The Santa Fe R-X Board of Education has to go back to the drawing board after the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education denied the district’s waiver request to start the 2026-2027 school year before the end of the Missouri State Fair.

Superintendent Derek Lark states that Santa Fe along with about 140 other school districts around the state submitted waivers to DESE to start the next school year prior to the last day of the 2026 Missouri State Fair on August 23rd. With DESE denying the waiver, Lark says this creates an imbalance in the district’s current school calendar for 2026-2027.

 

Missouri law prohibits public schools from starting earlier than 14 calendar days before the first Monday in September. Lark says the district will now have to revise the calendar and bring it to the Board of Education for approval during its next meeting in March.

Larks says the school board also approved health insurance rates, which saw a significant increase this year.

 

The board’s contribution rate will now $641. The Board of Education also accepted the resignation of Elementary Secretary Missy Hinz.