Superintendent Lori Price covered several topics during her report during the Sweet Springs R-7 School Board meeting on Thursday, May 14.
According to unofficial meeting minutes, Price pointed out that on May 8, the one date that remained unchanged for the senior class of 2020, 34 for seniors graduated via individual ceremonies. In total, the graduating class of 2020 earned $181,675 in scholarships, not including a few university academic of scholarship amounts.
Price said 21 students will be eligible for the A+ scholarship, which will pay for two years of tuition and fees at a community college. Three students will be attending college with additional athletic scholarships, and one student will be eligible for the G.I. Bill following military service.
Price added May 15 marked the official last day of the fourth quarter or second semester, and the end of the 2019-20 academic school year. She said the district has provided educational learning activities and resources for students to work on virtually for the past nine weeks, which began on March 16. In addition, the district prepared and delivered 14,850 meals to students over those nine weeks.
Kindergarten celebration plans are being made to hopefully occur in the fall of 2020. Information regarding this will be forthcoming when more information is known about what the start of the school year will look like as it relates to COVID-19.
Price said in lieu of a sixth-grade promotion ceremony, special deliveries to all sixth-grade students were to be made on Friday, May 15. Students received their sixth-grade promotion certificate, a carnation and a gift to honor them as they prepare for junior high school.
Price also said the district has completed and submitted an application for approval of Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI) Plan through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Eduction (DESE) for the 2020-21 school year. This will allow the district to count instructional hours outside of school setting should the district not be able to start school in August with students in the building; should another school closure occur throughout the school year; or should the school building need to be closed for some other reason, if waivers are not granted from DESE. In addition to submitting an AMI, the district will be submitting an application to receive funding from the CARES Act that can be used for specific expenses incurred from March 13 to September 30, 2020, as set forth by federal guidelines.