In her 20-year-plus career in education, the new superintendent of Mexico School District 59, Dr. Tammy Lupardus, has yet to face the array of challenges looming over this year’s back-to-school event.

As the federal government struggles to get control of the coronavirus pandemic, with cases in Missouri rising by the week, the prospect of how to safely reopen school lies largely on the shoulders of local communities and administrators. Superintendents across the nation are being tasked with making the tough decisions about reopening.

For Lupardus, the key to getting students back to school safely amid a global pandemic this fall is “collaboration.” Lupardus was sworn-in to take the helm of the district July 1 at the end of February, a few short weeks before COVID-19 began its life-altering impacts.

For the past four years, Lupardus had been the superintendent of Charleston R-1 School District located atop Missouri’s bootheel. This experience proved crucial to taking on her new position as superintendent in Mexico. Without it, leading the district during this time might have proved “nearly impossible.”

“It has been overwhelming to say the least,” Lupardus said.

Since July 1, Lupardus has assembled a task force called the Mexico Reasonable Task Force to assess and construct a re-entry plan for students and staff. The task force comprised of 38 representatives from all schools and departments within the district, the Board of Education, and community partners such as the Audrain County Emergency Management Agency and the Audrain County Health Department.

In mid-July, the group sent out a survey to staff members and parents inquiring about their comfort with in-person learning, as well as their access to the internet and devices such as a computer. According to Lupardus, 9% of families said they did not feel comfortable attending school in-person, while 77% said they would feel comfortable attending school under the precautions of social distancing. The rest responded saying they were uncertain and would wait to make a decision.

With that information, the group constructed a re-entry plan giving students two options, the first is to register for the online learning program and the other allows students to observe social distancing on buses and in the classroom in hopes of remaining in school for as long as it is deemed safe.

“What I'm hearing is people appreciate having the choice,” Lupardus said.

For some students however, access to wireless internet as well as devices are scarce. Parents and students have until Friday to register for online learning, and so far, 230 families have signed up to learn from home. Of those families, 114 have responded saying they need a device and 51 need access to wireless hot-spots.

Mexico School District is responsible for the entire cost of remote learning as it serves as an alternative to in-person learning. The district, however, still is able to receive funds through the Average Daily Attendance, state program, or ADA for students who attend class at home.

Audrain County received nearly $3 million in Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act funding, and according to Lupardus, $524,000 was allocated to Mexico’s School District.

Much of that funding is expected to be used for personal protective equipment such as hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and N95 masks, as well as Chromebook laptop computers for online students and hot spots, ensuring wireless connectivity. Lupardus said she projects in-person learning for the rest of this school year will cost $1.2 million. The district already is facing a reduction of $1.3 million in funds as a result of budget cuts to K-12 education enacted by Gov. Parson in June.

“School districts are hemorrhaging quickly through this process,” Lupardus said. “We do not know the end number of how much this is going to cost the school district.”

The district anticipates utilizing it’s reserve fund, which is 40 percent of last year’s budget this school year. The Audrain County Commission now is accepting applications for the second phase of the CARES Act, funding distributions, and the Mexico School District is eligible to apply. Lupardus said she is anxiously awaiting the additional help.

Despite the deficit the district faces, Lupardus believes educating students must be their first priority no matter what the circumstances.

“Our kids need us,” Lupardus said. “Even for a short time or short periods of time, we have to make it our priority to educate kids. We know that educating kids, for the most part, takes place best in person.”

As a part of the re-entry plan, staff and students are expected to answer daily at-home screening questions, first taking their temperature to ensure it is below 100.4 degrees fahrenheit. Lupardus confirmed that two staff members have tested positive for COVID19, and the district is abiding by their health provider’s instruction before allowing them back to work.

An additional staff member has been in close contact with a person positive for COVID19 and that person quarantining at this time. One staff member resigned earlier this week due to a preexisting condition that jeopardizes their safety.

Lupardus said the district will continue to monitor and work with staff members who feel sick or test positive for the coronavirus.

“We are going by doctor’s orders, most certainly,” Lupardus said. “This is new for us, it's new for our employees, and it's going to be new for kids here in a couple weeks. We all have to hold on to one another and hang together to do our best to navigate these uncharted waters.”

The district will know how many students will be learning online this school year by Friday and how many will be in-class six feet apart. Regardless, the Mexico School District, rain or shine, will start classes Aug. 26.