As the 2020-2021 school year begins this week for many districts in Cape Girardeau County, the County Commission on Monday approved proposals from several public and private schools, reimbursing them for various expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think at this point schools should pretty much be taken care of,” said First District Commissioner Paul Koeper as he and the other commissioners approved several amended requests totaling more than $600,000 to be paid for out of the county’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act fund.

The commissioners also voted to reimburse three other schools in the county more than $110,000 for their COVID-19 expenses.

Throughout the summer, the County Commission has used much of its $9.2 million CARES Act allocation from the State of Missouri to reimburse schools, municipal governments and various organizations for the cost of coronavirus-related supplies and other expenses brought on by the pandemic.

The commissioners voted Monday to amend earlier reimbursement approvals with updated amounts: $38,510.60 to St. Mary Cathedral School in Cape Girardeau; Saxony Lutheran High School, revised to $21,431.32; St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson, amended to $279,824.92; and the City of Cape Girardeau, amended to $275,959.79.

In addition, the County Commission OK’d three new reimbursements: $38,092.88 for Prodigy Leadership Academy; $43,251 for the Nell Holcomb School District; and $29,752.45 for the Oak Ridge School District.

Koeper said a supplemental reimbursement request from the Jackson School District is under review and the county expects a request from Eagle Ridge Christian School within the next few days.

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