Milan School District C-2

EDUCATION MATTERS #69

By Dr. Ben Yocom – Milan C-2 School District Superintendent

“STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING”

July is upon us and this particular July is unlike any other July we have experienced in recent memory.  Typically, the month of July calls for the Milan C-2 School District to be fairly desolate and empty…  The custodial-maintenance crews are waxing floors, completing various tasks and preparing for another school year opening – in the words of Coach Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend!”.  The pandemic has ‘changed’ everything for nearly everyone!  Here are a few things that are ‘different’:

The 2020 Summer School started on Monday, July 6th – and most of the students will be on campus on Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays; while students that are in Summer School to make up credit are here every day.  After close consultation with the Health Department and other entities, the session started in its third (3rd) option.  The first day was successful; especially when you consider that no student has been on campus for academic activities for nearly 4.5 months!  It was AWESOME to have kids in class again!  The overall process is much different than previous Summer School sessions – specific disinfecting/cleaning sessions throughout the day; breakfast-lunch in the classrooms; limited class sizes (15 or less); limited recesses; etc.  If requested, students can participate in the entire session remotely.  Naturally, we will closely monitor everything throughout the session and make adjustments as needed.  It is extremely important that students can have the opportunity to participate in “In-Person” instruction.

The FIRST DAY of the 20-21 School Year is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020.  This date was intentionally set later to account for the Better MC2 Project 2020 process and no matter what, the next school year will NOT begin until this date.  In an effort to best support the students, staff, parents-guardians and community at-large – we are going to distribute a survey around July 18th, 2020.  The feedback generated from the survey will help us plan for the school year.  Essentially, there are three (3) platforms or options we are considering: 

• Traditional – All students here five (5) days per week as in previous years;

• Blended – All students here MONDAY-WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY, with all students participating in REMOTE ACTIVITIES on TUESDAY-THURSDAY;

• Hybrid – Nearly ½ of the students present on MONDAY and WEDNESDAY and the other ½ present on TUESDAY and THURSDAY (when students are NOT on campus on either day, they will be expected to participate in REMOTE activities) – FRIDAY would be a flex day.

No matter what, the next school year will look different – the increased hand-washing and disinfecting practices; plus, a host of other changes will provide a much different environment for students.  Also, the survey is designed to ascertain the feelings of the noted stakeholders – this will help us plan for the best possible atmosphere under the circumstances!

There have been multiple questions regarding Athletics/Activities for the next school year and right now, the school is planning to conduct these events as planned in the past.  There may be specific requirements implemented for spectators and visitors, depending on the current specifics within all communities involved.  As soon as any change or decision is made regarding these areas, announcements will be made.

The Better MC2 Project 2020 is continuing and if you have passed by South Market street lately, you have likely observed some notable progress.  The JULY UPDATE of the project will be shared on the media outlets soon and I would encourage everyone to review those updates, as they provide specific information related to the project.

One of the biggest concerns for Public Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic is the negative impact the virus has had on the financial status.  The Milan C-2 School District will be impacted by the budget shortfall.  The district receives nearly 60% of its overall revenue from the State of Missouri (via the Foundation Formula) – the “Formula” payments are generated from the state Sales Tax and state Income Tax – both areas were drastically impacted by the pandemic.  Fortunately, the district has solid reserves and is overall, in a strong financial position.  On June 24th, the Milan C-2 Board of Education adopted/approved a positive budget – allowing for a 1.57% raise to staff, plus meeting the commitments present for the district’s Lease Payment.  The consistent review of each expenditure will continue and identifying opportunities to save funds will be recommended.  The mission to be prudent servants of the district’s finances will continue – no matter the circumstances!

In closing this month, I would ask for consideration of one (1) element as we move forward into this unique school year – that element is Grace.  In this perspective, Grace is defined as “Courteous good will”.  Have grace when considering the decisions made by leaders; more often than not, leaders are making the best decisions they can with the information they have at that point and time.  I can guarantee you that we, as a school, will do all we can to provide the best we can for the students under our care.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school with any questions or concerns.  My email address is byocom@milan.k12.mo.us and the school number is 660-265-4414 Ext. 1.  We will get through this experience – TOGETHER and we WILL be better for it in the long run!  Thank you for making Every Day a GREAT DAY to be a MILAN WILDCAT!