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Fayette school district prepares for decline in future state funding amid pandemic

Justin Addison Editor/Publisher
Posted 5/26/20

The Fayette school district will likely face some degree of financial uncertainty over the next two years due to drop-offs in revenue caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Like all schools in …

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Fayette school district prepares for decline in future state funding amid pandemic

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The Fayette school district will likely face some degree of financial uncertainty over the next two years due to drop-offs in revenue caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Like all schools in Missouri, Fayette expects cuts to revenue received from the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

District Superintendent Jill Wiseman reported to the Board of Education last week that Governor Mike Parson revealed in a recent conference call with schools that up to $700 million could be cut from the next year’s state budget. This on top of cuts already made. It is uncertain how much of those cuts will be made to education.

“I expect it’s going to be a very large impact,” Wiseman said. Another call with the governor is scheduled for June.

Missouri is currently facing 15 percent unemployment, and retail sales have dropped around 16 percent. In addition, the closure of casinos across the state has resulted in large impacts on school districts. Fayette receives around $18,000 monthly from the Classroom Trust Fund, which is financed by gambling across the state.

However, despite an uncertain future, the school district has fared quite well throughout the pandemic. Fayette has saved around $80,000 since schools were closed in March. During the school board’s regular meeting May 20, Wiseman reported that the district will receive nearly $140,000 from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSR) Fund, which is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, that was signed by President Trump on March 27. These funds must be earmarked for specific expenditures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as technology for remote learning and additional cleaning supplies. The district also has a deadline of September 20, 2022 to use the funds. Any leftover monies would be returned.

Next month Fayette will receive more than $64,000 from penalties paid by the City of Fayette. The city had asked for a return of the money, but the district refused, citing legal restrictions (see related story on the front page of this newspaper).

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