to attend is unknown at this time until preschool screenings are held.
To house the students, the board approved leasing the former daycare building, 319 McKinley St., across the parking lot from Fisk Elementary.
A classroom in the Qulin Elementary building will also be used.
The lease on the daycare building is for five years and $13,000 annually.
According to Siebert, if half the students enrolled in ECSE have a recognized IEP (Individualized Education Program), the district will be reimbursed a majority of the lease each year.
"Even if we don't get the half to be reimbursed for everything as far as the IEP front of it, we are going to get paid through ADA (Average Daily Attendance) because the state started doing that this year," he said.
To qualify for ADA funds, the district must have four percent of total students eligible for free or reduced lunches.
Siebert added although the board approved free lunch for all students recently, this would not effect the funding since ECSE students will be eating in the school's cafeterias.
The 750-square-foot classroom at Qulin Elementary could easily hold 15 students, according to Qulin Principal Seth McBroom.
Some renovations will need to be completed to the future ECSE classroom, including eliminating a wall. McBroom said the district could do the work themselves to save money.
"I feel like this is the perfect place to put (the students)," McBroom said. "If we grow to two (classes) we have a plan ready."
The room includes a sink, is near the current kindergarten classes, nurse's office and cafeteria, which is ideal, he added.
Renovating the classroom will require a move for the school's counselor, social worker and speech teacher. With the addition of a couple walls, a lounge area at the school would house the three offices along with technology services.
The counselor and social worker's offices will require wall additions for privacy, which McBroom said he received a quote of $3,800 for the labor and materials.
McBroom reported he would be meeting Thursday with Head Start to discuss children who did not make the program to hopefully ensure all students would be serviced.
"We are not trying to put the Head Start out of business," he said. "There are plenty of kids out there to be serviced."
At this time, 36 students attend the Head Start program at Twin Rivers.
Surveys were also sent to families of students already attending school in the district to look at the interest of ECSE.
McBroom reported he received 20 surveys back and Fisk Principal Leean Mann said she received 30 surveys.
"The more pre-academic skills we can provide to the younger children, the more prepared they are going to be for kindergarten," Director of Special Education Tracie Austin said.
Transportation will not be offered to ECSE students at this time, Austin added, unless it's included in an IEP.
She added as the program goes along, transportation could be looked at in the future.
The next step for the district will be to hire an ECSE teacher for Fisk and Qulin, which McBroom did not think would be a problem.
"This will be a big shift for our district," Board President Jeff Arnold said.
Basketball
Siebert reported to the board that Kent Keith, athletic director for Poplar Bluff High School made the decision to drop Twin Rivers from their basketball schedule.
Administrators and the board expressed their frustration with the decision, which they said they were not a part of.
According to Keith, a scheduling conflict to play in an invitational was the reason for the decision.
"We were honored to accept an invitation to play in the McDonald's Classic in Sedalia," Keith told the Daily American Republic. "Unfortunately, the tournament falls during the corresponding date of our Twin Rivers game."
Arnold said his issue was the $1,200 to $1,500 in concessions the booster club would loose by not hosting the game, which Twin Rivers hosted last season.
"As an administrator, part of me won't be sad to see it go because it can be a headache and some fireworks, but as a former TR guy that played in it, it really makes me sad to see it go," Siebert said. "We fought for it and obviously wanted to keep it on our end."
Billed as the 'Battle of Butler County,' Poplar Bluff has won 20 of the last 21 meetings, including the last 10 meetings by an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. The last Twin Rivers victory came in 2008 by a one-point win at Poplar Bluff.
GYM FLOOR REPAIR
Siebert reported to the board the gym floor at the high school was being replaced at this time due to water damage.
The water damage came a couple weeks ago when Butler County water busted a pipe while performing work. This caused water to run into the building and into the girl's locker room.
According to Siebert, the water seeped under the gym floor from the locker room and caused it to buckle.
While the final cost is not known at this time, Siebert estimated at least $50,000 in damages. Insurance and Butler County water are still in discussions of who will be paying for the damages, Siebert added.
He predicted the gym floor project could take a month to complete.
The girls volleyball team is currently practicing at Fisk, which will host the next home match Tuesday.
Fencing Bids
The board unanimously accepted the one bid received for a variety of projects throughout the district from Montague Fence Co., of Fisk.
The total bid received was for $27,787 to fence the baseball field parking lot, Qulin Middle School playground, Qulin Elementary playground and install 10 six-inch round barrier posts with plastic covers and reflectors at Qulin Middle School.
Executive Session
During executive session, the board unanimously hired Lyndsey Austin as an aide at Qulin, Samantha McFarland as Fisk yearbook and 5-6 grade girls basketball and Chad Bell as 5-6 grade boys basketball.
The next Twin Rivers R-X Board of Education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the Central Office board room.