Joel E. Barber C-5 School District community members will have the opportunity to give input on the district’s high school planning to the school administration and board on April 28 at 6 p.m., which was set at the April 16 school board meeting.
High school planning is one option for responding to what Superintendent Rachelle Jennings has described as unsustainable – for more than a few years – high school tuition rates for neighboring districts.
The K-8 school district has begun posting a series of videos on Facebook with Jennings explaining aspects of the high school tuition rate problem.
In an April 14 video, Jennings said that the added expense of coming tuition increases (the exact high school tuition rate Laclede County R-1 would charge Joel E. Barber was unclear at the time of writing, but the Record has previously covered Lebanon R-III’s tuition rate) ultimately could lead the district to consider closure.
Jennings, in the video, gave three options to deal with the high school tuition rates: cuts that would impact the quality of student learning, district closure (consolidation or annexation), or building a high school.
The focus of the community meeting was high school planning, Jennings said during and the board meeting, the district was currently deciding if a district high school was feasible. The board looked at one possible option for funding the construction of the high school during the meeting which included debt service and general obligation bond issue.
In an April 17 video, Jennings went over some of the basics. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., people should be able sign up for five-minute time slots to speak regarding the future high school.
The meeting could be recorded to keep track of all the ideas, and Jennings said this meeting would be a listening session for the board rather than a meeting where they take part in a back and forth with the audience.
In the later interview, Jennings explained the school district’s four funds: Fund 1 (operating), Fund 2 (teacher salaries), Fund 3 (debt service) and Fund 4 (for capital improvements). Back at the meeting, she said J.E.B. had not historically had debt service.
For more stories, see Wednesday's LCR.
