Cape Girardeau board approves DESE/DMH grant to launch recovery high school

The Cape Girardeau Public Schools board on Feb. 2 voted to accept grant funding from the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a recovery high school intended to serve students struggling with substance use disorders.

Miss Keyes, who presented the district’s application and the materials shown to state reviewers, said the program will phase in enrollment beginning with 10 students in year one and expanding to as many as 40 in later years. "This is not a school that we will force students to go to," she said, adding that participation will be voluntary and require parent or guardian agreement.

Keyes described a staffing model that would begin with a part-time director, a contracted counselor through the Community Counseling Center, a registered behavior technician and a recovery coach alongside two instructional teachers. She said the school will offer peer-support groups and evening programs run by community agencies and will seek accreditation through the Association of Recovery High Schools by the end of year five.

On funding, presenters said the state grant is front-loaded for startup and capital expenses. Keyes repeatedly told the board the grant is not tied to a per-student rate for the first 10 years: "The funding is not tied to the number of students, at all for the first 10 years," she said. The district’s budget materials show year-one capital costs including an estimated $400,000 facility expense and multi-year staffing and technology projections; presenters said federal and community funding sources will be sought to supplement the grant as the program matures.

Board members pressed presenters on several points: how the district will manage lower-than-projected enrollment if the ramp is slow, how tuition for out-of-district students would be handled, and whether a dedicated recovery school could create negative perceptions about the district. Presenters responded with operational detail and marketing plans, noting that sending districts would initially carry the student’s average daily attendance (ADA) funding and then be reimbursed by the state for any additional per-student costs.

Miss Keyes and district staff described oversight and reporting requirements: an assigned DESE/Desi contact will monitor the program, the district must submit annual plans and after four years the state will re-review progress toward goals. The presentation stated the district expects to open an interim site and delay construction of a new facility if necessary, with a potential new building opening in January 2027.

After discussion the board moved and approved the recommendation authorizing the superintendent or designee to accept the grant funding and proceed with implementing the recovery high school. The motion passed on a voice vote; the motion and vote record in the minutes did not list a roll-call tally.

Next steps described by staff include finalizing facility plans, beginning hiring for initial positions, completing required DESE reporting, and continuing community outreach and marketing to address perception concerns.