"According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, we will receive approximately $700,000 in federal stimulus funds for IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act) and about $241,000 for Title I services," said Pam Frazier, chief financial officer. Frazier outlined the administration's plans for using the expected funds at the district's monthly meeting June 11. The district plans to use the $241,000 in Title I funds to hire two new teachers for limited, two-year contracts. According to Superintendent Dr. John Long, Title I services are offered to children who are behind in reading and/or math or at risk of not graduating. "We are looking at hiring Title I teachers with that money, with them knowing that it would be a two-year, limited contract," Frazier said. In the special education area, the district has several long-standing needs that will be addressed using the $700,000 in federal IDEA funding. First, the district plans to purchase two new school buses at a cost of approximately $80,000 each. "Instead of just the really small buses, the buses we are looking at are just a little bit bigger, still handicapped accessible, so we wouldn't have to run so many individual routes and we could get more students on those buses," Frazier explained. In addition, several school buildings are in need of renovations to provide better access for people with disabilities. For example, Daniel Boone Elementary needs an elevator to provide indoor access to all areas of the building for people with disabilities. "The two levels of Daniel Boone are not connected by an elevator, so to go from the lobby to the ground floor one must go outside and around the building on a sidewalk, then go back in," Long explained. Frazier noted that access to both levels of the building is extremely difficult during inclement weather. "That is something that we have been told that would be approved, that we could use the federal stimulus money on," Frazier said. Some other needs being explored by the district include chair lifts, as well as making playgrounds accessible to people with disabilities. "While the current playground surfaces are soft surfaces, which are safe for playing, you can't roll a wheel chair across them," Long explained. If funds are available, the district will replace the current soft surfaces with padded surfaces that are safe for playing and also wheelchair accessible.