NELL HOLCOMB, KELSO SCHOOLS PAY TUITION RATHER THAN BUILD

For almost 40 years, the Nell Holcomb school district has been footing the bill to send its students to high school in Cape Girardeau or Jackson.

Attendance at either school is about equal among Nell Holcomb graduates, said Superintendent David Fuemmeler.

Students who live near New Hamburg also must also attend high school outside their district.

Both the Nell Holcomb and New Hamburg schools were organized as kindergarten through eighth grade districts only.

There are 74 public school districts in Missouri where students can attend only through the eighth grade, and those districts must pay tuition costs set by neighboring schools.

While the tuition bill has is pretty hefty, it might be more cost-effective than paying for a new building, school officials say.

"In the long run, we can't always provide the education. There's not classroom space for them," said Becky Couch, superintendent at Kelso C-7 in New Hamburg.

Tuition costs are high but the cost of a new building would be about $2 to $3 million and would mean raising taxes, Fuemmeler said.

"You reach a line where it's difficult to have good programs and offer the same type of activities as a larger school," he said.

The academic, extra-curricular and sports programs at Jackson and Cape Central are hard to maintain at smaller schools, Fuemmeler added.

But the tradeoff has worked well for both Nell Holcomb, Kelso C-7 and neighboring schools. "Our students don't have trouble adjusting," Fuemmeler said.

Counselors from both neighboring districts visit the eighth-grade classes and explain the course offerings to Nell Holcomb students.

The tuition rate that both school districts pay for transferring their students is set by the school boards that accept the students.

"We don't set price," Couch said. "But we work together. It's a tradeoff."

The tuition rates often are set at the same amount as the average daily cost per student, which ranges from $3,200 to $3,700 depending on the size of the district.

Although the tuition rate is not based on a formula set by the state, there is a recommended formula, said Stan Smee, business manager for the Jackson school district.

"We worked on trying to come up with a gentleman's agreement that is fair and adequate," Fuemmeler said.

Couch agrees: "It's not a problem with our parents. They have good schools they can go to."

During last month's meeting, the Jackson school board approved an out-of-district tuition rate of $3,710 for high school students and $2,900 for elementary students.

The Kelso district pays a rate of $3,250 to $3,400 depending on whether the students attend Thomas W. Kelly School in Benton, Scott City High School or Chaffee High School. The district sends 72 students to the three schools.