Schools consortium fails in bid to win grant

Less than a month after being named a Race to the Top finalist, the Northwest Missouri Consortium has been eliminated from consideration for millions of dollars in federal grant funds.

The grant would have allowed programs like the Area Cooperative for Educational Support (ACES), an alternative school serving the 21 school districts in the consortium, to continue operating in its current form.

Had the grant been approved, the consortium could have received between $10 million to $22 million, money that, in addition to the Maryville-based ACES program, would have paid for technology and facility upgrades along with professional development for faculty and staff.

The Maryville R-II School District acts as the fiscal agent for ACES, which will lose its current grant funding at the end of the 2012-'13 school year. In an effort to soften the blow, the R-II School Board has been considering options for months.

In November, the board approved a contingency plan in case the the Race to the Top grant fell through. R-II Superintendent Larry Linthacum said that plan will now be put into effect.

That means the board will likely keep a K-8 alternative school program going for R-II patrons, but will not be able to provide similar services for other schools belonging to the cooperative without charging tuition.

A total of six jobs will be eliminated at the ACES campus on South Main: two teachers, two social workers, a counselor and a paraprofessional.

Linthacum said R-II began planning for the worst early on so that staff member would have time to search for new jobs.

"We are disappointed that we are not going to be a recipient of the grant," Linthacum said. "We're going to continue to look for other grant opportunities."

All 21 districts belonging to the grant consortium played a role in drafting the application, and Linthacum said relationships forged during that process will prove beneficial in the future.

"We are very positive about what came from working with the other schools in the consortium," he said. "Unfortunately the grant was not approved, but we worked together."

No Missouri school has ever received federal Race to the Top funding, and educators were hoping that fact, plus the participating districts' rural status, would give northwest Missouri an edge.

But that's not the way it worked out.

"It's disappointing, I don't think I have any other words for it," ACES director Debbie From said. "The districts don't lose. It's the kids that lose and that are going to suffer."

Loss of potential grant funding also means the cooperative will eliminate a school-based mental health program that served almost 300 students last year.

That program is different from the alternative school in that some of the students served attend regular classes with an assist from social workers.

On average, From said that roughly 25 students a year have been placed in the alternative school program.

Beginning with the 2013-'14 school year, ACES will only serve K-12 special education students, a program than includes speech, occupational and physical therapy as well as diagnostics and consultations.

The Maryville district will possibly operate its own alternative school for kindergarten through 8th grade. This may require hiring a social worker — one of the six positions now scheduled for elimination.

From said there is also a chance R-II will work out a tuition system for students from other schools belonging to the cooperative.

But this is problematic, since member districts have already opted not to provide additional funding after current grants expire.

From said those districts are continuing to seek grants and other funding sources.

"I think you always have to be optimistic and hopeful when you are providing services for kids," From said. "We know that the need is there. We have to find a way to meet that need."

From said there is little doubt that the ACES program provides a valuable educational service.

Numbers of alternative students have declined dramatically as young people became able to attend regular classes after receiving help from ACES staff working at various member schools.

From said that in the coop's first year 65 students were enrolled. This semester, only 11 attended. She maintains that those numbers suggest ACES is fulfilling its mission.

With a full semester remaining, administrators are hoping that there is still time to find alternatives and seek new funding.

"I think that we'll always continue to search for opportunities to support the students," From said. "That will never change."